The Friends of the Sandia Mountains (FOSM) led a trail crew up to continue work on the Cienega/Armijo Trails Improvement Project (CATIP). The crew, led by Russell Berman, Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Resource Assistant, Trails, is now close to completing Reroute TC03 at the top of Madera Locura. We should be able to connect the ends, tie in an extension of Elk Track, and obliterate the bypassed section of old fall-line user trail.

The crew of trail builders were Jeff Huser, Byron Garner, Eric Russell, Jenny Blackmore, Sim Cook, Jim Houle, Phil Cromer, Bruce Hansche, Cleve Sharp, Pat and Mike Madden, and Betsy and Bob Galloway.

In addition to the trail building crew, members of the FOSM crosscut saw crew came with us to clear the jumble of ponderosa deadfall in the trail corridor. The crew members were Cliff Giles, Rav Nicholson, and Steve Roholt, led by Jim Levesque. This crew was finished by lunch after which they hiked out and removed a hang-up and another deadfall lower down on Madera Locura. Steve Roholt stayed behind to get a full dose of dirt work. 

The weather was warm and humid for New Mexico but there were areas of shade and occasional breezes along the ridge.

All pics in the attachment by Betsy Galloway.

Bob Galloway

FOSM Project Leader