SEPTEMBER 2013 WORKDAY SUCCESS

We had another good turn out on our monthly volunteer work day! Again, we had 18 volunteers helping make the Bridal Veil Falls trail a nicer place to visit! We met up at the Harris Hollow gate and hiked in using a little shortcut that has been made available to Rails-to-Trails members only on volunteer work days. Heather Burman, the Forest Service representative, met us with all the tools and drove down and parked near the bottom of the access road. Heather took two volunteers and met up with Debi Maucione at the Switchback trail area to clear some fallen trees while the main crew work around the Bridal Veil Falls area.

A bunch of brush was cleared from beneath the falls area and several water bars were placed across the ramp leading up to the shelter area. The steps leading up to the shelter were cleared of mud and debris.

A couple of water bars were built across the trail uphill from the falls and a major water damage repair was done on the bypass immediately up trail from the Pinto site.

Water bar crew!

Surprisingly, most of the trails in the area were in pretty good shape considering the recent excessive amount of rain!  Thanks again to all our volunteers and we’ll see you next month!

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Working around the shelter

Taking a break

For more great photos of the day, please check out our official Flickr page!

AUGUST 2013 WORKDAY SUCCESS

There was a great turn out for our monthly volunteer work day! This month we had 18 folks to help out with the Rim Trail; some of our volunteers were big and some were small, but everyone pitched in! We ended up splitting into two groups. One groups started on the Rim Trail at the trailhead a little over a mile south of Cloudcroft. The other group drove a bit further south and hiked down some steep terrain to access the trail further south. As the first group worked their way south, the other worked northwards and we eventually met in the middle. All in all, the trail was already in pretty good shape. There was a few sections that need some minor work and a stretch that got quite a bit of brush trimmed back. Overall, we covered almost 2 miles of trail.

A New Mexico Rails-to-Trails crew of volunteers

Everyone getting ready to head out to work!

We can certainly check off the first 2 miles of the Rim Trail off of our list for a while. Thanks everyone for the hard work and we hope to see you out with us again!

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails volunteer on the Rim trail

Trimming back a section of the Rim Trail

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails pint sized volunteer

Somehow this little flower sprang to life and gave us a hand!

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails volunteers at the Rim Trail

Everyone gathered up before we called it a day

View of White Sands from the Rim Trail

Beautiful view on a beautiful day

For more great photos of the day, please check out our official Flickr page!

JULY 2013 WORKDAY SUCCESS

Yet another successful volunteer work day! This month we had 12 ready and willing volunteers to include Jeremy Evens, a Forest Service representative and brand new to the area. We met up at Bailey Canyon Road at the trailhead for the Switchback trail. The entirety of Switchback was groomed where needed. We identified a long section of the lower part of the trail that will need, in the not too distant future, some additional tread work done to clear weeds starting to overcome the path.

A New Mexico Rails-to-Trails crew of volunteers

One of our 3 crews on the northeastern part of the trail

We also did some erosion control work and blocked some more developing “shortcut paths” immediately above the pedestrian bridge.

All in all, the trail is in great shape and thanks, volunteers, for all your hard work!

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails volunteer on the Switchback trail

Switchback grooming in progress. 

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails volunteer grooming Switchback Trail

Doc raking some debris

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails volunteers resting

Getting ready to head out after a good workday

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails volunteers and Forest Service rep working on Switchback Trail

Hard at work!