Trail Projects – Page 46 – Sagebrush Trails

Rio Nambe Trail 2020

Seven NMVFO volunteers completed an unsupported backpack project (meaning no horse packs or cooks) , working on the Rio Nambe Trail and Lower Nambe Trail and Upper Nambe Trail in the Pecos Wilderness, sawing deadfalls and lopping. We gathered at Winsor Trailhead near the Santa Fe Ski Area, and hiked along Winsor Trail and Upper Nambe Trail to La Vega (Spanish: “the meadow”) to set up camp.

Then we backtracked on Upper Nambe and Winsor to the junction with Lower Nambe Trail. We took this circuitous route to avoid elevation changes and hiking more than necessary on Lower Nambe, known as the “Elevator Shaft”, a steep trail with few switchbacks.

We spent the rest of the day sawing and lopping on Lower Nambe, working our way downhill to the junction with Rio Nambe Trail.

The two new Katanaboy 650 folding saws we recently acquired worked amazingly well on our small diameter aspens and spruce, and were much easier to carry than a traditional crosscut saw.

Porvenir Canyon Trail 2020

Fifteen NMVFO volunteers camped one weekend at the (currently-closed for Covid) El Porvenir Christian Camp, at an empty ball-field, and worked along the three mile stretch of Porvenir Canyon Trail between the wilderness boundary and Hollinger Canyon Trail junction.

When some of us arrived on Thursday, remains of snow were still on the ground, and the night was cold.

Friday a few people arrived, and we stayed in one group and hiked 5 miles up to the top of the mountain at the trail junction with Hollinger Canyon Trail, and worked down, clearing deadfalls and doing some lopping. We hiked through patches of snow in the morning.

Rociada Trail 2020

After harrowing car rides up the frightening road to Iron Gate Campground, eleven NMVFO volunteers hiked a mile up Hamilton Mesa Trail #249 and began Rociada Trail #250, hiking three miles gradually down the side of Hamilton Mesa to a wide canyon meadow, Mora Flats, near the trail intersection with Las Trampas Trail #240, to establish our base camp. Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico (BCHNM), Pecos Chapter, carried our tools and supplies down to camp.

After a rain shower half of us continued on up Rociada towards Skyline Trail to clear fallen trees and brush, and the other half climbed most of the way back up Hamilton Mesa and lopped Gambel Oak, wild rose, potentilla, and aspen.

More rain continued as we returned to camp, and after dark rain resumed for an hour.

The next day we used the same teams in the same directions, before returning to camp and making our own dinners and gabbing for our final evening.

On Sunday we all lopped as much as possible going west, then returned and struck camp in time for BCH to arrive, then back out towards Iron Gate. On the way, we completed lopping the last section of Rociada between Hamilton Mesa Trail and Mora Flats.

Thanks to project leader Mike, Nick, Kevin, Evelyn and Juliana, Anna and Julie, Dominic and Mari, and Cecily for terrific work and company.