Yesterday, Monday, November 1, 2021, the FOSM Trails Maintenance Crew hiked Faulty Loop (Crest Trail 130 South, Faulty, Upper Faulty) to check trail conditions and to address any problems found. The day began quite brisk with the usual late morning/afternoon warming. It was partly cloudy with little, if any, breeze all day.

Soon after starting the hike, the damage done to the Crest trail by the heavy summer rains became quite apparent. The section below the travertine falls has been heavily eroded. There are many spots where thick layers of mud and rocks have been washed onto the trail tread. The trail is rough but passible with care. The crew did some minor maintenance particularly in spots where washed-in debris was forcing users to the bottom margin of the trail close to the slope drop-off. It is hard to estimate the amount of material deposited by the water, but it appears substantial. It would take a project of major proportion to return the trail to its original elevation.

In addition to removing fallen, leaning or hung-up trees that presented a hazard to users, the crew did brushing and other routine trail maintenance chores. A five-inch diameter dead pinyon tree had fallen along the Crest trail a short distance above the trailhead and its branches were protruding into the trail. It was trimmed back. The crew also removed a ten-inch diameter dead ponderosa that fell over Upper Faulty Trail. The remaining fourteen trees that were removed were an assortment of mostly smaller dead trees ranging in size from one to four inches in diameter that were leaning over the trails, protruding into them or otherwise interfering with the safe passage of users. The above trails and trail sections are now clear.

It appears that autumn is mostly over in the Sandias as the bright fall colors are slowly changing to winter hues. It was noted that bark beetle activity has resumed on some dying pinyon trees along Lower Faulty. Hopefully this is a minor infestation and not the restart of the massive die-offs of the past. On a positive note, many areas of the forest floor were doted with numerous tiny conifer seedlings perhaps as a result of the wet summer.

Monday's crew consisted of David McCreery, Jamey Browning, Bill Savage, Cleve Sharp and Bob Lowder. Please see attached Word document for photos and additional narrative. All photos by Bill Savage and Cleve Sharp.