The volunteer backcountry wilderness rangers were on patrol at Gourd Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness last month. This is the second year of the volunteer ranger program that was started in light of budget cuts to national forests. “There were a total of 125 trees down over the trail over nine miles,” said Lara Kurtak of the July 25-27 trip. “We ran into the trail crew clearing the trail one by one with hand tools, as there are no motors allowed in wilderness areas.” The group was rewarded for their efforts with a magnificent sunset and two different rainbows over the lake on the evening of July 25.