RESULTS: Five volunteers renewed 3.0 miles of trail, removing 27 deadfalls.
Join us for a rare opportunity to camp off the Crest Trail near South Sandia Peak as we work to clear the trail corridor from overgrowth and deadfall. Lots of saw work! On Friday morning we will meet at the Sandia Ranger District Visitor Center in Tijeras for a ride to the trailhead at Canyon Estates (since parking is secure and ample at the SRD). SRD will provide tools and hard hats. Hard hats are required while we work. NMVFO will provide freeze-dried meals for 3 breakfasts (Sat, Sun, Mon) and 3 dinners (Fri, Sat, Sun). We will contact volunteers individually for meal preferences. Volunteers will need to bring their own lunches and snacks, and their own backpack and camping gear (including tent, sleeping bag/pad, water containers, spoon, coffee mug, headlamp, t.p. and trowel…). If you have a water filter and/or backpacking stove and fuel, please bring those too. A day pack is highly recommended for work days. Long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sturdy boots, work gloves and eye protection (sunglasses) are required by the USFS. We assume anyone signing up for this project will have some backpacking experience and will be aware of clothing needs, including raingear, and come prepared for the wide range of temperatures which could occur! Beginning backpackers are welcome, but must inform the trip leader in advance. The hike to camp is approximately 8 miles, with 3000 ft. of elevation gain, and we will divide up the tools (saws and loppers) to carry. A challenging (and fun!) way to give back to the Crest Trail! We will hike in on Friday and hike out on Monday, with the bulk of the work taking place on Saturday and Sunday (some on Friday too, but we will take our time hiking in). Volunteers also have the option of hiking in separately to meet the group for one or more days; please let us know if you intend to do so. For more information or to sign up, contact the project leader.