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Trail Work Events
Reports from the Field
This page contains reports on recent trail work events and other special events.
They are in calendar order with the newest at the top. You can click on the links
immediately below to jump directly to a particular event, or you can just scroll
down the page. Clicking on a photo will bring up a larger version of it.
06/05/10 - San Francisco Peaks
05/22/10 - San Francisco Peaks
04/17/10 - Saddle Mountain
04/03/10 - Colossal Cave Mountain Park
03/27/10 - Tortilla Mountains
03/06/10 - White Canyon
11/14/09 - Saddle Mountain
08/29/09 - San Francisco Peaks
07/30/09 - Santa Rita Mountains
07/25/09 - San Francisco Peaks
07/16/09 - Santa Rita Mountains
06/27/09 - San Francisco Peaks
05/30/09 - San Francisco Peaks
05/28/09 - Kaibab Plateau
05/14/09 - Las Cienegas
04/02/09 - Las Colinas
03/19/09 - Las Cienegas
02/26/09 - Las Cienegas
02/12/09 - Las Colinas
02/05/09 - Las Colinas
01/11/09 - Las Cienegas
01/08/09 - Las Colinas
12/04/08 - Las Colinas
12/03/08 - Saddle Mountain
11/22/08 - Tortilla Mountains
11/20/08 - Las Colinas
11/13/08 - White Canyon
10/30/08 - Las Colinas
10/26/08 - Las Colinas
10/19/08 - Las Colinas
10/02/08 - Las Colinas
09/29/08 - Huachuca Mountains
09/27/08 - San Francisco Peaks
09/04/08 - Las Colinas
08/23/08 - San Francisco Peaks
08/07/08 - Las Colinas
07/26/08 - San Francisco Peaks
07/17/08 - Las Colinas
06/28/08 - San Francisco Peaks
04/12/08 - Tortilla Mountains
04/05/08 - Las Colinas
03/15/08 - Tortilla Mountains
02/16/08 - Tortilla Mountains
09/28/07 - ATA Rendezvous/Trail Day
Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
June 5, 2010
Flagstaff's National Trails Day on the Arizona Trail is one more example
why the AZ Trail is 96% complete. Dale Shewalter has left a legacy of
cooperative grass roots efforts to build and maintain the AZ Trail. Led
by Sean Murphy of the Coconino National Forest, many organizations and
agencies supported the June 5 event. Some of these were American Conservation
Experience (ACE), Arizona Highways magazine, Arizona Outdoor Travel Club,
Arizona Trail Association (ATA), Coconino County Parks & Recreation, Coconino
Horsemen's Alliance, Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC), Coconino Trail
Riders, and Flagstaff Biking Organization (FBO).
Flagstaff's National Trails Day was dedicated to the memory of the late
Dale Shewalter. Inspiring tributes were given by Zane Shewalter and David
Boone. About 200 volunteers from the community and state-wide built over one
mile of trail to help "Close the Gap" in the San Francisco Peaks passage.
Since 1993 National Trails Day has been promoted and publicized by
American Hiking Society. National Trails Day has its roots in a report of
President Reagan's 1987 Commission on American Outdoors. The recommendation
became known as Trails for All Americans.
Thanks to Chuck Williams
for all of these photos.
Gay Hohner
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Flagstaff's National Trails Day was dedicated
to the memory of Dale Shewalter.
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
May 22-23, 2010
The "Close the Gap" events are a team effort of the Coconino National Forest,
the Arizona Trail Association, many organizations, and enthusiastic volunteers.
Flagstaff area trail stewards serve as event leaders. The May event leaders
were ATA trail stewards Andrea and David Michaels and Gay and Gary Hohner.
This was another very productive event; a large number of volunteers turned
up for Sunday am also. Saturday evening pot luck was a yummy and welcome break
from all the hard work; thanks to Andrea and David Michaels for delicious minestrone.
Check out the ATA Event Calendar
for opportunities to participate in maintenance, trail building and other ATA activities.
Thanks to the photographers for these photos:
Chuck Williams, Tom Kimmel and Case Coniglio.
Gay Hohner
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Passage 22 - Saddle Mountain
April 17-18, 2010
On Saturday and Sunday April 17 and 18, 13 volunteers hiked in 3 miles and
were able to clear brush through about one mile of trail in the most remote
section of Passage 22. We also were able improve about one mile of trail
through a rock strewn two track section of the segment north of the Mormon
Grove TH. Six new volunteers representing the Mountain Bike Association of
Arizona (MBAA) showed up to show their support for the trail. With the help
of veteran volunteers to assist with the instruction and encouragement of
the newcomers, a lot of work was accomplished. The entire 16 miles of this
passage has now been cleared of brush at least once in the last year and is
now more than passable. I would like to personally thank all those who
assisted in helping to clear the trail through this segment during the past
year. I, obviously, could not have done it without you. It is because of
people like you the Arizona Trail is able to succeed. Thank you.
Patrick OConnell
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Colossal Cave Mountain Park - REI Day
April 3, 2010
Over 130 volunteers contributed to a "colossal" trail work day east of
Tucson on REI Arizona Trail Day, April 3, 2010. Work ranged from
informational signage and gate installation to trail maintenance and clean
up at many locations from Saguaro National Park East to a section of the
Arizona Trail just north of I-10.
Terri Gay
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Trail work involves more than grubbing trail! Bob and
Jan Fusinati and Martha Lemen celebrate their newly planted mesquite at
Colossal Cave Mountain Park.
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Scott Regan hammers and Mike Powell steadies a support
for an information kiosk installation.
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Laddie Cox and volunteer crew pose in front of the
result of their day's work on April 3 at Three Bridges Trailhead near
Tucson.
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AZ Trail REI Day group.
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Passage 15 - Tortilla Mountains - National Trails Day
March 27, 2010
On Saturday March 27th, Pinal County and the Arizona Trail Association
hosted almost 70 volunteers for a morning of trail building and fun.
