Re: [at-l] NOT patting myself on the back

[Nina Baxley <infpeace@yahoo.com>]

Since you're too modest to pat yourself on the back,
the rest of us will do it for you. :)  Great job! That
must be so exciting to actually help construct part of
a long-distance trail!!

Our hiking club is getting involved in some trail
maintenance projects in Louisiana. And I get to go on
my first project this weekend--hope we'll have nice
weather for it, too!

Nina

--- S2ndChnce@aol.com wrote:
> But i AM patting the backs of every habitual trail
> maintainer on this list, 
> in the world, in the universe!!!!!
> 
> This past weekend was my first weekend as a trail
> maintainer....er, 
> constructor. Here in AZ, REI felt it to be too hot
> on National Trails Day to 
> do trailwork, so it is postponed to this past
> weekend. 180 of us gathered in 
> conjunction with Volunteer Outdoor Arizona and the
> Arizona Trail Association 
> to work on the construction of another piece of the
> Arizona Trail.
> 
> The Arizona Trail (for those of you who have not yet
> heard of it) is not yet 
> complete although they hope to have it completed
> within the next couple of 
> years. It will incorporate some existing trails as
> well as the new 
> construction to cover 780 miles (yup....a LOT of
> switchbacks in the west) 
> from the Mexican border to the Arizona-Utah border.
> Alas, it will also be 
> open to horses and mountain bikes as well as hikers.
> (Ok....at times i felt i 
> was building a wheelchair-accessible highway.) The
> 2-1/2 miles the whole 
> group completed this weekend was north of Payson, AZ
> below the Mogollon Rim 
> in an area full of pines....not too far from the
> East Verde River. The colors 
> (such as they are out here) were mostly the dark
> green of the pines and a few 
> yellow leaves. In the distance, the Rim's
> escarpments could be 
> seen.....bluest skies, freshest of air and NO FLYING
> BUGS. It was t-shirt and 
> shorts weather during the day and see-your-breath
> weather at night. Perfect 
> camping weather!
> 
> My (shared with 3 others) wee section has a totally
> new switchback cut to our 
> work detail's incredibly exacting standards. (I
> don't think other leader's 
> had as high standards.) I lopped branches and pulled
> brush (catclaw is an 
> ugly, unnecessary mean-ass plant) the first day. The
> second day found me 
> wielding a pick-axe, shovel and a McCloud to build
> tread. (All this new 
> vocabulary!) Today finds me wishing i had Ben-Gay.
> Who knew that breaking 
> rocks would not only ache your shoulder, arm and
> back muscles.....but your 
> hands, too. 
> 
> The trail will go through desert and mountains and
> also cross the Colorado 
> River through the Grand Canyon. I do NOT know what
> the water situation will 
> be. My guess would be "grim." When y'all come out
> here to do a part of this 
> trail, you have a ride from the airport from me out
> to the trail! 
> 
> So this isn't patting ME on the back, but it is
> patting the backs of all who 
> go out there regularly to truly give back to the
> trail systems we so love to 
> use. 
> 
> Second Chance
> (missing autumn)
> * From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List | 
> http://www.backcountry.net  *
> 

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