Grand Enchantment Trailwork 2024 Journal Index

My original plan to resume a hike on the Gila X Loop fell through. But I had a crazy idea: spend a month doing trailwork on the Grand Enchantment Trail in the Apache Kid Wilderness.

Holt Apache Trail 2024

The Gila Chapter of Backcountry Horsemen packed in supplies for eight backpackers for a week of trail work, leaving from Sheridan Corral, near Pleasanton NM (south of Glenwood).

We hiked about 4 miles along Holt Apache Trail #181 to a basecamp at an old cabin site at Holt Springs. We lopped and logged along #181 for about 3.3 miles, close to the intersection with South Fork Whitewater #212.

The trail stayed high on ridges and saddles, with many fine views.

Melissa and I scouted further along Holt Apache, to within 0.9 miles of where my Gila X Loop (version 1.0) route would start following Holt Apache headed east. No one has lopped this section of the trail after a fire several years ago, and locust could be bad, but there are rumors that a Forest Service crew intends to be working on the trail.

Thanks to Melissa, Mark, Patrick, Dave, Steve, Nigel, and Lauri for a fine wilderness adventure, with laughs.

These two photos refer to inside jokes, which I will not explain here.