Kunc's Colorado Edition

Trails on several of Colorado’s fourteeners are getting a facelift this summer.  Mount Democrat, Mount Bierstadt, Mount Blue Sky, and Mount Shavano are some of Colorado’s most popular mountains for hikers, but some of the trails on them are in rough shape.  A nonprofit called the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) is working this summer to update trail routes on those and other mountains to eliminate erosion and generally protect the surrounding tundra. Crews move boulders, install steps, and even restore plant life. Workers grapple with smashed fingers, dehydration, and altitude sickness.  Tom Cronin is the Field Programs Manager for CFI and he has lots of experience managing these trail projects. He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about what the work is like and how these eroding trails fell into disrepair in the first place. KUNC is holding its first-ever emergency fundraiser because Congress recently clawed back public broadcasting funds. That’s funding we rely on to cover local news, report on critical is