The group began constructing a portion of a re-route which takes existing
trail off of a two track and will build single track to connect with
the future trailhead off of the Florence/Kelvin Highway. On this
wonderful spring morning our volunteers constructed almost one-half
mile of new trail. This event continues the wonderful partnership the
ATA has with Pinal County and introduced the Arizona Trail and the
fun of trail work to many first timers. Stay tuned as we plan more
events to finish this 1.5 mile re-route.
Kent Taylor
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Passage 16 - White Canyon
March 6-13, 2010
Last week, March 6-13, 2010 trail construction was started on Section
‘A’ of the White Canyon Project. This one week project included 19
volunteers from the Sierra Club and 9 from Waynesburg University in
Pennsylvania, plus a few others that showed up for a day or two during
the week. In spite of three days of rain and below freezing temperatures
almost every night, we managed to complete the goal of constructing new
trail on the BLM land, just to the south of the Gila River at the
Kelvin Bridge. The construction required a steep, rocky hillside climb
which had 12 members tied up for 4 days. This section is labeled as
Section ‘A’ of the entire 22+ miles through the White Canyon Passage
and is critical to ‘Make the Connection’ in linking up with newly
constructed Alamo Canyon (Passage 17) to the north in Tonto National
Forest. Once completed, it will also link up to the new (yet to be
constructed) 1.7 acre Trailhead at the Florence-Kelvin Hwy to the south.
Additionally, Pinal County assisted in installing two large concrete
culverts to help us avoid a very deep drainage near the Kelvin Bridge.
Stay tuned as there will soon be another work session planned to
complete the remaining mile along with constructing a gate and
barriers to keep ATV’s and motorcycles off the trail.
John Rendall
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Passage 22 - Saddle Mountain
November 14-15, 2009
On Saturday and Sunday November 14 and 15, a great group of volunteers showed up at
Passage 22 to assist me with my first official work event. I can
not tell you how pleased I was with the response. On Saturday we worked on a section
of trail that was a two mile hike in from the northern terminus of the segment.
We were able to clear about a mile of trail that was severely over grown. I do not
know how it would have been cleared without their efforts. John Rendall and a few
volunteers also greatly improved the Thicket Springs trail junction. It too was
overgrown and new signs were installed to help direct hikers through an area which
had previously been confusing. On Sunday we worked on the lower section of the trail
clearing brush, building cairns and repairing some tread. John Rendall and his group
did some much needed work on the access trail to the Cross F trail head. So, I
would again like to say thank you to all those volunteers who came out and helped
make my first work event a success. I would also like to say thanks to Gary Hohner
for his assistance.
Amy and Mark from the Tonto Forest, Mesa Ranger District, showed up on Saturday to
help with a safety lecture on tool use. Thank you both.
Patrick OConnell
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
August 29-30, 2009
The "Close the Gap - Finish the Arizona Trail" effort in August moved to Segment 34A;
this is between Snowbowl Road and Shultz Pass. Again a large group of volunteers
turned out for this very successful and last "Close the Gap" for the 2009 season.
In spite of the rocky challenge of this particular part of Segment 34A, the volunteers
constructed about .67 miles of new trail over the weekend. The August event leaders
Paul Conn and Dorothy Boulton were joined by members of the Flagstaff Hiking Club,
many Flagstaff area volunteers, and numerous Arizona Trail Association members and
friends from all over the State. Thanks to Paul and Dorothy for their leadership.
The "Close the Gap" events are a cooperative effort of the Coconino National Forest
and the Arizona Trail Association. Trail Stewards for the Arizona National Scenic
Trail serve as Event Leaders. These events owe their great success to the spirit of
teamwork and to many enthusiastic and loyal volunteers.
We are grateful to each and every one of our volunteers and for their continued
support. Over the last two seasons some volunteers have attended as many as six,
seven or eight of the eight "Close the Gap" weekends. It is amazing how much fun you
can have getting dirty. When you build, maintain or improve the AZ Trail, you not
only help to build a lasting icon for Arizona, but camaraderie, new friends and a sense
of accomplishment are fringe benefits.
We look forward to the completion of Segments 34A and 34B; when these two segments are
completed, you will be able to go from Shultz Pass to Utah on the Arizona National
Scenic Trail. This will also mark the completion of all the Arizona National Scenic
Trail in the northern part of the State. Stay tuned for events to help "Close the Gap
- Finish the Arizona Trail" in the San Francisco Peaks Passage.
Thanks to Chuck Williams and to
Laddie Cox for the photos below.
Gay Hohner
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Passage 5 - Santa Rita Mountains
July 30, 2009
On Thursday, July 30, we did some more great repair work on the Santa
Rita Mountains passage near Box Canyon road.
Lee Allen
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The work site at full throttle.
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Zac Ribbing and Tom Kimmel discussing the trail.
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Bernie Stalmann with a load of dirt for some very serious trail repair work.
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Laddie Cox hauling a load of rocks for the repair work.
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
July 25-26, 2009
Enthusiastic volunteers combined with perfect weather resulted in a very
productive weekend; not only was the goal of completing the last mile to
reach Kelly Tank met, but also the Sunday volunteers were then free to do
some much needed maintenance on Segment 34D north of Kelly Tank.
The "Close the Gap" events are a cooperative effort of the Coconino National
Forest and the Arizona Trail Association and volunteers from many organizations.
Trail Stewards for the AZ Trail serve as Event Leaders. The leaders for July's
"Close the Gap" were Aaron Seifert of Flagstaff Biking Organization and Neil
Weintraub of Northern Arizona Trail Runners; they were joined by a large
group of volunteers from the Flagstaff area as well as many other ATA members
and friends state-wide, plus several out-of-state guests. Volunteers included
several families and at least three mother-daughter teams.
