The Arizona Trail Association has two proven strategies for significant trail improvement—the “cast-of-thousands” one-time work event and multiple, regularly scheduled smaller events.  Mazatzal Mountains Regional Steward John Matteson organized the latter this year, taking on several tasks along the trail within the region but adventuring beyond as the opportunity arose.  A core group of volunteers joined in this year and made significant improvement to the AZT.

The most recent event addressed the exposed shale outcrops in the trail south of Picket Post trailhead.  Heavy horse traffic has pushed the trail several feet downslope off the original tread, widening the trail, exposing the rock and putting the trail on unstable soil.

ATA’s power tools were quite effective; the crawler hauled the generator and jackhammers over a quarter mile to the site.  With two hammers going and several crew members working the broken rock off the trail the work went smoothly, but there was plenty to do.  Several hundred feet were treated by lunchtime, then a final push cleaned up a particularly nasty stretch.  Breaking down and hauling the tools back to the vehicles took another hour.

Thanks yet again to John, Donovan, Roger and Richard for another great day on the AZT!

 

 

 Same section, opposite direction, after.

 

More bad tread

 

After