Arizona Trail Maintenance - Passage 17a
Posted: Oct 07 2016 11:39 am
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."
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."