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| no partners | | The indefatigable ATA volunteers completed another big push on the Arizona Trail Happy Jack Single Track project this weekend. The project moves 18 miles of the AZT off ugly road walk (URW) to pristine single track trail and adds signage, interpretive kiosks, horse hitching rails and of course, AZT super gates, the object of this trip.
The advance team prepared six remote gate locations over the past month or so—delivering the gates, concrete and water and digging the holes. This weekend the Usual Suspects escaped the >100 degree temps for rugged back country driving in the cool Mogollon Rim forest to install these iconic AZT symbols. Given the advance work and that these were gates number 74-79, most of which this crew installed, things went rather smoothly.
The only challenge was the miles of rocky two-track to access the remote locations. Much of the route was on the existing AZT, the object of the project being to move the trail off these URW’s. For safety, the crew uses at least two vehicles in the back country-a breakdown 8 miles from the TH could be a problem. Two of the locations required a bit of a hike but the others were quite near vehicle access. It took longer to reach the sites than to install the gates.
While we were all out there with tools and materials, a few crew members broke off and installed four steel AZT emblems at key spots on the new trail, replacing the ubiquitous fiberglass posts. They also installed three water source signs at nearby cattle tanks, to serve as reassurance signs on the AZT. The water tanks are on maps and the Atlas Guides app, which most thru-hikers now use. Matching an on-the-ground feature with the navigation system provides reassurance that you’re in the right spot.
The crew tackled three each day. The big time suck was the slow going to the sites, once on site the actual installation took about an hour each. Day two went quite well, the roads being just a bit smoother so, back at camp by lunchtime, the crew decided to take on one more. Flagstaff Trail Angel Melody had raised the cost of a gate from hikers whom she hosts, and with a bit of scrambling that gate was available. The gang convened at the NPOI telescope site south of Flagstaff and made their way a short distance south to replace a hard-to-manage wire gate that Melody chose as her personal AZT improvement project.
As always, these things happen only with the help of a small group of extremely capable and dedicated AZT volunteers. A huge thank you to Roger, Richard, David, Lee, Jan, Bill, Donovan, Tom, newbies this trip Dan and Joel, and especially Tracy. Thank you all!
(Note: Iphone photo geocodes are corrupted.) |
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Shawn
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
