Arizona Trail Maintenance - Passage 17a

[writelots]

The Arizona Backpacking Club is sponsoring its annual maintenance event on Passage 17a in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Because we've scheduled the event for Veterans Day weekend, we're going to get a little more ambitious with our plans and try to get deeper into the passage working on the Southern end. In order to do this, it means a little more hiking in.

ur goals for the weekend:

• Hike/Drive into the southern edge of our passage - about 11.5 miles from the Picketpost Trailhead. This year, our day 1 falls on the Veteran's Day holiday, so we can get an early start! This should help us with getting work done on the southern end of the passage for a change. Yeehaw!
• Grub out mesquite and catclaw and all other spiny plants which have grown over the trail. (You know you want revenge!) It's been a WET summer and fall, and the plants have come back in force!
• Check on water sources
• Clear any problems with trail tread or identify areas for further work in future trips.

We will have tools and materials as well as water and food delivered to our site prior to hiking in - so your pack can be as light as your spirit.

Volunteers will be rewarded with a hearty dinner cooked by the event host on Saturday night and a cooler of icy beverages available for your enjoyment. (Weather depending it may also be full of hot adult beverages!)

Don't miss the trail-work/social event of the season deep in the spectacular Sonoran desert!

In previous years, participants have said:

"Amazing food and great folks - thanks!"

"I had a great time and will definitely sign up again....I learned so much on how to properly fix up a trail. Your meal was the best I ever had on the trail!"

"We feel like we have a huge debt to the AZT folks...and this helps us to get some of that even."

[Tortoise_Hiker]

It says labor day up top and Veteran's day below???

[writelots]

@Tortoise_Hiker
Corrected - thanks for the heads up. The event is on Veterans Day weekend.

[cactuscat]

I'm sorry - is this on Veteran's Day, or on the weekend? What dates exactly? I am off the 12th - 14th and would be interested in helping ...

Edit: Nevermind, wrong month!

[writelots]

Just back from a wonderful week of hard work on the AZT up Highline way and I'm really looking forward to getting back to my desert roots. We're still trying to find 4wd support for the event, and for transportation of gates and cement out to the remote gates along 17a. Come on out and get your revenge on catclaw in a big way!

[tibber]

This has changed a little. We are still hiking Friday morning but only 7 1/4 miles to FR 4 where this event is normally staged. We will work for a bit on Friday afternoon and Saturday will be the big day. If we get 4-legged support, they can carry our tools a good distance up the trail so we can make better time and then manicure our way back for Wendy's infamous supper on Saturday nite. We will then hike out Sunday.