Section House, CO 2024 (HardCorps)

We need HardCorps volunteers to get us over the finish line to restore the iconic Section House atop Boreas Pass!

PROJECT PARTNER: Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands

SESSION DATES: September 1-6, September 8-13, and September 22-27

PROJECT SUPERVISOR: TBD for Session 1! Ian “IO” Oeser (Session 2 & 3)

CREW LEADER: Mary Curran!

Project Site Description & History

Colorado is known for its picturesque mountain passes, and our next project is set at the fabled Section House located on the expansive Boreas Pass just south of Breckenridge along the Continental Divide. Stationed at a breathtaking 11,500 feet, Section House, along with the historic wagon era Ken’s Cabin, is one of the original stops along the Denver South Park & Pacific narrow gauge railway that ran from Denver to Leadville from the late 1800s into the early 1900s. It was also the highest narrow gauge railroad in the United States at the time, allowing for a boom in commercial mining during the formative years at the turn of the century.

Built in 1882 to house railroad workers and their families during the peak of the mining era, Section House is comprised of the one and one half story log cabin with multiple rooms that can sleep up to 12 people. By the 1937 Section House was abandoned and fell into disrepair, suffering from the years of storms and avalanche terrain surrounding it in the rugged Colorado Rockies. In 1993 the Forest Service and Colorado Historic Society teamed up to resurrect Section House, completing major restoration work through 1996, saving it from near collapse only a few years prior. Section House is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is popular rental for winter enthusiasts seeking hospitable accommodations while recreating at Boreas Pass.

HistoriCorps invites you for one of our landmark HardCorps projects of the season that will test your fitness and resilience, and we hope you will join us in continuing a strong legacy of preservation work at Section House!

Location and Logistics

SESSION DATES: September 1-6, September 8-13, and September 22-27

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 30 minutes south of Breckenridge, CO!

MAP to SECTION HOUSE

ACCESS:

Tents, truck campers, campervans, trailers, and RVs are welcome. 4WD is not mandatory but recommended by our partners. Showers are not available but dogs are welcomed.

*This project is located above 11,500 feet and volunteers should come prepared to work at an aggressively high elevation.*

WEATHER: Anticipate highs in the 50s and lows in the upper 30s. Weather conditions may be rainy, cloudy, 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 Section House:

Replace metal roof and repair or replace decking
Daub entire log wall exterior
Rehabilitate windows and exterior doors
Replace damaged floorboards in bunk room
If time allows, repair or replace horizontal siding and stain accordingly

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.