Category: Trail Projects

Embudito Trail 2022

NMVFO‘s last project of the year was at Embudito Trail #192, which starts in Albuquerque Open Space, and soon enters the Sandia Mountain Wilderness in the Cibola National Forest. 16 volunteers lopped and sawed– not the standard 6-foot USFS width, but a narrower corridor suited to a high desert environment. This is a highly popular trail, and we encountered many hikers and doggies during the day.

We paused for lunch on a rock overlook. We were treated to views of Albuquerque all day, and the low roar of traffic rose up the 1.8 mile span of our work.

As we got higher, a light dusting of snow remained in shaded areas.

Thanks to all volunteers for a good year of trail projects.

Valle de Oro October 2022

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.

Valles Caldera 2022

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.