Conference Activities
When you register for the conference, your confirmation email will include a link to sign up for activities.
Please select at least one activity for each day (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday).
On Tuesday, you may alternate or attend multiple activities that are located at the YMCA.
Contact us at broads@greatoldbroads.org if you did not receive a confirmation email with a link to sign up.
Activity Description
Day/Time/Duration
Cost/Important Information
Paddle or Easy Hike Around Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
Sprague Lake, located about 10 miles from the YMCA facility, is a very small, but beautiful lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. The hiking trail is an easy, wheelchair accessible gravel loop around the lake.
For those wanting to paddle the lake, members of the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club will bring miscellaneous watercraft (canoes, kayaks, SUPs) and PFDs to the lake to share. Club members will be available throughout the afternoon to assist and/or paddle with Broads.
Additional info HERE.
MONDAY
Drop-in, 1–5 pm, weather permitting
- Requires a $10 fee per person for liability insurance.
- Access to the lake requires a Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road permit – 1 per vehicle.
Permits for this date will be available beginning September 1 at 8am MDT. Additional permits available October 13 at 7pm. - The permits reservation fee is $2. The individual who buys the permit must be in the vehicle when entering the park.
- Purchase permits online at https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086910
YMCA Organized Activities
Offering a variety of paid activities, come early and explore activities such as axe throwing, archery, and fly-fishing.
The schedule of available activities is posted about 2-3 weeks ahead of time. Visit the YMCA website and view activities for Estes Park location HERE.
MONDAY
All day.
Free or paid, according to selected activity.
Explore the YMCA Grounds
Spread out over more than 800 acres, there’s plenty to explore on your own at the Y. There are even hiking trails that take you into Rocky Mountain National Park.
MONDAY
All day.
Free
Visit the town of Estes Park
There is so much to do when visiting Estes Park that it’s hard to decide where to start—there’s shopping, dining, outdoor activities, adventures and more! Things to do HERE.
MONDAY
All day.
Free
Visit Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)
Rocky Mountain National Park’s 415 square miles encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments. From meadows found in the montane life zone to glistening alpine lakes and up to the towering mountain peaks, there is something for everyone to discover. Along the way explore over 300 miles of hiking trails and incredible wildlife viewing.
Learn more HERE.
MONDAY
All day.
- Visiting RMNP requires a Timed Entry permit – 1 per vehicle.
- The permits reservation fee is $2. The individual who buys the permit must be in the vehicle when entering the park.
- More information and to purchase permits visit: https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086910
YMCA: Grazing App Tour & Discussion
Join speaker Delaney Rudy (from the Grazing conference session) to learn about a grazing app and the benefits it brings to your monitoring work.
TUESDAY
2:30–4 pm
Free
Participants should dress in general field going clothes and shoes. Bring water and a smartphone or tablet.
HIKE: Gem Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
A hidden gem tucked away in the vast field of granite domes that comprise the Lumpy Ridge area. Without an inlet or outlet stream, Gem Lake is a shallow pond filled in strictly by trapped snowmelt and rainfall.
This is a moderate to strenuous hike. 3.4 miles round trip with 830 ft. gain. General info about the hike (plus a cool photo) HERE. Led by volunteer Laura Backus.
Laura is a Colorado ecologist with many years experience roaming the plains and mountains of the western US. Her professional experience includes rare plant surveys, weed surveys, wetland delineation, plus restoration planning and implementation. She enjoys sharing Colorado with other nature enthusiasts.
TUESDAY
12:30–4:30 pm
Free
- There is no timed-entry permit required for this activity, but a Park entry permit is required.
- Maximum 10 people. You will need to coordinate with other attendees to carpool to the trailhead.
HIKE: Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park
Fern Lake and Cub Lake Trailheads – Out and back or loop hikes in Moraine Park
The hike to Fern Lake follows the Big Thompson River to the confluence with Fern Creek. Fern Falls is a 60-foot feature that cascades into Fern Creek. The hike is through mixed forests of aspen, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, willows and cottonwoods and open areas.
The Cub Lake trail crosses the Big Thompson River and traverses the north edge of Moraine Park. It follows, but does not intersect Cub Creek, passes by small lakes, climbs into mature aspen forest, and, near the lake, through many trees torched in the Fern Lake fire.
This hike is moderate to strenuous. More details HERE. Hike leader Kathryn Mutz.
Kathryn is a Colorado native with a few years in Chicago for college and several years in Utah in graduate school and as a plant ecologist working on rare plant studies, riparian delineations, and energy project clearances, permitting and reclamation. She finished her professional career back in Colorado as a research attorney at the University of Colorado Law School. In retirement, she weeds with the Skunk Creek Weeders, boats with the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club, and interprets mining history with Boulder County Parks and Open Space.
