Category: Trail Projects

Jennifer Sublett from the Santa Fe National Forest and Stephanie McGovern with the Gila National Forest presented a 3-day (!) first-aid course for 19 members of the New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, Socorro Search and Rescue, and the Northwest Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico, November 22-24 at the Open Space Visitor Center in Albuquerque.

Challenging scenarios helped prepare us for unexpected situations, stretching our brains. Later scenarios showed us that as humans we are imperfect, and are prone to overlook fundamentals in an emergency, like responder safety, or comforting a patient with conversation and eye contact.

The course was phenomenal . Thanks so much to the organizers and venue.

On the second day a couple of class members were lying down outside on the lawn, getting ready for a scenario as victims. When two visitors to the nature center went past, they let them know what was happening. “Don’t worry, we are part of a first aid class.” The visitors replied, “Oh, I thought it was just Albuquerque.”

I finally got time to completely hike my adopted 11-mile segment of the CDT, starting at noon on October 23 at the southern terminus on forest road 4017L, lopping brush the entire afternoon, and arriving at the northern boundary at 7PM dusk.

Because this is USFS land, I am required to wear protective gear: hard hat, boots, long clothes, eye protection, and work gloves. The first few miles are flat on burnt and cleared land, with parallel stock trails.

Later the parallel trails became more braided, sometimes 6 paths across. Cattle are still present– how long will they be left to graze?

Continue reading “CDT Segment 86 October 2019”

Five NMVFO members (Don, Ed, Kitry, Bill M, and myself) returned to New Canyon Campground and hiked up to the crest for a day of crosscut sawing in the Manzano Wilderness.

A few new obstacles had fallen across the trail, and we tackled a few Problem and Hazard trees bypassed on previous outings. Bill, a sawyer with deep experience, talked us through analyzing a complicated situation, anticipating how the tree would move after a cut, and how to plan our escape paths.

The oak had turned a dark red on this brisk fall day, contrasting with the yellow aspen and dark conifers.