Flagstaff Biking Organization and Northern Arizona Trail Runners organized the
morning coffee and lunch and held a fun raffle during lunch. There was a
stampede for the pizza when it arrived, and the volunteers very much enjoyed
the lunch. Thanks to Fratelli's Pizza for their generous donation. During
lunch hour volunteers continued to sign a poster greeting card to say
"thanks" to Dale Shewalter, founder of the AZ Trail.
By mid-afternoon Saturday, the trail was complete to Kelly Tank. Campers
enjoyed a social time and a pot luck Saturday evening. There was a wonderful
volunteer group again on Sunday morning who worked on Segment 34D just north
of Kelly Tank. This was another popular and successful "Close the Gap" weekend.
Thanks are due to Aaron Seifert of FBO and Neil Weintraub of NATRA for their
leadership. Thanks to all our volunteers who make it happen. Thanks to Neil
Weintraub and to Terri Gay for these photos.
To see more of Neil's July 25 photos go to his
Picasa webpage.
Stay tuned as the trail building effort now moves to the other end of the
Gap (Segments 34A and B between Schultz Pass and Aspen Corner).
Gay Hohner
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Passage 5 - Santa Rita Mountains
July 16, 2009
We did some great work repairing some badly eroded trail
just off the Box Canyon Road (FR 62) near the Greaterville turnoff.
The other great thing about working there is it is higher elevation and
therefore cooler, plus it is very close to the road with only a two minute walk
to the work site.
Lee Allen
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Tom Kimmel hefting some good
sized rocks.
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U.S. Forest Service, Zac Ribbing, always a helping hand.
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Lee Allen, the Thursday Crazies Team Leader.
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
June 27-28, 2009
The "Close the Gap" events continue to draw a wonderful group of volunteers!
Enthusiasm reigned the entire weekend. The weather was perfect, it was a
beautiful camping site with both trees and meadows, and another mile of new
trail was completed. Once again everyone left with a good sense of accomplishment.
Of course camaraderie and laughter on Friday and Saturday evenings were abundant.
Someone said the Saturday afternoon pot luck looked like a Thanksgiving buffet!
Trail builders worked northward from FR 418 area en route to Kelly Tank;
this is northwest of the Peaks, and the scenery is changing. As the elevation
here drops gradually away from the Peaks there are less pine trees and few
aspens. There is a still-evident 1996 fire burn area with many old logs.
The "Close the Gap" events are a joint effort of the Coconino National Forest,
the Arizona Trail Association, Flagstaff area trail stewards, and many volunteers.
The June event leaders were Gary and Gay Hohner and David and Andrea Michaels.
The leaders are grateful for the assistance of so many people who make these
events happen! Also special thanks to all those volunteers who helped on Sunday
to close down the camp site and pack up all the event supplies, tools, etc.
Thanks to Chuck Williams
for all of these photos.
Gay Hohner
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
May 29-30, 2009
The "Close the Gap" crews worked to build new AZ Trail just south of Forest
Road 418. In spite of challenging weather that greatly interrupted our
Saturday work, determined and dedicated volunteers made the best of it.
Good weather on Sunday morning and enthusiastic volunteers further extended
the new trail, so the weekend event produced approximately 0.6 miles of new
trail. We are grateful to each and every volunteer.
Thanks to AZT trail stewards Chambo and Beverly Chambers for all their
excellent planning work and leadership that made this first 2009 event happen.
All were relieved to learn that Sheriff Joe was not the caterer after all,
and Fort Valley Subway again did a great job for us. Beverly's chili was
especially appreciated and enjoyed around the campfire that cold and wet
Saturday evening.
Flagstaff area trail stewards for the Arizona Trail have joined forces to
lead the 2009 "Close the Gap" events. This was the first of four events in
this 2009 cooperative effort of the Coconino National Forest and the Arizona
Trail Association, Flagstaff Biking Organization, Northern Arizona Trail
Runners, Flagstaff Hiking Club, and many other state-wide volunteers.
Join the team effort to help "Close the Gap"; check out the
Events Calendar
to make your reservation.
Thanks to Chuck Williams
for all of these photos.
Gay Hohner
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Happy trail crew - May 31.
Storm warning.
How long will we be able
to work?
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Trail snakes through the aspens -
no rain yet.
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Forest Service crew -
rock work.
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Volunteers of all ages.
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Early Saturday -
volunteers cut new trail.
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A few of the Sunday, May 31
volunteers.
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Passage 41/42 - Kaibab Plateau
May 28-30, 2009
Thanks to Orme School students and teachers for helping clear miles of
tread on passage 42. We received a special visitor at our
campsite at the Orderville Trailhead - Condor #A7 came by to visit during
dinner on Thursday night and again at breakfast on Friday morning! (Thank
you Noelle Roberts for the photos.)
Mike Carr
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Passage 7 - Las Cienegas
May 14, 2009
Summit Hut had 10 volunteers that worked with us on Thursday May 14th.
We had a productive trail building event in a tough section of trail
on a very hot day. We certainly appreciate their efforts. There were
the usual sodas and baked goods at the end of the session.
Lee Allen
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As a group Summit Hut accomplished the mission.
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Summit Hut volunteers were very young and energetic:
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Passage 7 - Las Cienegas
February 26, 2009
Working with the Ranch Manager with Pima County who owns the land on the south
side of I-10, where the Arizona Trail goes under Interstate 10, a 12 foot
bow gate was installed. Pima County provided a machine for digging the holes;
plus, a man to run it. The Ranch Manager instructed everyone in the
construction of the gate, ending with another very impressive project.
Lee Allen
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The easier way to dig holes.
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The Laddie Cox quick course on log lifting:
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Passage 22 - Saddle Mountain
December 3-10, 2008
A nine member Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC) crew spent from about
noon on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 to about noon on Wednesday, December 10, 2008
doing great work in maintaining much of the Arizona Trail's Passage 22 (Saddle Mountain)
from a quarter of a mile south of the junction of Sunflower Trail #344 and Little Saddle
Mountain Trail #244 to the junction of Trail #244 with the Saddle Mountain Trail #91.
