[Volunteers_fosm] Special Project Report - Obliteration of Illegal Trail - Wednesday, October 19, 2022

[Robert Lowder]

Hello Everyone:

Yesterday, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, Joseph Jaffa-Martinez, Trails Foreman, Sandia Ranger District (SRD) and Jeffry Cervantes, SRD Trails Crew member, led a crew of ten FOSM volunteers whose assignment was to obliterate a 1.3 mile long illegal trail. This trail started at the top end of the Tecolote Trail loop and went steeply downhill to a junction with the North Faulty/Mystery Trail. It appeared that at least the middle sections of this trail had been worked on for some time. As the construction neared the Tecolote Loop, it had been noticed by hikers. That portion had been marked with red flagging giving the impression that the project was official. When news of this trail reached Forest Service staff it was immediately determined that this work was definitely not official. SRD trails staff examined the rogue trail. The work done had not received prior approval, was not in compliance with USFS standards for sustainability nor did the work have the required archeological clearance, therefore, this rogue trail had to be obliterated.

Given the scope of work involved to close the illegal trail, Joseph contacted me to see if some members of our FOSM trail maintenance crew could help out. (Sam Beard also notified some of his project participants about this project.) Ten of our volunteers agreed to participate. After a tailgate pre-project orientation session at the Dry Camp parking area, the crew headed out. The project called for complete obliteration of the illegal trail. This involved covering the trail tread with slash left from the rogue construction work, rocks large and small, various other forest debris, broken tree branches, fallen trees and where appropriate, by felling selected trees over the trail. In some of the sloping trail sections where the soil was soft, erosion had cut deeply into the tread. In these areas, the berms on the trail margins were raked back into the trenches and they were filled with rocks to slow the damage.

It was a long day of necessary hard work but by day's end, the illegal trail was basically impassible. In addition to Joseph and Jeffry, yesterday's crew consisted of Rene Archer, Jamey Browning, Jerry Pekarek, Luis Cuadros, David McCreery, Byron Garner, Jerry Carroll, Sim Cook, Rav Nicholson and Bob Lowder.

Please see attached Word document for photos and additional narrative. All photos by Joseph Jaffa-Martinez.

Thanks,

Bob L.

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