Trail Projects – Page 35 – Sagebrush Trails

Soda Springs Trail #306 2021

NMVFO hiked 3 miles from Old Buckman Road on 2-track along the Rio Grande to Soda Springs Trail for a 3 day unsupported backpack project in the Santa Fe National Forest. The trail climbs from the river up to Sagebrush Flat, about 800 feet elevation change over 1.6 miles. Our campsite was up from the river a few hundred feet, to avoid the worst of the “lake effect” tent condensation at night.

We filtered water from the Rio Grande, pretty muddy looking, but our group filters worked well.

Segment 86 September 2021

My adopted segment of the Continental Divide Trail welcomed me with an overnight backpack visit, after parking at the northern terminus at Surprise Tank. Most of the first day was spent clearing from the tread a low-growing opportunistic shrub, rabbitbush, currently in bloom, using a pick-mattock and hand pulling.

Hiking to the southern end by early evening, I observed that short sections on both ends of the segment were being hidden by grass growing in the tread. Perhaps not enough hikers are on trail here– most thru-hikers take the road alternate into Pie Town.

Ox Canyon Trail #190 2021

Volunteers from NMVFO met to cut deadfalls along Ox Canyon Trail in the Manzanos this weekend. Most came Friday night and camped out, but I had to join Saturday morning for breakfast, hosted by our cook Bronwyn.

Ox Canyon had gentle grades with well-engineered switchbacks, and might be the easiest trail to get to the Crest Trail of the Manzanos. Seven of us leap-frogged clearing dead trees from the trail until lunch, when two split off to handle a small number of deadfall along the crest between Ox and Red Canyon.