Sagebrush personal hiking blog
NMVFO volunteers returned to Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge just south of Albuquerque for a non-trail project, disassembling old walkway decking for later use. Half our group removed screws and stacked and sorted lumber.
The other half used battery-powered tools to break down and stack chunks of decking.
Afterwards, we made so much progress that we did weed clearing along a bike path. Herbicide (“Roundup”) could not be used on an urban refuge.
16 NMVFO volunteers worked on a one-day project with a wetlands contractor, Steve, to build rock and sod structures for a water restoration project in the headwaters of the East Fork of the Jemez River in the Valles Caldera National Preserve.
As we worked, our leader instructed us on how the dams and swells we were building will make water channels wind back-and-forth more, and avoid deep channels forming too early, allowing wide shallow water flow in the headwater area.
Finally I return to my adopted section of the Continental Divide Trail for a 2-day backpack, starting at the northern terminus near Surprise Tank. The surprise is that Google Maps knows where this is. Clearing rabbitbush and some grass from the tread makes the trail more visible on this lower section. Later I clean some drains and saw or drag several trees which have fallen across the trail.
Camp is about 5 miles in. The cattle trough past dry Erman Well is now turned off, so I was low on water and did not hike the entire 11 mile segment, but turned around at dry Rincon Well.
Continue reading “Segment 86 October 2022”