Volunteers of the Year: Joe Farrell & Charlie Hurd
Joe caretaking the summit
JOE FARRELL: In the summer & fall of 2025, as the Independence Pass Foundation struggled to fill gaps left by Forest Service staff and funding cuts, Joe Farrell came to the rescue, offering to clean and stock toilets on the Pass—7 total, from the Grottos to the summit—and pick up trash at the summit one day/week, a job that previously fell to the Forest Service. IPF hired professional cleaners to stock & clean restrooms 5 days/week, and IPF staffers filled in the final day of the week, providing 7/day-week coverage. IPF staff also cleaned up trash at the summit and along the corridor on both sides of the Pass 2-3 times/week. It takes a village—these days more than ever—and we are HUGELY appreciative to Joe for being such an exceptional, giving villager!
Joe sharing a ***tty find in one of the vault toilets
CHARLIE HURD: Charlie, a junior at Aspen High School, has been an extraordinary volunteer for IPF, taking water temperature readings at 7 locations along the Roaring Fork River—from Newbury Park in Aspen all the way up to the Upper Lost Man/Linkins Lake Trailhead, near the headwaters of the river—4 days/week, from mid-July through mid-August.
Charlie along the Roaring Fork River
In Charlie’s words: “For the past three summers, I have monitored stream temperatures at multiple stream locations along the Roaring Fork River from 8,000 feet to 12,000 feet of elevation along the route to Independence Pass, as an Independence Pass Foundation Volunteer. Through this work supporting both IPF and the Roaring Fork Conservancy’s Hot Spots for Trout program, I have helped to build an important historic record of stream temperatures to serve as a baseline and while also monitoring changes to the river so that the RFC can advocate for optimal management practices to protect trout and other species in the aquatic ecosystem. I was first introduced to this important volunteer work by my brother Henry, who’d assisted with stream temperature monitoring during the drought conditions in 2022. I’ve continued to be dedicated to this work, as I believe stream temperature monitoring is key to protecting aquatic ecosystems in the face of climate change.”
Charlie produced a sophisticated report of his findings in a paper found here. Thank you, Charlie, for helping protect the Roaring Fork River!