The crew was staffed by Kyle Williams, Crew Leader; Judy Tincher, Assistant Crew Leader;
Emily Barrett; Lucy Cohen; Dave Hibbard-Rode; Rob Langfield; Greg Lenard; Chaz Perry;
and Laren Schmacher. They camped at the Mormon Grove trailhead, then spent Thursday,
December 4, rebuilding tread and repairing a severely eroded stretch of the trail going
south from the junction of Trails #244 and #91 for about 200 yards. The other seven days
were consumed in clearing the heavily overgrown trail corridor and in building cairns.
Jeff Haught, the owner of the Cross F Ranch near Sunflower, AZ, and who has a grazing
permit on this part of the National Forest, was so pleased with the crew's work that
he donated steaks for a supper for the crew.
The coordination for and the employment of the crew was through the efforts of Annie
McVay of the Arizona State Parks, Allison Laramee of CREC, Debbie Becker of the Tonto
National Forest, and of Laddie Cox, the Arizona Trail Association's Hit and Run Crew
Leader. Laddie deployed the crew and worked with it for two days during this period.
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Passage 15 - Tortilla Mountains
November 22-23, 2008
We had a windy start to our weekend when several of us arrived Friday afternoon,
but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the camaraderie and the beautiful desert.
Saturday morning brought the arrival of the rest of our crew and we proceeded to
put in a full day of maintenance work. The crew did a great job brushing and
grubbing, repairing the tread, and, under Laddie’s expert direction, building
numerous water erosion control devices.
We followed up our workday with an excellent potluck style Happy Hour, accompanied
by an impressive selection of New Belgium Brewing Company products. Many of us
inspected Brad’s solar powered converted VW bus, complete with teak flooring.
Very interesting! Dinner followed with tasty mesquite grilled bratwurst and
veggie burgers eaten around the campfire just as the sun made a spectacular final
display as it slipped below the horizon. After that we drew for raffle prizes and
then scarfed down a gooey chocolate cake for dessert. Most of us hit the hay
early, but a few folks stoked the fire and contemplated the ways of the world
for a while longer.
On Sunday morning, following a pancake and sausage breakfast, we continued our
maintenance work, knocking off around noon. Our group maintained over 2 miles
of trail during this event and had a great time doing it.
Thanks to our volunteers: Carl and David Babcock, Bruce Blackburn, Brad
Boyle, Shay Cardell, Laddie Cox, Joe Drozdowski, Jerry Fimbres, Jim Gomon, Ed
Hiebert, David Klein, Charlie and Margaret Medernach, David and Derek Mills,
Melissa Mundt, Jerry Nash, Tasha Nelson, and Bill Ross. I can’t forget to thank
our sponsors: The ATA, The Mountain Bike Association of Arizona, and New Belgium
Brewing Company.
Anna Pfender
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Laddie Cox (left) watches over his charges Bruce
Blackburn, Tasha Nelson and David Klein (foreground) as they work
on a water control device.
The crew enjoys a tasty bratwurst dinner and a
spectacular “Boulders” sunset at the end of another great day on the trail.
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Passage 16 - White Canyon
November 13-16, 2008
The November 13-16, 2008 work event on segment B of the White Canyon
Passage was successful: no one was hurt, a lot was accomplished, and
a good time was had by all. The goal of the event - to provide a very 'hikeable'
trail/route from north of the trestle bridge to the artesian well in Walnut
Canyon for the 2009 hiking season - was more than accomplished. Now there
is a reflagged, lightly brushed route from the Kelvin bridge area to north
of the trestle bridge, and then a finished trail of 5 miles leading almost to
the artesian well. And approximately three miles of trail on the 'big hill'
south of the Florence Kelvin Road was brushed.
A pleasant surprise was the amount of trail a three person mechanical
excavator contracted crew, YRU, built over nine days overlapping the ATA
work event. All volunteers watched the excavator build trail and were
impressed with the amount of trail built. In fact, so much trail was built
by YRU that work assignments of the volunteer crews changed.
Camp for the work event was located at A Diamond Ranch - many thanks to Greg
and Gary Vinson for hosting the work crew. Crew leaders Laddie Cox, Diane
Wertz, and John Rendall arrived Wednesday for a walk thru for assignments
for the following day. There was still a small flow of water in the Gila
River, even though water from the dam had stopped flowing three weeks
earlier. Some hopped from stone to stone; others waded in sandals; a few
splashed in bare feet; and a few got their boots wet.
Suppers, precooked by Judy Gaudet, were reheated and served before dark each
evening. Merle Parmer helped cook breakfasts. New Belgium Brewery provided
liquid refreshments.
Thanks to the flexible and dedicated volunteers for this event: John
Rendall, Laddie Cox, Diane Wertz, Gary Hohner, David Babcock, Carl Babcock,
Charlie Metternach, Dick Wertz, Terry Woolston, Tim McCabe, Tasha Nelson,
Shawn Redfield, Dave Burkett, Joe Longbotham, Bob Baldwin, Rosemary Barba,
Bill Webster, Bill Ross, Shay Cardell, Paul Finsness, Merle Parmer, and Judy
Gaudet. Dave Hicks, Executive Director of ATA, spent Thursday and Friday
morning supporting the work event. Francisco Mendoza, from the BLM Tucson
office worked Thursday on the rock gulch and came back out Saturday morning
to finalize the trail through the rock gulch. Jeff Larkin, BLM AZ Trail
point person, worked Thursday morning with one of the crews.
Fred Gaudet
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
October 30, 2008
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
October 26, 2008
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
October 19, 2008
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
October 2, 2008
Hello again from the Summer Crazies. On October 2nd we continued our good work
towards connecting our unfinished section between FR 231 and FR 4064 in the Las
Colinas section of the Santa Rita's. We are now down to about 0.4 miles left to
do in the middle between the two roads. The weather has cooled down a little so
we have been able to get a lot of trail built.
As you can see by the happy faces of the dogs, cool is good.
