Drying Out: Most Trails Are 95% Mud and Ice Free

As the trails dry out, it's time to start a new season of maintenance work. I cleaned the water diversions on the Perimeter Trail between Quemazon and the Mitchell Trail, and the entire stretch was dry. It looks like trails on north-facing slopes (like the Bayo Canyon Trail that heads from the stable area into the canyon) are still snow-packed, but sunny bench trails and south-facing slopes are in good shape. The Perimeter behind Arizona Avenue has lots of soft, muddy spots. But the Quemazon, Woodland, North Bayo Bench, Walnut Canyon Rim, Dot Grant, the South Pueblo Bench trails are mostly dry.

One thing I've noticed is lots of spots where the trails have gotten wider over the winter. In places the Perimeter Trail looks like Forest Road 144 instead of a sweet single track. We need to get these narrowed back to trail width before the trailside vegetation gets trampled to death and the trail does become as wide as a road.

There's plenty of stuff along the trails that can be used to cover the wide spots: logs, oak sprouts cut by Las Canyon fire crews, bark, rocks. If we all take five minutes out of every trip to squeeze a wide spot back to 24 inches or so, we'll get it done before there's permanent damage. I'll post photos of what I have in mind as soon as I get a chance.