RESULTS: Rerouted part of a heavily eroded unofficial trail on sloping terrain on the north side of the opening to Embudo Canyon just south of Trail 365. Closed old trail with numerous ditches and transplanted cholla and prickly pear cactuses. Twenty-three volunteers, including 13 first-timers, built 700 feet of new trail and closed 600 feet of old trail.
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Description: Please sign up below. This trail work training project with the Albuquerque Open Space Division follows up on an introductory classroom session held at the Albuquerque REI Store on March 12, though other volunteers are also welcome to attend. Experienced Open Space and NMVFO trail workers will help mentor new volunteers as we maintain and re-route about 1,500 feet of an eroding trail in the Foothills Open Space. There will be light work and heavier work, something for everyone. Tasks will include improving drainage, shaping the tread of new trail sections, harvesting cactus, building rock structures as necessary to buttress new trail, and closing old eroded trail segments with check dams and transplanted cactus. Photos of last year’s work in similar terrain are available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/78338108@N07/albums/72157707706537074.
Participants should wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes (no soft shoes or sandals!), work gloves, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and other apparel appropriate for the predicted weather. Please bring a daypack with snacks, water, sunscreen, and other personal items. We’ll meet at 8:00 AM at the Embudo Trailhead. Starbucks coffee, juice, fruit, and snacks will be available to those who arrive early enough. The Open Space Division will provide a porta-potty. Depending on attendance, we’ll probably finish work by mid-afternoon, but volunteers are welcome to leave earlier if necessary. For volunteers bringing other people to the project, please fill out the sign-up form (below) for each of them as well.
Directions: Drive to the far eastern end of Indian School Road NE. Here’s a map showing the parking lot and local trail network.
Difficulty: 1 Pulaski
Group Size: No limit
For more information: If this is your first NMVFO project, you can find more information about difficulty ratings and what to expect at https://nmvfo.org/volunteer/volunteer-faq, or email the project leaders.