Lee Allen
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Work crew at beginning of day.
Canine workers.
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Passage 1 - Huachuca Mountains
September 29 - October 3, 2008
From Monday, September 29 through Friday, October 3, the
Arizona Trail Association sponsored an eight person crew from the
Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) for work in the Huachuca Mountains.
The crew cleared the portion of The Arizona Trail in Passage 1 between
Bear Saddle and Bathtub Springs. This part of the trail was very
heavily overgrown with fire re-generation shrub oak, ceanothus and other
vegetation. There were many dead-fall trees blocking the trail as well.
We camped at Bear Springs, which is about 1/2 mile to the west and down
the mountain on the Ida Canyon Trail from Bear Saddle. On the first day,
Zay Hartigan and his two pack horses and one saddle horse packed in much
of the crew's food, tools and gear. We hiked in via the Ida Canyon Trail
and removed any obstacles which would hinder Zay and his animals. Upon
arrival at Bear Springs, the crew went to work and soon gathered up enough
trash, left mostly by illegals, in the immediate vicinity of the spring to
provided a load for Zay's pack animals to haul out. Most of the next morning
was spent in clearing the trail from Bear Springs to Bear Saddle so that
the crew would have reasonable access to and from the AZT each day. We
reached Bathtub Springs, our primary goal on Thursday afternoon, October 2.
The next morning, the crew worked west/northwest from Bear Saddle until
about 10 AM. We then returned to camp, dismantled it and hiked out to the
Ida Canyon Trailhead.
Marenda Chamberlin was the crew-leader and Nich Boynton-Steele was the
assistant crew-leader of this SCC crew. Zac Ribbing of the Coronado National
Forest also contributed great advice, guidance, and hard work to this endeavor.
Laddie Cox
ATA Hit & Run Crew Leader
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Work crew at trailhead.
Work crew at Bathtub Spring.
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
September 27, 2008
The September 27 Public Lands Day found about 100 workers gathered to help "Close
the San Francisco Peaks Gap" in the Arizona Trail. This last event of the 2008
season celebrated the opening of a new section of the AZ Trail between the Aspen
Loop and Bismarck Lake. It is a beautiful trail destination, and already it is
receiving a lot of use. We look forward to 2009 events to extend the trail northward.
These "Close the Gap - Finish the Arizona Trail" events on the San Francisco
Peaks passage are a cooperative effort of the Coconino Forest Service, the Arizona
Trail Association, and the ATA Flagstaff area trail stewards. The leaders for
the September event were ATA trail stewards Paul Conn and Dorothy Boulton; they
also deserve recognition for many hours of trail preparation and layout work
during the 2008 season.
Volunteers included members of the Flagstaff Hiking Club, Flagstaff Biking, the
Sierra Club, Forestry students from NAU and a large group from the Coconino Rural
Environment Corps (CREC) as well as the continued support of many ATA members and
many other organizations. We are grateful to each and every volunteer.
Thanks also to Bruce Blackburn, Allison Laramee and Paul Conn for these photographs.
Stay tuned for the 2009 "Close the Gap - Finish the Arizona Trail" events on the
San Francisco Peaks.
Gay Hohner
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Morning meeting totaled about 100 Public Lands Day volunteers.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
Off we go for the hike to the work site.
Photo by Allison Laramee.
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This crew is hand cutting the sod.
Photo by Paul Conn.
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Many volunteers from CREC hard at work.
Photo by Paul Conn.
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CREC pals.
Photo by Allison Laramee.
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Triumphant removal of the
"under construction" sign.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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Some of the September 27 volunteers -
celebration of
summer project's
completion.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
August 21 & September 4, 2008
The Las Colinas Summer Crazies have had two more outstanding Thursday work
events. We are about a quarter of a mile from having the trail completed
from Oak Tree Canyon Road (FR 4072) to the Rosemont Junction Road (FR 231).
The work crews have remained small;
however, the amount of trail completed has been significant. Lee Allen has
served as crew leader, with regular crew members of: Jim Ambrose, Tom Kimmel,
Richard Humphrey, Laddie Cox, Jim Shea, Mike Pratt and Chaco (The Dog), Walt
Tannert, Sirena Dufault, Max Frye, Larry Schnebly and George Price. Guidance was
provided from the USFS through Zac Ribbing and from ATA Regional Trail Steward
Bernie Stalmann. Photos and videos were completed by Rich Grodzicki. Thanks to
all of our dedicated volunteers.
Any rumors of aliens using our trails are totally false.
Besides these photos of the event, you can also download another video
slideshow (with a soundtrack) produced by Rich Grodzicki. There are a lot
of great pictures of the work events and the people involved.
Las Colinas Slideshow #4 (4.7 MB).
Note: This is a Windows Media Video format file and
requires realPlayer or equivalent software to view.
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Trail workers come from everywhere . . .
Work crew from the September 4th event.
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
August 23-24, 2008
This was another very successful "Close the Gap" weekend. Among the well
over 60 volunteers were a large number from the Flagstaff area as well as
many other Arizona communities. Many new volunteers from the "R2R" Hiking
Club joined the effort, and we appreciate their contributions to the event.
We again welcomed volunteer equestrians from the Forest Service; they plus
some new Flagstaff equestrians transported beverages, food and tools to
the work site. We were honored to have among our guests the founder of
the Arizona Trail, Dale Shewalter, and the Executive Director, Dave Hicks.
These "Close the Gap - Finish the Arizona Trail" events on the San Francisco
Peaks passage are a cooperative effort of the Coconino Forest Service, the
Arizona Trail Association, the ATA Flagstaff area trail stewards, and
volunteers from many organizations. The leaders for the August event were
ATA trail stewards Beverly and Chambo Chambers and Carol Zazubek and Doug
Thomas; in their words, "Trails are hiked by the mile, but built by the
foot." We thank them for their great planning and leadership.
