Rebecca Slezak, The Denver Post
LaMese Hurrell-Coupe poses for a portrait at Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen, Colorado on Sept. 22, 2021.
LaMese Hurrell-Coupe hikes all the time — on her own time and as a volunteer with Jefferson County Open Space.
Hurrell-Coupe holds many titles with the county’s volunteer program, including park patroller. Stall-cleaner isn’t one of those titles, but upon arriving for a recent patrol at Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen, Hurrell-Coupe made a straight line for the restrooms.
“I’m always checking the bathrooms for toilet paper,” said Hurrell-Coupe, who carries extra rolls of toilet paper in her vehicle. “If I’m going to be here, I’m going to do it. If people can’t use the restroom, where are they going to go?”
Her restroom routine reveals her dedication to make park visitors comfortable and more apt to return.
“I have a lot of respect for Jefferson County Open Space,” the spry 68-year-old said. “It’s really rewarding for me.”
Hurrell-Coupe is originally from the greater Chicago area, and moved to Colorado in her mid-20s after visiting the state with a friend. She’s married, lives in Evergreen and retired from the U.S. Post Service as a fleet manger after a four-decade career.
“It was a natural fit once I retired,” she said. “I wanted to give back and do something outside.”
But she’s not bored. Hurrell-Coupe has volunteered with Jefferson County Open Space for seven years, doing about 400 hours annually, mostly weekends and holidays — the busy times. She’s also a land steward, which help to patrol and protect open space properties that aren’t yet public parks, and currently handles the Coal Creek Canyon Study Area.
Volunteer services supervisor Jana Johns said Hurrell-Coupe also served in another role: the COVID information team, which she said was “extremely vital to us being able to keep parks open and safe during the worst of the pandemic.”
Hurrell-Coupe wears a green uniform with a name tag, forgoing a hat, but not a dark pair of sunglasses or a backpack stocked with extra water for parched park users and extra trail maps for hikers who may be lost. She carries a plastic bag to pick up dog poop that’s left on trails.
As Hurrell-Coupe goes about her business, she is perpetually cheerful.
“I always pick up trash,” Hurrell-Coupe admitted while on an easy 3-mile stroll along Elk Meadow trails. Her hikes are typically 8 to 11 miles long.
Hurrell-Coupe has gathered liquor and beer bottles, an assortment of cans, cigarette butts and syringes. If open space users are nearby, she introduces a public relations ploy.
“I’ll talk out loud and say something like, ‘What the hell, people!’” Hurrell-Coupe said with a laugh. She reasons that if hikers, bikers, runners and horseback riders see her picking up trash, they’ll be more apt to pickup after themselves. “I like setting an example.”
Rebecca Slezak, The Denver Post
LaMese Hurrell-Coupe stops to take a drink of water while hiking around Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen, Colo., on Sept. 22, 2021.
As a patroller, Hurrell-Coupe keeps an eye out for people who are violating open space rules, like hikers with dogs off-leash or people drinking alcohol. When she comes across a violator, she engages them in pleasant conversation, encouraging them to correct the problem. But most encounters are just common-sense teaching moments — why people shouldn’t wear flip flops on hiking trails or should carry water.
“Most people are really nice and really appreciate what we do,” she said. “I always try to be courteous and informative.”
Lucy Rice, 41, of Evergreen, was walking her 7-year-old golden retriever, Ropi, on a leash in Elk Meadow Park. Hurrell-Coupe petted Ropi, praising the pet and chatting with Rice.
“Thanks for keeping us up and going,” Rice called out as she moved on.
Hurrell-Coupe stopped to closely examine wildflowers, found rose hip, pinched it and popped one in her mouth.
“These things are full of vitamin C,” she said.
Hikers, bicyclists and runners came and went. Along a shady spot of trail amid towering ponderosa pines, a couple stopped for a rest.
Rebecca Slezak, The Denver Post
LaMese Hurrell-Coupe stops to talk with John Cardon about the trail and give him a map of Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen, Colo., on Sept. 22, 2021.
“Where is the overlook from here?” asked Shailla Cardon, a retiree from Arvada and a recent transplant from Maryland, who was out with her husband, John.
“Do you need a park map?” Hurrell-Coupe asked, pulling one from her pack, pointing out to the Cardons where they are and how to best get back to the parking lot.
“Thank goodness for her,” Shailla said.
Toward the end of the 3-mile hike, Hurrell-Coupe found what she’s anticipated all day. A green plastic bag with dog poop in it, yet left on the trail.
“Finally!” she said as she picks up the bag while wearing a plastic glove, and carries it out to discard in a trailhead dumpster.
“I feel like volunteering is a great treasure,” she said. “That’s why I like it, giving back to the people who gave us the parks.”
This story is part of The Denver Post’s Faces of the Front Range project, highlighting Coloradans with a unique story to share. Read more from this series here.
