Hunter Creek Roadhouse, CO 2024
Hunter Creek Roadhouse, CO 2024

Hunter Creek Roadhouse, CO 2024

Hunter Creek Roadhouse, CO 2024

Join us above Aspen, CO as we return for our third season in the Hunter Creek Valley to continue our work on the rustic Roadhouse!

PROJECT PARTNER: Hunter Creek Historical Foundation

SESSION DATES: August 25-30, September 1-6, September 8-13, September 15-20

PROJECT SUPERVISORS: Steve Harris (Sessions 1 & 2) & Denis Moran (Session 3 & 4)

CREW LEADER: TBD!

Project Site Description & History

It may be known as a mountain retreat for the elite, with median home prices often exceeding $2M, but the original settler history of Aspen was much more humble – and much more difficult to attain due to the sheer difficulty of accessing and living in this alpine environment. The Ute Nation has called this place home for generations; non-Indigenous settlers only recently began to arrive in droves during the 1880s in order to extract silver ore for financial gain. Although the Ute held a treaty granting them “absolute and undisturbed use and occupation,” settlers ignored it and instead chose violent methods of removing Ute peoples by force. The resulting conflict is known as the Meeker Massacre.

Barely more than a decade later, the silver mines had all but played out, and by the 1930s Aspen held a population of just 1,000 people as recorded by the US Census. By the mid 20th century, ski tourism economies were blooming, and visitors began to flock to this remote area. Pop musicians like John Denver romanticized the town’s beautiful setting to a national audience. Soon after these songs hit the airwaves, the community experienced a boom in new residents and funding. Today, the town retains its commitment to portions of its history through investing in its beautiful small downtown where local and internationally recognized brands can be found, growing its economy through ski tourism, arts & culture events, and cooperating with land management agencies to ensure easy access to the spectacular environment surrounding the town.

The Hunter Creek Valley is a supremely popular and beautiful hiking area just outside of Aspen. During this HistoriCorps project, volunteers will get to experience a once-in-a-lifetime, all-inclusive trip to this internationally-renowned destination while also giving back through preserving the iconic Hunter Creek Roadhouse. According to the Hunter Creek Historical Foundation, “This 60-acre site includes both pre-historic and historic components and has been identified by the Forest Service as officially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Properties. However, a lack of public funding has allowed these structures to deteriorate to a state of near oblivion, and the historic barn on the Adelaide Ranch has already been completely lost.” We hope you will join us for our third season up in the Hunter Creek Valley as we continue our work restoring the formidable Roadhouse. You can learn more about this great preservation project in the Aspen Times!

Location and Logistics

SESSION DATES: August 25-30, September 1-6, September 8-13, September 15-20

Please plan to arrive at the campsite no earlier than 5pm and no later than 7pm on the first day of your session.

LOCATION: Located approximately 15 minutes Northeast of Aspen, CO!

ACCESS:           

Tents, truck campers, campervans, and small travel trailers no longer that 15 feet will have access to our campground. Because of hairpin turn on the road to our campsite, larger vehicle access is not possible. Showers are not available and dogs are unfortunately not allowed at this project location this season.

*This project is located at an elevation above 8,000 feet – please come prepared to work at high altitude.*

*This project is also located in a wilderness area with an active black bear habitat and volunteers can expect interactions at this site.*

WEATHER:  Anticipate highs in the 70s and lows in the upper 30s. Weather conditions may be rainy, cloudy, snowy, or sunny. Volunteers are responsible for checking weather conditions before their session begins, and packing appropriately.

Scope of Work

SCOPE OF WORK DIFFICULTY:  

HistoriCorps is committed to educating and training volunteers in preservation skills, with an overarching mission of inspiring a preservation ethic in all those involved. Learning and working alongside expert HistoriCorps field staff, volunteers and applying the traditional skills necessary to restore the Hunter Creek Roadhouse:

  • Re-establish foundation and sill plates
  • Re-installing flooring on the main level and install gravel bed at floor level of front porch
  • Repair or replace lower siding on all elevations
  • Repair or replace deteriorated wood framing, window, and door framing along with metal siding
  • If time allows, paint interior and stabilize brick chimney

Please note: Tasks vary by day and by week, depending on a variety of factors including: weather, project priorities, previous groups’ work, and more. Though it is likely you will get to learn and practice most or all of the above tasks, it is not guaranteed. The higher percentage of the scope a particular task is, the more likely you will get to practice it.

Sign Up!

We’re thrilled this project has inspired you to volunteer!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Visit our Job Calendar to see spaces are available!

*All registrations submitted to projects at capacity will be automatically added to our waitlist.*

CANCELLATIONS effect our ability to complete projects. Please register only if you are certain about your ability to participate.

You will know your registration was successful when you receive a confirmation email. Contact volunteer@historicorps.org for assistance.

HistoriCorps does not charge for its volunteering projects. HistoriCorps relies on donations to continue engaging volunteers to save significant historical sites across America for generations to come. Your donation of any amount will make an incredible difference! Increase your impact – make a generous gift today.

Volunteer Logistics, Policies, and Advice

We’re so glad you’re interested in joining this project! If you’re new to our community, review the Volunteer FAQ first! Please note the following logistics and policies: 

  • Volunteering with HistoriCorps is free! We will provide all meals, tools, training, equipment, and a campsite or shared indoor lodging. Dinner is not provided on the first night. 
  • Volunteers are responsible for bringing their own gear, work gloves, sturdy work clothes and boots, and appropriate sleeping equipment. Check the average temperatures before you start packing – the nights and mornings may be colder than you anticipate! Then, read this advice about how to stay warm when tent camping in colder places. 
  • Campsite accessibility varies by project. Some projects can accommodate tents only; others can accommodate small RVs. Please review the project site description above for more information, and if you’re still not sure, email volunteer@historicorps.org for help. 
  • If this project does not offer showers, you might want to consider bringing a solar shower or research other methods to clean up after the work day. 
  • Volunteer crew sizes generally range from 4-8 volunteers, with two HistoriCorps staff that lead and train volunteers in the work. 
  • Safety is one of HistoriCorps’ top priorities, and volunteers can contribute to a safe working environment by ensuring their physical fitness is adequate for the work. See above for this project’s scope of work and difficulty level. Please, call us if you are not quite sure if a project is a good fit for your skills or fitness level. We may be able to suggest a project more suitable and enjoyable for you. 
  • Hard hats, eye protection, ear protection, gloves are standard personal protection equipment (PPE) required on all projects. Hard hats must be worn at all times on the project site, unless working in a designated safe space. Field staff will train volunteers on correct use of PPE. 
  • Dogs are generally allowed to accompany their humans in project campsites (actually, we love having dogs join us around the campfire!). Dogs are not permitted on the job site for everyone's safety. HOWEVER: HistoriCorps also follows the rules and regulations of our project partner. If the project partner does not permit dogs onsite then HistoriCorps is no exception. Please ask HistoriCorps or the project partner directly if you have any questions about whether Fido is welcome.