TUESDAY
12:30–4:30 pm
Free
- Access to this hike requires a Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road permit – 1 per vehicle.
Permits for this date will be available beginning September 1 at 8am MDT. Additional permits available October 13 at 7pm. - The permits reservation fee is $2. The individual who buys the permit must be in the vehicle when entering the park.
- More information and to purchase permits visit: https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086910
- Maximum 10 people. You will need to coordinate with other attendees to carpool to the trailhead.
YMCA: Basic Orienteering
Join Broads Board Member Lynn Aldrich as she teaches participants the important tools and tricks needed to orient oneself on a map and landscape. This activity will take place on the YMCA grounds. Physicality: Easy.
Activity after 15 minute orientation should take no more than 30-40 minutes. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing for walking outside on the YMCA campus.
Maps will be provided. Compass not required, but bring one if you have one.
TUESDAY
12:30–2 pm
Free
Maximum people: 20
YMCA: Tools of the Trade: Southeast Native American Flintknapping, Basketry, & Pottery
Join one or all of the three 1-hour sessions led by Cherokee Nation Citizen Jacob Collins in the YMCA conference room.
Flintknapping: While providing a demonstration of flint knapping, the skill of creating tools out of stone, Jacob will discuss techniques, types of stone, and historical periods of flint knapping.
Southeast Basket Weaving: While providing a demonstration of basket making, Jacob will discuss characteristics of traditional Cherokee baskets including materials used and differences between single and double weaved baskets.
Southeast Pottery: Jacob will demonstrate several techniques of pottery construction and design.
TUESDAY
12:30 – 1:30pm – Flintknapping
2:00 – 3:00 pm – Southeast Basket Weaving
3:30 – 4:30 pm – Southeast Pottery
Free
YMCA Science & Nature Program
This fun and engaging program will cover the local geology, archeology, and environmental features that make this place one of a kind. You’ll meet at the Boone Family Mountain Center. Be prepared to walk about 1 to 3 miles. More info HERE.
TUESDAY
Time: 1–3:30 pm
Free
Maximum people: 30
HIKE: YMCA’s Wind River Trail
Join a guided hike on the Wind River Trail. This easy hike is relatively flat, approximately 2 miles and will take about an hour and a half. Downloadable PDF with hike info HERE.
All hikes will depart from the Boone Family Mountain Center
TUESDAY
2–3:30 pm
Free
- Note: There must be a minimum of 2 sign-ups for this activity to take place.
- Maximum people: 10
HIKE: YMCA’s Bible Point Trail
Join this guided hike to Bible Point. This moderate-level hike follows the path of the Glacier Creek, is 3.5 miles long and will take approximately 2 hours. There is a slight elevation change of about 500 feet.
All hikes will depart from the Boone Family Mountain Center
Downloadable PDF with hike info HERE.
TUESDAY
1–3 pm
Free
- Note: There must be a minimum of 2 sign-ups for this activity to take place.
- Maximum people: 10
YMCA: Wild & Scenic Film Festival
If the weather isn’t to your liking or you finish up another activity early in the afternoon, join us in the Willome Conference Center for a selection of interesting, educational, and fun films that bring the wild outdoors inside.
TUESDAY
2:30–4:30 pm
Free
Fall Scenic Ecology Elk Tour
It’s impossible to ignore the magic of fall in the Rockies! The fall rut is a spectacular display of elk mating behavior featuring bugling, posturing, and herding displays by the bulls. Paired with the reds and golds of fall foliage, this extraordinary event will be available for viewing from the comfort of our 14-passenger minibus staffed by a professional educational guide who will discuss elk ecology, interpret elk behavior for guests, and have elk artifacts such as antlers and hides for participants to see and touch.
More info HERE.
TUESDAY
Time TBD
Duration: 3 hours
$50
- Participants will be picked up at YMCA of the Rockies
- Minimum 12 people for this activity to take place.
- Maximum people: 14
STEWARDSHIP: Fire Mitigation on Conservation Easement
The conservation easement at YMCA of the Rockies borders Rocky Mountain National Park, providing continuous environmental protection and wildlife habitat beyond the boundaries of the Park. This project will support forest management efforts by creating burn piles (mostly moving sticks and logs into piles that will be burned in the future).
Requires closed-toe shoes, long pants, and gloves.
Physicality rating: Moderate
THURSDAY
10–2ish
- The group will carpool to the site, which is about 2 miles away.
