Trail Maintenance Robbery

[joebartels]

Please check out the Trail Maintenance costs under Attachment C

SRTAC_AGENDA_05-21-10.pdf

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I realize everything government costs ten times as much... and some bulk portions may go to trailhead/road improvements, maybe?

Feb 2004 $50,000 for Squaw Peak Trail. Heck the one twig was taken care of years before this... so they made some steps, took some out and people counting on those steps for decades nearly killed themselves... WTF

June 2008 $66,566 for a group of trails that included Twin Peaks Trail #240 in the Prescott NF
AYFKM - I just hiked this, I guarantee it will rip you to shreds worse than any Eastern Superstition Wilderness hike hands down.

Aug 2010 $50,000 Alta, Corona De Loma & Telegraph Pass
Though it says "probably won't get money spent", where would you maintain anything? those trails are in primo shape???
Not to mention two of these trails were in a package deal in May 2006 for $65,000 (must be the new Telegraph parking in that one)

Alta 4.5mi
Corona 3mi
Telegraph 1.2
8.7 mi Total or 45,936 feet for $50,000, that's over a dollar a foot for primo trails
There is MAYBE a quarter mile section on Alta that could be improved.
I'm starting to feel the MacE love for horses, cause not even a mountain bike could tear up a trail like a horse.

Perhaps I'm missing something or just peeved I didn't get one of the lottery contracts. Just seems outta whack considering lack of necessity on some, volunteers on other and such. What does the AZT expect to do if they win $50 grand on that contest, put out a brochure???

This crap all started to happen when Kurt voted for Obama

[azbackpackr]

AZT isn't a government entity, so hopefully they understand how to shepherd their funds, volunteers, and trail maintenance time efficiently!

[nonot]

Probably road and bathroom maintenance at the trailhead?

[azbackpackr]

The Springerville Ranger district received a grant for about $500,000 a few years ago to build what is now called The Overland Trail, which goes from Eagar (Water Canyon) all the way to Crescent Lake--22 miles!! Part of the money went to building an overlook, picnic areas and restrooms. Ok. Good idea, since all the FS usually builds these days are those exercise trails like Murray Basin that don't go anywhere. So, initially, I had high hopes for this trail.

But they don't take care of the trail. And they built it with an excavator, with too steep a gradient in areas, and it is too wide. The ATVers have discovered it and it is really trashed. I had talked to the DR a couple of years ago about converting it to single track--it is way too wide--and also to shore up the areas where the ATVers get in, put more boulders, signs and fences, etc. For several years my husband and I called the district office quite often to complain. I think they did respond somewhat a couple summers ago. I think they must have put up a fence and more signs in the area across from Mexican Hay, since later on we noticed fewer ATVers in that section.

I have hiked it several times this season. The first thing I noticed is that it is still very badly damaged, and is still being used by ATVs.

I am tired of calling the FS office. I just want them to do their jobs. I am tired of talking to them. I am tired of their stupid little loop trails too, and had high hopes for the Overland trail to be a nice backpacking trail, from which easy connectors could be built to South Fork and Indian Springs Trails, so that a multi-day backpack could easily be done. Of course, with a little route-finding, you can make those connections cross-country. So, to heck with the Forest Service. They are two-faced, anyway, and are ready to bow to the ATVers any minute now.

Hiking in the Alpine district and especially in the Blue Primitive Area one sees just how trails are supposed to be built.

[Jeffshadows]

You want quality trails? NPS baby!! :bigth:

[nonot]

This crap all started to happen when Kurt voted for Obama

Agreed, this is clearly Kurt's fault!