This season we have had many "unsung heroes" who have done preparation work
on the trail as well as planning before each event. We have many dedicated
volunteers who return to help at second and third events, and some who will
have done all four. Dedicated volunteers plus teamwork produce good results.
Interruption by the rain and hail on Saturday plus Sunday morning's
cancellation due to threatening weather greatly cut into the work time. In
spite of this, we added about 0.37 miles of new trail. Campers had a nice
social time Saturday evening and a beautiful sky; check out Chuck Williams'
photo of the evening view. Many undaunted Flagstaff area volunteers returned
to the work site Sunday morning. Everyone pitched in to make for a speedy clean up.
Thanks to these Flagstaff-area businesses and organizations who helped to
supply prizes, food, or beverages for the August event: Campus Coffee Bean,
Fry’s Food & Drug, Northern Arizona University Center for High Altitude
Training, Subway – 1000 N. Humphreys, Safeway Food & Drug – Highway 89,
and Wal-Mart.
The "Close the Gap - Finish the Arizona Trail" t-shirts have been a popular
bonus for volunteers at each event, and we are grateful for the funds supplied
by Dr. Bruce J. Lachot and Dr. Kent C. Loo,
Body Stabilization Training, Arizona Snowbowl, and Gentlemen's Literary Society;
these funds made the t-shirts possible for this summer's four "Close the Gap"
events on the San Francisco Peaks.
Lunches, a t-shirt or a prize are really nice, but the greatest reward is
the sense of accomplishment our volunteers share. Thanks again to each of
our old friends and new friends and their continued support. Now everyone
is looking forward to the September event and the likely completion of the
summer's goals. Stay tuned for further developments on passage 34.
Besides the gap in the San Francisco Peaks, there are a few other gaps in
the Arizona Trail. Maintenance work events are also fun and very important
events. And when the snow starts to fly on the San Francisco Peaks, there
will be still be opportunities for volunteer work in the southern part of
the Arizona Trail.
Gay Hohner
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"Close the Gap" workers - August 23, 2008.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
"R2R" Hiking Club.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Forest Service volunteer moves supplies.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Dedicated volunteer.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Trail follows edge of Aspen grove.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Volunteer equestrians.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Sunset on Saturday.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
July 31 & August 7, 2008
Once again the Las Colinas Summer Crazies have had another two outstanding
Thursday work events. We are about a half mile from having the trail
completed from Oak Tree Canyon Road (FR 4072) to the Rosemont Junction Road
(FR 231). We have enjoyed the easier working soil conditions with our monsoon
rains but they have brought a different challenge in higher temps and
humidity.
My personal thanks go out to Lee Allen who has done a great job
this summer as crew leader, Rich Grodzicki who enjoys doing our scenic videos
for all the AZT world to enjoy, and our regular crew members: Jim Ambrose,
Tom Kimmel, Richard Humphrey, Laddie Cox, Jim Shea, Mike Pratt and Chaco, Walt
Tannert, Sirena Dufault, Max Frye, and this last event two newcomers, Larry
Jones and Gwynne Boucher. Many thanks to all of you for your dedicated
efforts. And a special appreciation to Laura Ory, reporter for the Sierra
Vista Herald, for her fine efforts in telling Cochise County about the fun we
have building the Arizona Trail.
Bernie Stalmann
Besides these photos of the event, you can also download another video
slideshow (with a soundtrack) produced by Rich Grodzicki. There are a lot
of great pictures of the work events and the people involved.
Las Colinas Slideshow #3 (3.5 MB).
Note: This is a Windows Media Video format file and
requires realPlayer or equivalent software to view.
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Work crew from the July 31st event.
Work crew from the August 7th event.
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
July 26-27, 2008
The results of the second "Close the Gap - Finish the Arizona Trail" event
are 0.65 mile of new Arizona Trail, many new friendships and a shared sense
of accomplishment. There were 66 people who helped at some time over the
weekend, and many of these worked both Saturday and Sunday.
These "Close the Gap" events are a cooperative effort of the Coconino
Forest Service, the Arizona Trail Association, Flagstaff Biking Organization,
Northern Arizona Trail Runners, Flagstaff Hiking Club, and many other
statewide volunteers. Each event is being led by Flagstaff area trail
stewards for the Arizona Trail, and Anthony Quintile of Flagstaff Biking
Organization and Neil Weintraub of Northern Arizona Trail Runners were the
leaders for this event.
The diverse group of volunteers came from Flagstaff and other communities
statewide. They included members of FBO, NATRA and ATA as well as many
other interested equestrians, bike riders, hikers and runners. Teamwork and
a wonderful group of volunteers produced a great weekend.
As I try to write the accolades due to so many people, it becomes difficult
because the list needs to include everyone. What is clear is that the spirit
of teamwork and the contagious enthusiasm of the volunteers are really what
make these events successful. For example, those Sunday morning workers
couldn't wait to get back down the hill, and by 7 AM many of them were on
their way.
Every single volunteer's contribution is important. These events bring the
nicest people together. Thanks to each of you.
Gay Hohner
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Motley crew leaders - July 26, 2008.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
Natural, inviting path through
the Aspen grove.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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Trail founder and fans.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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Lunch arrives by Bike Trailer Shop.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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Work crew enjoying lunch.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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The trail crew hard at work.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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Sunday finish line volunteers capture the spotlight.
Photo by Andrea Michaels.
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Teamwork and contagious enthusiasm.
Photo by Bruce Blackburn.
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
June 18 - July 17, 2008
Construction continues on the Las Colinas passage, even in the heat of
the summer. Weekly work events and enthusiastic crew members have built
a lot of new trail. A big thank you to all the volunteers who have helped.
Besides these photos of the event, you can also download another video
slideshow (with a soundtrack). This one was also produced by Rich Grodzicki
and has a lot of great pictures of the work events and the people involved.
Las Colinas Slideshow #2 (2.5 MB).
Note: This is a Windows Media Video format file and
requires realPlayer or equivalent software to view.
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Various volunteers building new trail.
