About HTA

Headwaters Trails Alliance (HTA) is a nonprofit advocacy organization for trails in scenic Grand County, Colorado. Surrounded by mountain peaks and passes, Grand County streams are the headwaters of the Colorado River. Our primary goal is to provide high-quality trails linking towns and recreational areas within Grand County, with secondary trail systems connecting historical, cultural, and recreational sites near our communities. HTA is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Our Mission

The mission of Headwaters Trails Alliance is to preserve, enhance, and promote sustainable, high quality, multi-use trail opportunities in Grand County.

Objectives & Purpose:

• To identify, maintain, and expand an accessible, interconnecting trail system in Grand County for appropriate multi-user groups
• To link and protect significant resources along trails through the support of volunteers and public and private partnerships
• To promote the appreciation, preservation, and enjoyment of trails through education
• To promote cooperation and respect among various user groups to further enhance the quality of existing and future trails in Grand County
• To coordinate monetary, informational, and personnel resources within and outside Grand County to further the planning, development, and maintenance of trails in Grand County for the benefit of the public
• To review, recommend and assist in the implementation of grants and grant proposals
• To collaborate with Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and other community trail organizations to identify, build and maintain sustainable regional trail connections between the seven counties that border Grand County for appropriate multi-user groups

Board Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Granby Road and Bridge office in the second-floor conference room.  Please call (970) 726-1013 if you would like to be put on the agenda.

 

HTA Staff

Meara McQuain

HTA Executive Director & President

Meara moved to Grand County over 15 years ago after exploring many communities in Colorado after spending her summers in Estes Park as a child. Meara joined HTA in 2014 after working for over 20 years in the non-profit sector. Working for HTA allows Meara to pair her education in ecology and environmental science with her passion for outdoor recreation. Meara's hobbies include biking, skiing, hiking, SUPing, backpacking, bluegrass, music festivals, camping with her family, and recently adventuring with her pup, Arlo. When not working, you can find Meara chasing her son, Asher, on Trestle trails or bumpin' on the Jane, skate skiing oldest daughter, Sage, or riding bikes around St. Louis Creek with her youngest, Mesa, as in the "Grand Mesa."

Sean Burke

HTA Field Manager

Although originally from the Chicagoland area, Sean grew up with a strong passion for the outdoors. Every summer he and his family would pack the camper and hit the road for a month of exploration. At a young age, he fell in love with the mountains and all the activities that they offered. In college, Sean was introduced to trail maintenance through service projects restoring portage trails in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In 2016, he graduated from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL with a B.A. in Community Recreation and Park Resources. A lack of mountains and an eagerness to ski led Sean to Colorado in 2015 where he worked in Vail for two years as a tour guide and ski instructor. More recently, he has worked for the U.S. Forest Service-Holy Cross Ranger District as the Adopt-A-Trail Ranger and the National Sports Center for the Disabled as an adaptive ski instructor. After a summer of trail work with HTA, Sean has moved into a year-round role as their Field Manager. When he is not out on the trails, Sean can be found riding his mountain bike, shredding the POW on the ski hill or on the river in his kayak. He is looking forward to seeing you on any one of the beautiful trails Grand County has to offer!

Maire Sullivan

HTA Development & Finance

Maire is a 5th generation Denverite who first fell in love with Grand County while learning to ski at Winter Park and as a camper at Camp Chief Ouray during middle school. Several years post college, she moved to Winter Park to ski for three months but has yet to leave. At HTA, she feel fortunate to be blending her love for the oudoors with her degrees in Accounting and Business Management. Maire has traveled extensively across the western US, Canada, Alaska, the South Pacific and Australasia and thinks that the Winter Park/Fraser Valley is a pretty darned hard place to beat.

Seth Eldridge

HTA Summer Field Staff

Seth grew up in Plano, Texas prior to finding his way further west. As a teenager, Seth attended the Philmont Scout Ranch for two weeks as a participant. These two weeks changed his life and he fell in love with the outdoors and especially the mountains. A few years later, Seth returned to the scout ranch he loved, only this time on summer conservation staff. He saw this as a great way to give back in cheerful service. Seth worked at Philmont for five consecutive summers before making his way to Winter Park, CO. His first three years in WP were spent as a lift's supervisor and Trestle Bike Park Trail Crew. Looking to give back more to community trails, Seth found his way to HTA where he will be working on trails all throughout Grand County.

Brendan Droll

HTA Summer Field Staff

After growing up as a local in Tabernash, Brendan is attending Montana State University to study Earth Science, with a focus on Snow science. Growing up as a mountain biker and skier, he is very passionate about trails. Brendan has been working on trails for around three years, two with HTA. Before HTA he worked with Tony Boone Trails on Lower Cherokee and IKO. You will find Brendan ripping pow at Winter Park or Bridger Bowl, and ripping trails throughout the whole summer.

Erica Bean (and Charlie)

Stewardship Ambassador Coordinator

Erica has had the privilege of growing up in the mountains of Colorado. As a Colorado native, Erica has always had a passion for nature and the outdoors. Erica has a background in Natural Resources through the School of Forestry at the University of Montana. After college, she continued her passion for the outdoors as a certified Master Naturalist and worked as an ecotour guide in Charleston, SC, where she started her career in environmental education. Returning to Colorado, Erica continued her work with environmental science with occupations and volunteer experiences with the USFS Boulder and Sulphur Ranger Districts, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and as an Interpretive guide for both Devils Thumb Ranch and Rocky Mountain National Park. Erica has enjoyed living in beautiful Grand County since 2010 and loves being a part of the Grand County community. When Erica is not working, she enjoys outdoor activities including bird watching, hiking, camping and playing in the snow.

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