Grand County Nonprofits: Grand Huts Association & National Public Lands Day

Help Grand County Create a Backcountry Route - Grand Huts Association
By Cindy Kleh / Photo by Carter Photographics

Think overnight backcountry trips in Grand County are a summer-only opportunity? Grand Huts Association is working to develop a route that will make it possible to snowshoe or backcountry ski from hut to hut in relative luxury. GHA is involved in trail construction, opening existing huts and constructing new ones.

First on its hut-construction list is the replacement of an A-frame located on the west side of Berthoud Pass. The Second Creek Cabin has been used by the public for over 40 years, but concerns about the management and safety of the structure have forced the Forest Service to close it. GHA has already rerouted the trail from Highway 40, and gotten the initial approval by the USFS.
           
But the Forest Service requires that all funding be in place before the final permit is issued, and so fundraising has begun in earnest. The Broome family has recently donated $100,000 to be used as matching dollars toward the goal of $450,000. The Broome Hut will need more donors to match this generous donation. (Most backcountry huts have been built as memorials to special people who loved our mountains, and the opportunity still exists to name certain rooms and future huts.)
           
The hut design has been finalized to create an environmentally friendly structure with a locally harvested pine timber frame, a passive-solar design, and energy-efficient pellet stoves. An innovative water recycling system will filter and treat wastewater, returning it for use in the hut. Human waste will be turned into soil in a composting toilet especially designed for cold-climate use.

GHA needs help from Grand County citizens to add to funds already pledged from private donations, grants from the Grand and Forte Foundations, and its annual Moonlight Ski Progressive Dinner, which has raised over $40,000 with help from dozens of local businesses. To learn how you can help make this dream a reality, visit www.grandhuts.org and become a member of GHA or just make a donation. GHA is a 501(c)3, and all donations are tax deductible.

Public Lands Need Our Support - National Public Lands Day
By Cindy Kleh

National Public Lands Day is September 26th. Most of us use the trails and public lands of the High Country, and some of us have even vowed to give something back to this cherished resource. National Public Lands Day (NPLD) makes it easy to pitch in, bringing more than 100,000 Americans together for one day a year to collect trash, pull weeds, plant trees, construct trails and build bridges over wetlands.
           
Grand County hosts one of the largest and longestrunning NPLD events in the country (15 years)! Volunteers have five different work projects to choose from that are geared to enthusiasts of mountain biking, motorized vehicles, fishing, hiking and boating. There are also jobs available to accommodate kids and less fit individuals.
           
On top of enjoying the scenery during the height of aspen foliage, volunteers are taken care of with a complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner provided with help from local restaurants and businesses that continue to support NPLD each year. Also provided is transportation to each project site, tools, a T-shirt, and a reusable shopping bag filled with swag.
           
Volunteers return year after year for a day of fun in the sun with like-minded outdoor-loving folks, as well as for the appreciation party at the end of the day, complete with live
entertainment, New Belgium Brewery beer, food and loads of great door prizes.
           
Giving back to trails and open space not only feels good, it’s a personal expression of thanks. So mark September 26th on your calendar to spend the day giving back to the public lands you love. There’s no need to pre-register. Just show up at SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch at 7am and roll up your sleeves. To pre-register or to find out how you can contribute in ways besides trail building and tree planting, contact the USDA Forest Service office in Granby at 970-887-4120. For more information about NPLD, visit www.publiclandsday.org.

READ MORE STORIES FROM THIS ISSUE:
• The Green Parade: Green Profiles, Outdoor Furnaces, Timber Frames, Green Remodel, & Architecture
• Off-the-Grid: Solar Power Has Never Looked Better
• Special Lifestyle Section
• 2009 Feature Articles