Sagebrush personal hiking blog
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”13 NMVFO volunteers camped at Panchuela Admin Area (next to Panchuela Campground, used by USFS staff) for a long weekend of trail work in the Pecos Wilderness. The first night got down to 26F, and the second to 23F.
On Friday 2 sawing teams, one with a 2-person crosscut and the other with a 1-person crosscut saw, worked their way up Cave Creek Trail. The second day the teams switched saws, and a lopping team was added. The saw teams completed Cave Creek and cleared 0.6 miles on Skyline, interrupted by a noon shower. From camp to our furthest work and back was about 12 miles, so we got plenty of exercise.
Continue reading “Cave Creek Trail 2022”