Trail Work Thread

I was a trail crew leader in Nevada, just took a position in wildland fire but I'd like to go back to trails. After I signed the offer letter for my fire job, a week later I got calls from Rocky Mountain National and Zion which really bummed me out, but oh well fire might be fun.

If you would like to get a taste od organized trail maintenance and building/re-building join the Colorado Trail workers. They nave many project all along the trail every summer.

This is one of America's premier trails. The views are amazing and that first beer at Durango is very special.

In the YCC we used firerakes, most of us were under 18. OSHA rules restricted ax use to those over that age. No powered equipment at all. We hoofed it and out in everyday, so we spent more and more time walking, less time constructing actual trail.

In the local parks I volunteered at in more recent times, the rangers used chainsaws, the volunteers were restricted. Problem was that they would cut for example, a tree across a trail, into a four foot wide section. So the trail would be that wide with flush cut logs perpendicular to the trail. It turned out to look like a road-like passage, rather than a natural trail. Sometimes I would go back to work-sites on my own and scatter the cordwood like piles.

In many areas the cash-strapped USFS will not maintain trails. But they seem to have lots off money to build logging and oil & gas well roads thru the National forests.

Even here in Las Vegas where there is no logging or oil and gas drilling the USFS just will NOT spend money on trail maintenance even though the trails are well used and heavily used in some areas.

Who in God's name is running that show??

Not to self: Speak to the head ranger at Toyiabe/Spring Mountains Nat'l Forest sand find out shy.

Here the horsepackers will make their own (probably erosion prone) trails if the FS trails are not maintained. Remember one outfitter told me their animals wouldn't make it over blowdowns. They brought in camping gear for 2 couples that hiked in early with just day-packs, so it's critical to some folks (and of course, local outfitters between summer "glamping" and fall hunting)

I belong to two small trail crews that do work in forest wildernesses. We went out to Dinkey last year, going to Golden Trout and Dick Smith This year. Going out to survey work that needs doing on the trails to Maggie Lakes or the Little Kern In a couple weeks depending on what roads open.

Trail workers aren't the ones that decide where money gets spent and allocated where. I don't know about DOA but if it's anything like DOI then they're hurting for money and are understaffed.

@ Lori: Interesting that you'll be working in the Golden Trout and Dick Smith Wilderness areas soon… Those are two of the areas I frequently visit.

The Golden Trout area always surprises me. Some trails are very well maintained (generally by the local Backcountry Horseman's Association, I think) and others seem to get no attention. There also seems to be some well worn, but unofficial trails that the horse packers have established over the years that can add to a hiker's confusion.

The Dick Smith Wilderness trail network is generally in pretty bad shape. A few trails around the margins with easier access to trailheads enjoy more regular upkeep. Some of the trails in the interior of the Dick Smith are only infrequently used and hence suffer the worst. (It doesn't help that the trails are usually recolonized by the itchiest and scratchiest of plants (PO, wild rose, white thorn ceanothus, etc.). Fortunately, the Los Padres Forest Association (and similar groups) have been ramping up their efforts the last few years to keep work parties active in the Dick Smith. Without the LPFA and others, I fear a lot of these trails would entirely vanish.

I'm looking for a good durable backpack for trail work. The park provides one, I've been using an old kelty pawnee 3300. It's ok except that it's in really rough shape and the other packs left in the cache aren't any better. I need a pack that can carry a good bit of weight, up to sixty plus pounds, durable and with a frame. I've been checking ebay for a bunch for old Dana Designs packs. I bought a bomb pack but it isn't big enough. A pack with some sort of beaver tail, I guess that is what they're called, would be handy. I've been looking at the Osprey Variant, it just doesn't look too durable but it might be great.

Any suggestions?