Imagine: It’s a Saturday morning in Vail and you’ve rallied your friends for an EPIC few days of backpacking. The coffee is kicking in, the birds are chirping, and you feel more prepared to spend two nights under the stars than you did for the SAT your senior year of high school. When you get to the trailhead, chaos ensues and panic sets in-you have no wag bags to pack out waste, have no inkling of whether or not there’s a fire ban, and your friend’s dog is a leashless menace ready to chase everything.
But alas, the friendly faces of our wonderful Trail Ambassadors-Melanie and Noah-are there to greet you and support your journey’s needs, including how to “Respect the Vail Valley.” With knowledge, leashes, wag bags, and stickers (because your Nalgene bottle needs at least one more), these trail stewards have you covered!
With the support and in partnership with the Forest Service, National Forest Foundation, and Eagle County Lodging Tax Committee, Melanie and Noah have been stationed at “high use” trailheads spanning from Missouri Lakes all the way back to Fulford and Lake Charles. They are also on-trail, hiking and connecting with the many visitors and locals using the trail. Here are some of their stories.
Ellen Miller: Pitkin Creek Trail, Vail
On July 6th, Trail Ambassador legend, Ellen Miller, reported this from Pitkin:
It was a great morning in the Wilderness…I was very happy to see so many dogs ON leash today!! [I] Saw several [goats] around Pitkin Lake. I gave out 2 wag bags to 2 backpackers and asked them just to try it, they were open to that! I saw USFS rangers Conrad and Rose when I was coming down. The bright fuchsia [paintbrushes] are starting to bloom and that brought me joy!
Melanie and Noah: Mount of the Holy Cross, Minturn
July 27th was a sizable day for Melanie and Noah at the Mount of the Holy Cross. Mel wrote:
Today was a good day on trail. We met a lot of backpackers heading up to East Cross Creek to camp. The wag bags were pretty popular with them. We made sure everyone had a waste plan…As I was heading up the trail a hiker that had started at 5am and summited, asked me if I had a beer in my backpack. I was unable to give him a beer but I did share some stickers. On trail I met 2 gentlemen from North Dakota and Leadville that had been camping for a few days. I told them about being a trail ambassador and asked if they needed to see a map. They were good, and he asked me a few questions about wildflowers. 2 hikers from Saint Louis, MO stopped at the table, they liked the wag bags and we discussed the best ways to reduce waste impact on the trail. She shared with me something called a kula cloth, which they had attached to their pack. Basically a quick dry reusable towel for waste. [We] Spoke to 3 hikers coming down the trail about how long it takes for things to break down, like a banana, and the importance of LNT because of that.
Melanie and Noah engaged with dozens of people that day. The impact of our Trail Ambassadors extends beyond education; it is an opportunity to connect and engage. The stories they share are a reminder to be curious, to be open, and to be kind. We are there to share the trails, novice and experienced hikers alike, and to connect with the environment around us because trails are for everyone.
