Over the past couple of years, I’ve participated in trail work events on new sections of the AZT Passage 4 being built near the towns of Sonoita and Patagonia. My first event was in October, 2020, when I joined a group of volunteers for an Arizona Trail Association (ATA) Trail Skills Institute weekend, where we learned the basics of designing and building new trails. Our group was based at the Apache Springs/Gardner trailhead, which is about 5.5 miles west of Highway 83 along Gardner Canyon Road.
Our primary goal for the weekend’s skills class was to learn the basics of trail design and to also execute the design of a new section of the AZT. As always with the ATA, we had a great team of volunteers who worked well together. It’s been exciting to see the progress along the trail since that weekend!
More recently, I’ve done trail work on the newly built section near Tunnel Spring trailhead. That work includes various finishing activities (clearing rocks and vegetation, widening the trail, racking the surface, etc) after the heavy machine cuts the trail – anything required to clear a path that’s about 6-8 feet wide and 10 feet high. The ATA has great video on YouTube showing the first step of trail building.
I expressed interest last year in becoming a steward in Passage 4, and I’m thrilled to say that happened that finally happened! My section is 4F Gardner Canyon, which starts at Apache Springs/Gardner trailhead near Sonoita and follows the AZT southwest for about 2.5 miles. Some of this section are areas that I’ve recently worked on. I’m very excited!
This is a much simpler version of the highlighted area in the map above:
Responsibilities of a steward include:
- Monitor the condition of the segment by hiking, biking or riding the trail quarterly if possible but at least twice per year.
- Determine and implement a course of action to correct basic maintenance needs on the passage.
- Communicate information about the segment to trail users, various agencies and the general public.
- Become the most knowledgeable person about their assigned area.
Since January 2023, I’ve led several trail work events on my section, primarily to repair a muddy seep that crosses the trail just below Gardner Canyon Road. This has required some intensive rock work, but what we’ve done so far has held up through some heavy rains at the beginning of the year, so hopefully it will hold through monsoon season and we can finish it in the fall. It’s wonderful to have so many hard-working and fun volunteers!
I’m also thrilled to have been recently awarded Outstanding Volunteer of the Year – ATA certainly knows how to make their volunteers feel appreciated!
