Volunteers from NMVFO and Socorro Trails gathered for a weekend project to open up the Six Mile Trail / Ryan Hill Trail loop, which used to be popular for mountain bikers, and was even published in a guide, but is now thoroughly overgrown. Optional camping started Friday evening at Water Canyon Group Campsite, with its impressive laminated curved beams.
Saturday we carpooled up FR 235/ Water Canyon Rd to the trailhead at Six Mile Trail. A huge crane had slid off an icy road a few months ago, just a hundred yards up from the trailhead, so several of us walked up to take a look. It is hard to judge size from the picture, and I could not convince C. to climb down to be in the photo for scale, but the wreck is pretty huge.
We divided into 3 4-person teams, with one group doing sawing while the others lopped. Wild raspberries were in season.
At the trail junction we diverted to Ryan Hill Trail, with some lopping, and hiked out to cars we had left, to shuttle us back to camp.
The next day 8 volunteers returned to Ryan Hill Trailhead, and lopped for a half-day, not reaching the intersection with Six Mile, but doing a thorough job of beating back the oak and mountain mahogany.