- A minimum of 10 sign-ups required for this activity to take place.
- Maximum people = 40
STEWARDSHIP: Lake Estes Trash Clean-Up
After a busy summer of fishing at Lake Estes, fishing line and hooks have been snagged in the branches of trees and bushes along the lake and river. Also, discarded fishing line that has been left behind by fishers can be found along the shoreline. Each year, many birds and other animals are injured or killed by becoming entangled in fishing line at Lake Estes. Additionally, fishing line can harm aquatic life and is a plastic pollutant that takes more than 600 years to degrade.
Physicality rating: Easy
THURSDAY
10–2ish
- Gloves to protect your hands from hooks and other hazardous material you might encounter during the cleanup (we will have a few loaner gloves).
- While some utility buckets will be available for the placement of collected line and gear, if you have one, please bring it.
- If you have waders, these will be useful to retrieve the line that hangs over the river and can only be reached from the water.
- Water will be available to refill your bottles, but please bring any food and drinks you may want while you are participating.
- A minimum of 10 sign-ups required for this activity to take place.
- Maximum people = 40
- Participants will need to carpool to the location.
STEWARDSHIP: Waterway Restoration on Conservation Easement
The conservation easement borders Rocky Mountain National Park, providing continuous environmental protection and wildlife habitat beyond the boundaries of the Park. This project will help clean trash out of the Big Thompson waterway.
Physicality rating: Easy
THURSDAY
10–2ish
- A minimum of 10 sign-ups required for this activity to take place.
- Maximum people = 40
- This activity is on the YMCA grounds and is walkable.
STEWARDSHIP: Ecodharma Weeding Project
The Ecodharma Retreat Center is on 180 acres of private river, meadow and woodland, adjacent to National Forest, just a few miles from the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and about 40 minutes south of the YMCA Camp of the Rockies.
The land is set aside as a nature preserve and is home to an abundance of wildlife, including deer, elk, moose, bear and beaver. Because a retreat will be in session during the conference, the stewardship activity will involve weeding along a forested (ponderosa pine) trail north of the main retreat center buildings and meadows (Green Glacier View Loop on the map).
The project will be subject to weather conditions in October. Potential weed targets include mullein, prickly lettuce, and non-native thistles, plus some lambs quarters, toadflax, St. John’s wort, dame’s rocket and orange hawkweed.
Since this will be a late season weeding project, our activities might include clipping and bagging late flower and seed heads plus cutting stalks to the ground when possible. Weedy plant debris wIll be either left as mulch or removed from the trail area.
Physicality rating: Moderate
THURSDAY
10–4
(due to travel time)
Broads should wear hiking boots and bring work gloves and clippers, if possible. Members of the Skunk Creek Weeders will lead the activity and provide additional tools, guidance in weed identification and information on the habitats encountered along the trail and in the area.
Participants will need to carpool to the retreat center.
STEWARDSHIP: MacGregor Ranch & Museum
Nestled in the beautiful Black Canyon Creek area of Estes Park, MacGregor Ranch has remained a showplace of early life among settlers and homesteaders in Colorado Territory. Learn more at https://www.macgregorranch.org/
Depending on weather and number of attendees, we will participate in one of the following three stewardship projects:
Project 1: Riparian Restoration
Goal: Gather materials already present on the ranch and prepare to hand build mock beaver dams in the stream to restore the riparian habitat of Black Canyon Creek. Restore channel connectivity and raise the water table Improve water quality Improve riparian and aquatic habitat
Description: Collect materials from ranch property to create faux dams and clear areas of the creek that improperly impede water flow.
Project 2: Aspen and Ponderosa Trail Restoration
Goal: Restore educational trails on the south side of MacGregor property. Each former trail is marked and includes scenic/educational points of interest. Expand educational access on historic ranch property.
Description: Rake and remove debris from former trails to re-establish the three mile and one mile loop routes. Outline trails with materials gathered from the property, i.e., rocks, branches, etc., where necessary.
Project 3: (In Case of Rain) Historic Barn Interior Whitewash Goal: Revitalize the historic spirit of the early 1900’s barn to best illustrate the lifestyle and hard work of the MacGregor family. Create a historically accurate preservation of the milking room space. Description: Cleaning and repainting the barn interior, avoiding the structural pitch logs.
THURSDAY
10–2ish
- A minimum of 10 sign-ups required for this activity to take place.
- Maximum people = 40
- Participants will need to carpool to the ranch.
Attendees can register and pay $20, separately, for a “MacGregor Museum and Barn Tour” at 2:00pm, after the stewardship project. Please see their website for details (https://www.macgregorranch.