Category: Trail Projects

Rabb Park Trail March 2022

Melissa, from the Gila Chapter of Backcountry Horsemen of New Mexico (Gila BCH), led nine volunteers on a one-day trail project on Rabb Park Trail, a few miles down from Emory Pass in the Gila National Forest.

We used loppers and hand saws to brush about 1.5 miles of trail, on a cool cloudy day, good conditions for trail work. Juniper and Emory oak were the most abundant plants needing trimming.

At the end of the month, Gila BCH will team up with NMVFO for a 4-day backpack trail project, that will go further along Rabb Park Trail.

Valle de Oro February 2022

NMVFO started its 40th season with a trail project at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, just south of Albuquerque. About 20 volunteers and agency staff gathered at the new partially-opened visitor center for a talk about the refuge and a briefing on what is planned for the day.

We divided into teams and worked on raking tread and clearing brush along the North Loop Trail, an old roadbed dating from when the refuge land was a dairy.

After several video conferences planning the season, it is a relief for trail volunteers to meet in-person and work together in the real world.

Segment 86 November 2021

Cairn and two doggies joined me to work for one day on CDT Segment 86. I am supposed to visit my adopted trail section at least twice a year, so this completes my mission for 2021.

On this visit I mainly worked on tread on the north end, scraping grass and rabbitbush out of the path with a McLeod. Slow going, but necessary.

Before:

And after:

We treated ourselves to pie at the Pie-O-Neer in Pie Town both before and after our work– decadent, but supports the local economy. Pecan and blackberry before, fresh blueberry afterwards.