Giving back – trail maintenance
Tomorrow I’m going to give back to all of those that have gone before me. I’m going to spend the day helping others perform some trail maintenance so that future hikers can enjoy hiking the trails in our area of Southern California as much as I have. I have no idea what to expect. I was told to bring myself and my regular hiking gear, plenty of water and snacks and some heavy gloves. They will provide all of the tools.
I’m actually looking forward to this new experience – seeing how others work together in the great outdoors. Since we have a fairly large lot with quite a few large trees on it, I spend plenty of time working outside trying to keep our place looking half-ways decent. It is especially tasking after a storm. I have a pretty good size trailer I fill up on a regular basis and haul off to a nearby recycling business.
I’ll let you know in a couple of days how it all went.
Do any of you out there help with trail maintenance? Tell us all about your experiences.
Hi. You asked about trail maintenance.
I live in Ventura county, and our terrific Los Padres Nat’l Forest Service ranger, Heidi Anderson, has monthly trail work that seeks volunteers, and I’m proud to say that I help out quite a bit. It’s a really good group of regulars, folks who I would be happy to just socialize with off the trails because they’re so genuine, down-to-earth, and unpretensious when we’re working to repair or upkeep a trail.
There are additional volunteer trail groups that she oversees, too.
ANyway, I just wanted you and your readers to inquire at the local Forest Service if you’re inclined to give back to our country.
Hey there. I have a good deal of experience doing trail work. I built some rustic bridges in New Hampshire, and did 6 months of trail maintenance on the PCT from the Mexican border up to Angeles NF.
It is one thing to go for a day hike or backpacking trip; it is quite another thing to spend up to 10 days living and working on a small segment of trail. Through my work I’ve become very closely acquainted with some beautiful places: Snow Canyon on Mt San Jacinto’s north face; Holcomb Creek and Deep Creek in San Bernardino NF; Apache Peak, south of San Jacinto; Chihuahua Valley in Cleveland NF; the list goes on. I got to work on a closed segment of Angeles NF where the Station fire wreaked some serious havoc on the PCT, which was like being let in the backdoor to a forbidden place.
It is a tremendous feeling to sweat and curse your way through a trail maintenance project to leave that portion of trail usable and self-sustaining hopefully for decades to come. But to reiterate, it is the deep connection with a special place that is the most treasured part of trail work for me.
–Marko