Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico - by Mike Rogers
July 31-August 8, 2004
Eleven "Trail Tamers" participated in the first - hopefully not last - trip to Carson National Forest. Our hardy crew consisted of Mike Rodgers (Trip Leader), Lynda and Dave DeGroot (chefs & camp security), Fred Winkler, Janette Barlow, George Boemerman, Susan Kleinman, Gerry & Marlene Heiling, Bob "Mountainman" Saegert, and Alex Arreguin.
Our host for the trip, Richard Holmes, Trails Coordinator for Carson National Forest, told us we had "one cool project" and GAZOOK! Was he ever correct!
Our adventure started in the Walmart parking lot in Taos (except for the less patient Trail Tamers - Fred Winkler, who arrived a day early, and the Heilings, who journeyed from Washington State). We left Taos and convoyed to a viewing spot over the Rio Grande Gorge. After a short stop at the Gorge we journeyed to the Ranger Station in Tres Piedras for a "tool pick-up stop". A short way out of Tres Piedras, we turned onto Forest Service Road 87 - if one can call it a road. Our greatest thanks were that the road was dry, otherwise some of us would have disappeared in the ruts left by the big wheels. Even Susan's Corolla made it - all 28 miles - to the Lower Lagunitas Campground (elevation approximately 10,500 feet). The campground was on the south end of the Cruces Basin Wilderness, which several members of our group had the opportunity to venture into. They were amazed at the beauty of the area. As the crow flies our campground was 8-10 miles from Colorado. We set up camp, built the campfire and began the feast. I have never been on a Trail Tamer trip without GREAT meals. This trip was no exception. We started with spaghetti and salad followed by peach cobbler and ice cream(?) in the mountains. Seems each meal got better.
Our "Cool Project" was an eight-mile stretch of the Continental Divide Trail heading South of the Campground connecting to Forest Service Road 93 - I think the wildlife trails traveled better than the roads. Monday morning we started hiking the trail and quickly realized there was no trail. Our objective was the halfway point 4-miles in, but we only reached the "Aspen Tree Cantina" -my name for the lunch stop- at lunchtime. At that point, we realized we had to mark the trail we just founded. We split into two groups; the majority began work marking the trail heading back to the campground, a smaller group (Richard, Mary Ann- Richard's Supervisor & a native Central Texan, Gerry and myself) hiked to the halfway point - our original destination - to observe the quality of the trail to that point. That mile and one half was much better than the 3 miles we traversed in the morning.
Tuesday & Wednesday, we split into two work groups. One group spent time "benching" the down slope hillside, building a creek crossing, and clearing the up slope on the other side from the hillside. The other group (“Rock Engineers”) built many rock cairns marking the trail. The artistic quality of these cairns is beyond imagination. On our next trip, we will have to engrave the names of our Trail Tamers constructing these cairns.
On Thursday, we hiked the entire 8-mile stretch. What took three hours on Monday took an hour and a half Thursday. The improvements by this Trail Tamer work crew were amazing. We completed the eight-mile stretch on Thursday. The last three miles need more refinement, but it is still passable. Richard Holmes mentioned this would be a possible later project for CTTT. We would backpack in and set up camp, complete marking the 3mile stretch, and do some rock work on a section near the campsite.
In any case, CTTT will get credit for the 8 mile stretch of the Continental Divide Trail and we should get an invitation to return next year. Hopefully this can become an annual summer time trip as a relief from the hot Texas summers.
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