Group shot at the end of another successful work day.
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Passage 34 - San Francisco Peaks
June 28-29, 2008
Thanks to each of our dedicated volunteers both before and during the June
28-29 weekend, the June event was a great success. About 60 ATA volunteers,
friends and trail enthusiasts from many areas of Arizona gathered early
Saturday, and about 35 returned to work again Sunday morning. The result was
0.68 mile of new Arizona Trail in the San Francisco Peaks passage.
The years between Dale Shewalter's early scouting trip for a long-distance
trail across the length of Arizona to the more than 94% complete Arizona Trail
of 2008 tell an inspiring story. Now the momentum and excitement are growing
to finish the Arizona Trail. The San Francisco Peaks segment is the longest
gap; when this is completed, there will be about 16 additional miles of trail
in the Flagstaff area. The Arizona Trail Association organized four summer
events to begin to "Close the Gap."
The Flagstaff area trail stewards for the Arizona Trail joined forces to
lead four trail building events the fourth weekends of June, July, August and
September. These "Close the Gap" events are a cooperative effort of the
Coconino Forest Service, the Arizona Trail Association, Flagstaff Biking
Organization, Northern Arizona Trail Runners, Flagstaff Hiking Club, and
many other statewide volunteers.
Thanks are due to this season's "Close the Gap - Finish the Arizona
Trail" t-shirt sponsors: Dr. Bruce J.
Lachot and Dr. Kent C. Loo, Body Stabilization Training, Arizona Snowbowl,
and Gentlemen's Literary Society.
If you would like to help "Close the Gap" in the San Francisco Peaks
passage, please see the Events Calendar to make reservations for the August
23-24 and September 27 events.
We are grateful to each of our enthusiastic volunteers. Every one of you
can truly say, "I helped finish the Arizona Trail."
Gay and Gary Hohner
Andrea and David Michaels
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Crew leaders get an early start.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
Harry learns trail construction from Grandpa.
Photo by Don Mahr.
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Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to work we go!
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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The food crew.
Photo by Don Mahr.
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Carl (left) and David Babcock -
building new trail on passage 34.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Volunteers make the Arizona Trail happen.
San Francisco Peaks passage - June 28, 2008.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Veteran trail builder Laddie at
work.
Photo by Don Mahr.
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Campers' dessert: sunset view Saturday, June 28.
Photo by Chuck Williams.
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Passage 15 - Tortilla Mountains
April 12-13, 2008
This work event brought our dedicated Boulders volunteers north to the
Ripsey Wash segment for some much needed maintenance and signage installation.
We camped in Ripsey Wash and worked the trail south of there, which was a fun
change from our usual work and campsites in the Boulders area. We had a huge
turnout with 18 volunteers, including 2 new volunteers, who made their way up
the wash for a weekend of good company, great food and drink, and of course,
satisfying trail work.
The weather was perfect Saturday morning and our group split up into two crews.
My crew proceeded south on the trail and immediately tackled thick brush and
crumbling tread as the trail made its way up and out of Ripsey Wash. After
finally working our way up to a ridge we were greeted by a scattering of
orange mariposa lilies and other lovely wildflowers. Then it was a steep
descent on an old two-track down to another wash where the trail works its
way along the sides of the wash, crossing it many times for quite some distance.
Work included lots of brushing and grubbing and minor tread repair. The second
crew, led by John Rendall, set out in vehicles to install signage and cairns
further south along the segment.
We all met back at camp later in the day and indulged in Happy Hour that
included lots of great snacks, New Belgium beer and a raffle prize giveaway.
This was followed by a dinner of grilled chicken and burgers accompanied by
beans and potato salad. Later we had a great time around the campfire enjoying
Jerry Nash and Mike Hallen’s marvelous Dutch oven cobblers.
After our pancake breakfast on Sunday, we continued our work along the wash.
We also installed some signs and added some cairns along the route. Our crews
did a fine job and made significant improvements to the Ripsey segment during
our work weekend. Many thanks to volunteers, Carl and David Babcock, Terry
Dutton, Jean and Jerry Fimbres, Mike and Sylvia Hallen, Chuck Horner, Chris
Jackson, Charlie and Margaret Medernach, Jerry Nash, Tasha Nelson, Merle
Parmer, Shawn Redfield, John Rendall and Bill Ross for their excellent work
and commitment to the Arizona Trail. Of course all of the fun, food, and drink
wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the ATA, the Mountain Bike
Association of Arizona, and New Belgium Brewing Company. Thank you all!
Anna Pfender
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Charlie and Margaret Medernach, Carl Babcock and
Anna Pfender take a lunch break in the wash.
Chris Jackson battles one nasty root.
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Jerry Fimbres makes the hole for a carsonite
sign installation while John Rendall and David
Babcock offer their sage advice???
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Sylvia and Mike Hallen enjoy the fruits of their
labor (i.e. frosty Fat Tires) at the end of the
day.
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Passage 6 - Las Colinas
April 5-6, 2008
Construction is moving along on the Las Colinas passage. The first weekend
in April brought out a large group of volunteers and the Sweco Trail Dozer.
This miniature bulldozer allows basic tread to be established very quickly,
with a support crew following along doing finish work. At the completion of
this work event the Las Colinas passage now has 3.9 miles of trail built. A big
thank you to all the volunteers who helped.
Besides these photos of the event, you can also download a video slideshow
(with a soundtrack) of this work event. It was produced by Rich Grodzicki and
has a lot of great pictures of the work event and the people involved.
Las Colinas Slideshow (2.8 MB).
Note: This is a Windows Media Video format file and
requires realPlayer or equivalent software to view.
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Tim McCabe supervises the Sweco operation.
A view of the newly constructed trail with the Sweco running
in the foreground.
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Passage 15 - Tortilla Mountains
March 15-16, 2008
An unusually high number of previous engagements conspired to diminish our
volunteer turnout on this weekend to 5. But that didn’t stop us from
accomplishing a good deal of maintenance and throwing back a bunch of New
Belgiums after the work was done.
