The Ouray Ice Park joins forces again with the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership on Saturday, October 11 for their eighth annual Love Your Gorge volunteer event. The two nonprofits are recruiting climbers, river lovers and anyone who cares about local nature and outdoor recreation to donate three hours of work in trade for a hearty lunch, giveaways, and tour at the park.
“Whether you enjoy ice climbing, hiking, or vias you can’t beat the beauty of the Gorge, come out and help us maintain this beautiful spot. It’s a great chance to get your hands dirty and meet some really amazing people,” said Ice Park Operations Manager Corey Gera.
Gera is entering her fifth year of work at the park. She has been climbing since high school, and became an ice climber after moving to Ouray.
The Ice Park’s mission is to create and operate a world-class ice climbing park that inspires and enhances the lives of the communities it serves. The nonprofit builds and operates the ice climbing amenities in a public park in and around the Uncompahgre Gorge at the south end of the City of Ouray. Park use is free, and ice climbing season is generally between December and March.
“As staff, we really try to balance play and protection. A large part of protecting a place is building stewardship. People have to love an area in order to want to protect it. By helping provide people an opportunity to recreate in such a special place, we’re encouraging a deeper love and understanding of the importance of our public spaces, here and beyond the Gorge,” she explained.
The Uncompahgre River flows through the gorge, after descending from Red Mountain Pass and into the Uncompahgre River Valley. The Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership has a mission of protecting and restoring the Uncompahgre River and its tributaries from its headwaters near Silverton down to the northern Ouray County line.
The two organizations come together each autumn to clean up litter, downed trees, and non-native, invasive plants to improve both the environment and user safety. Last year, 10 trees were planted as well. This year, some volunteers will help with repairing stairs, eroded by storms and snowmelt.
A Nonpoint Source grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is also funding other erosion control work on a slope between the two roads that cross through the park. The goal is to reduce sediment and rocks from sliding into the river, and establish healthy plants in that area, which will also improve a trail and user safety.
“Operating the park is a huge undertaking each season. Love Your Gorge is great for big picture tasks that would need doing whether there was an Ice Park or not,” concluded Gera. “My favorite part is seeing the community come together to help maintain such an integral part of our town.”
For information and to sign up, go to https://www.uncompahgrewatershed.org/love-your-gorge-volunteer-form/ or email info@uncompahgrewatershed.org.
