In 2007 the Trailblazers documented 655 volunteer hours to the S. Platte Ranger District, USFS and an additional 42 hours to Jefferson County Open Space.  Those 655 volunteer hours amounts to $12,779 in volunteer time contribution to the USFS resulting in 2.8 miles of completed new trails in our first year including Buffalo Burn trail and about half of Redskin Creek trail.

While our objective in 2008 was a conservative increase in our documented volunteer hours to 747, this was at year’s end exceeded by nearly 26% with 938 total volunteer hours.  930 of those hours were dedicated to USFS in the Pike National Forest a volunteer time value of $18,833.  In the BCRA, the Trailblazers have been successful in completing Redskin Creek trail while concurrently getting approval for and subsequently initiating construction on a new trail project, Nice Kitty, of over four miles.

Our volunteers’ efforts in 2009 were incredibly successful!  The challenges of boardwalk and switchback materials and tools transportation to the field, and construction, were met with highly improvised solutions from our volunteers.  At the end of the season, an outstanding 996 Volunteer Hours were documented to USFS including an additional .8 miles of new non-motorized tread requiring significant armoring through very challenging rocky terrain.

For 2010, we again enjoyed a successful year.  Volunteer time contributed to the USFS increased to 1,075 hours, and another seven tenths of a mile of challenging non-motorized tread was constructed within the Nice Kitty trail corridor.  In addition, another stoutly constructed boardwalk was installed.

During late winter of 2011 our Board of Directors made a decision to change things up a bit with a new name, logo and website for the organization that will provide opportunity for the Colorado Trailblazers organization to move forward and grow in execution of its mission.  The Trailblazers’ 2011 Trail Days have inspired our greatest number of annual documented volunteer hours to-date, i.e., 1,226 hours, and produced one mile of exemplary trail tread.  In addition, all funding for a substantive trail bridge over Buffalo Creek and the associated flood plain has been secured.  Combined with about one-half mile of trail, the Nice Kitty Trail Construction Project will be completed in 2012.

Through the first five years since inception the Colorado Trailblazers have:

• Inspired volunteer’s passion with our mission
• Secured the engagement and documentation of 4,887 volunteer hours to land managers
• Built 6.8 miles of sustainable, challenging trail tread
• Established  and maintained respected relationships with the S. Platte Ranger District, USFS and Jefferson County Open Space land managers

“What’s Next” . . .