From 11:00 am until 5:00 pm
Join NM Wild Rangers in the field maintaining trails in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness, a scenic hidden gem in the Santa Fe National Forest.
This 3-day, 2-night backpacking project will run Friday-Sunday, and involve clearing downfall off trails using saws and other tools, as well as brushing vegetation and doing minor tread restoration as needed.
We will be gathering at the San Gregorio Trailhead and hiking into a basecamp location at the junction of Lucero and Upper Clear Creek trail at 11AM on Friday, 10/17. The best way to San Gregorio is on NM 126 from Cuba, NM, and then turning onto FR 70 north. FR 70 is a well maintained dirt road accessible to 2WD vehicles though it may be slower going depending on weather conditions, so allow extra time for driving. You can expect 4 miles of hiking with approximately 900' of elevation gain to basecamp.
We'll have a full workday on Saturday and a half workday on Sunday with our focus on Lucero trail. Lucero trail is 3.4 miles with about 30 logs that need to be cleared. There are also sections of brushing and tread work to be completed as well. We plan on having the crew back at their vehicles by 5PM on Sunday 10/19.
Skill level: This project is suitable for folks comfortable with back country hiking, backpacking, and outdoor manual labor! No previous trail maintenance experience is required and all instruction will be provided on-site, but participants must feel comfortable with backpacking across several miles with elevation gains and losses, additional hiking around work sites, and using tools such as shovels, picks, and saws. All tools and PPE will be provided. Participants are asked to prepare independently with all they need for 3 days of backpacking including bringing all their own gear (tent, pad, sleeping bag, bear rig, water filtration, cooking system, etc.) and food. Please reach out if you have any issues acquiring all the necessary gear or if you have questions about how best to prep for this trip.