On Saturday, newly appointed Regional Chief Trail Steward John Rendall
worked with our group to reset the bench and do brushing on the hillside
south of the saddle near Tecolote Ranch. Speaking of Tecolote Ranch, we
were surprised to discover that the ranch was hosting some sort of weekend
retreat for young people that included horseback riding on the Arizona Trail.
How nice to see so many equestrians out on the Boulders Segment! After our work
for the day was finished we said farewell to John who had a previous
engagement that night. Enough with the previous engagements! The rest of us
settled in for Happy Hour followed pretty quickly by a dinner of burritos,
beans, guacamole and all the fixins. We finished out the evening chatting
around the campfire and hit the sack pretty early.
There had been dire weather forecasts for rain during the weekend and we had
been pretty lucky. By lunchtime on Sunday we still hadn’t been rained on.
On the contrary, we were getting snowed on! After about an hour or so of off
and on flurries we decided to call it a weekend and headed for home. The only
casualty of the weekend was Tasha’s boots that finally gave out on her. I didn’t
think I had worked her that hard . . .
As usual, I couldn’t have done it alone and I would like to thank my volunteers,
Melissa Mundt, Tasha Nelson, Shawn Redfield and John Rendall for their excellent
work. Also, many thanks to my sponsors: the ATA, the Mountain Bike Association
of Arizona, and New Belgium Brewing Company.
Anna Pfender
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Passage 15 - Tortilla Mountains
February 16-17, 2008
We had a cold, wet and snowy start, but amazingly 20 brave souls slipped
and slid their way down Freeman Road for what turned out to be a great
weekend on the Arizona Trail. Those who arrived Friday were treated to
10 hours of nonstop rain followed by snow and sleet during the night with
temperatures in the very low 30’s. For those of us arriving Saturday
morning, the rain and snow had ceased, but Freeman Road was the muddiest
I’ve ever seen it. We got to work a bit later than planned, but our full
crew dug right in under cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40’s all day.
We put in a full day of maintenance work nevertheless and the crew did a
great job brushing and grubbing, repairing the tread and water erosion
control devices (rock work) and installing some carsonite signs.
We followed up our workday with an excellent potluck style Happy Hour that
quickly moved around the campfire with temperatures dropping fast, even
though it was still an hour or so till dark. We enjoyed a marvelous
selection of New Belgium’s finest along with some of their nifty schwag
for raffle prizes and then it was time to start preparing our spaghetti
dinner. By that time our fire was pretty big and pretty warm too. After
dinner Jerry Nash treated us to a terrific Dutch oven cherry cobbler!
That certainly took the edge off, at least for a little while. When
bedtime came I think we were all kind of reluctant to trade the warmth of
the fire for ice covered tents and frosty sleeping bags.
Sunday morning brought even colder temperatures with a reading from Carl
Babcock at 28 degrees. After getting the coffee on and chipping the ice
out of the dogs’ water bowl we got our pancake and sausage breakfast going
and huddled around the camp stoves and the restarted campfire for warmth.
The clear weather that brought the colder night also brought a lovely day
for trail work. We continued our maintenance work where we left off the
day before and completed almost 2 miles of trail improvement for the weekend!
A hearty thanks to our volunteers who showed great courage and stepped up
to the mud bog challenges: Carl and David Babcock, Dave Burkett, Shane
Elliott, Bob Erickson, Jerry Fimbres, Mike and Sylvia Hallen, David Klein,
Joe Longbotham, Marty McDonough, David Mills, Derek Mills, Jerry Nash,
Tasha Nelson, Bill and Diane Ross, Charlie Smith, and Jim Spellman.
I especially want to thank David Klein, David Mills and Jerry Nash for
their help with the meals and the Babcocks for the use of their EZ-up and
camp gear. It was truly a group effort and I couldn’t have done it all
alone. I can’t forget our sponsors: The Arizona Trail Association, The
Mountain Bike Association of Arizona and New Belgium Brewing Company.
Thank you all!
Anna Pfender
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Bob Erickson (foreground) and Marty McDonough work
to re-establish the tread so that Bob can have a smooth ride on his
mountain bike at the end of the day.
Derek Mills prepares for some pulaski work that
might just warm him up a bit.
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Jerry Fimbres gets ready to prune
back a bush along the trail.
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Veteran volunteer David Babcock
works his magic with the "pretty"
rocks.
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ATA Rendezvous/Trail Day Celebration
September 28-30, 2007
What a great weekend for Arizona Trail aficionados. Thanks to all of you who
enjoyed the many activities, worked on the interpretive trail, pledged some
precious dollars and spent time enjoying our Arizona Trail. And an additional
thanks to our sponsors: Terry Woolston, Mormon Lake Lodge, REI, Wells Fargo Bank,
Compass Bank, Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold, Bookmans Entertainment Exchange,
Summit Hut, Whitneybell Perry Architects and Salt River Project.
Crew Leader Richard Corbett outlines the
day's work for the new Mormon Lake
interpretive trail.
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Gail Starr entertained attendees during dinner
with her stellar strumming and singing of classic western tunes.
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Smokey gets a high five from a
young fan.
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Hualapai the burro and Tom Taylor of BLM
Wild Horse and Burro Program make friends
with an Arizona Trail Day visitor.
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Bernie Stalmann, American Hiking Society
Volunteer of the Year - Southwest Region
(left), and Dale Shewalter, founder of the
Arizona Trail, swap stories about the trail.
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The dinner line on Saturday evening,
waiting patiently for the excellent meal
prepared by the Mormon Lake Lodge crew.
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Saturday night, after dinner, we
learned the history of John Wesley
Powell's journeys down the
Colorado River through the Grand
Canyon.
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Those who stuck around camp on
Sunday morning were treated to
Dale Shewalter's Tales of the Trail
session. Dale and his wife Madeleine
facilitated a discussion of the
trail - past present and future.
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