Colorado Fourteeners Initiative is currently recruiting trail work and restoration professionals for our upcoming 2027 field season. We are looking for enthusiastic, hard-working seasonal crew leaders & crew members to complete these projects over the summer and early fall, 2027.  

Applicants must be available to work from May 17th through September 27th, 2027  

Preference will be given to applications received by Monday, November 30th, 2026

3-5 years of trail work experience preferred for Crew Leader positions 

1-2+ years of trail work experience preferred for Crew Member positions

Mount Columbia (near Buena Vista, CO)

Rising to 14,073 feet in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, Mount Columbia offers a spectacular remote alpine setting and some of CFI’s most challenging trail work for the 2027 season. In 2027, CFI will return to continue its multi-year reconstruction project on Mount Columbia to finish building a sustainable reroute to the mountain’s east ridgeline. The crew will be working at an elevation of approximately 13,300ft or more every day. The daily hike to and from camp to the worksite is a steep strenuous hike of less than a mile but with roughly 1,700 feet of elevation gain/loss. The once a hitch hike from the trailhead to camp is moderately long at 4 miles with nearly 2,000 vertical feet of elevation gain/loss. The work will include constructing new trail through alpine tundra and talus using native stone quarried onsite. The primary trail construction techniques to be utilized on this project consist of dry-set stone masonry (steps/staircases, various rock walls, pavers, etc) and full-bench tread construction. Griphoists will be used daily at the worksite.

Mount Columbia will host a 10-person CFI crew (3 Crew Leaders and 7 Crew Members). The base camp is in a remote location without cell service. The project is packstock supported at the beginning and end of the season. The scope of this project requires a wide breadth of trail work knowledge and experience including extensive experience with rock work and full-bench construction, experience using griphoists, and the desire to be in a remote backcountry setting.

Mount Democrat (near Alma, CO):

2027 marks the third and final season of an intensive maintenance/reconstruction project on Mount Democrat to stabilize and improve the mountain’s heavily used trail. The work will focus on improving the existing route using both stone and timber structures. Worksites will move throughout the season as different sections are completed and will require daily hikes of up to 3 miles roundtrip and elevation gains/losses of 1,400 feet.

The CFI crew will work on the mountain’s upper slopes each day at elevations exceeding 13,000ft. The work will primarily consist of installing rock walls, stone & timber steps and staircases on priority trail sections. Throughout the season, the Democrat CFI crew will work with CFI’s Nomad’s crews, Conservation Corps and several volunteer partners. The project is logistically complex and has many moving parts.

The 5-person crew (2 Crew Leaders, 1 Volunteer Crew Leader, 2 Crew Members) will frontcountry camp during all work hitches. The scope of work on this project caters to those who possess both rock and timber construction skillsets. This project demands highly organized individuals who thrive in multi-faceted, logistically complex work environments involving a collaborative approach. Experience working with volunteers is preferred.

Mount Princeton (near Buena Vista, CO):

This project is technically challenging and entails a hazardous work site. The cross slope is very steep in places (exceeding 45 degrees in areas) and consists of very unstable large talus. Rigging equipment will be used daily to mitigate risk.

2027 marks the first year of an intensive two-year project on Mount Princeton. The crew will be working every day at an elevation of nearly 13,000 feet. The hike from camp to the worksite is just under 5 miles roundtrip with approximately 2,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. Primary work during year one of this project will consist of new trail construction utilizing dry set stone masonry techniques, on very steep and loose slopes. Daily work will consist of trail delineation through very large talus and building structures such as walls and stairs with rock sourced onsite. Griphoists will be used daily.

The crew will consist of 8 members in total (2 Crew Leaders and 6 Crew Members). The base camp is a frontcountry camp in a somewhat remote setting up a rough 4x4 road. The technical nature of the project prefers applicants with multiple years of experience in rock work, experience operating grip hoists, and a familiarity/comfortability working in steep, technical, and hazardous terrain.

Nomads (statewide):

Nomads Crew Members assist with project planning and logistics, project prep and implementation, and provide education, training, and supervision to volunteers. When not leading volunteer groups, the Nomads crews will work on trail maintenance projects as part of a four-person crew. Roughly 50% of the total field days throughout the season will be spent with volunteers and 50% without. Each Nomads crew will work on approximately 6 different peaks across Colorado throughout the season. Crew Members are expected to work together with their Crew Leader and the Apprentice to implement volunteer trail maintenance projects. The Nomads crews will camp during all work hitches (frontcountry & backcountry).

For FULL position descriptions please visit 14ers.org/employment/