YCC And Volunteers Make A Difference In Los Alamos

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on August 7, 2024
- 9:39 am

Courtesy photo

Scene of the Los Alamos YCC team busy this summer working to improve the land in Los Alamos County and the Santa Fe National Forest. Courtesy/YMCA

YMCA News:

The Los Alamos YCC team has been busy this summer in Los Alamos. The group splits their time between working on Los Alamos County and the Santa Fe National Forest.

On the Los Alamos County land, the YCC spent the beginning of the summer finishing the last 1.5 mile of cattle fence improvements in Pueblo and Bayo Canyons. Their efforts over the last two years have significantly reduced the number of feral cattle entering Los Alamos County Open Space and onto NM 502.

The crew then spent a week improving the Water Bar trail near the North Mesa Stables, which is a key connector trail for equestrian users. They were able to move more than six cubic yards of fill dirt, built six new steps following equestrian trail guidelines and improved drainages. Their hard work improved the overall experience and made this trail safer for users.

The YCC spent their remaining time on the County lands assisting Open Space staff in removing dead pine trees posing a fire hazard and a hazard for trail users. The crew worked as a team to carry out 17 pine trees to the trailhead where the wood was donated to the community for firewood.

On the Forest the YCC tackled some of the most difficult trail maintenance challenges on some of the burned over trails. Their work this summer took on some deeply rutted trails that are highly erosive. Even so, the trails are now vastly improved and then were tested with afternoon heavy rain events. Improved trails include the Pajarito Trail out of Rendija Canyon and the Cabra loop trails over to Upper Guaje Road and back down to Rendija Canyon.

The YCC also trimmed back the vegetation on the Nablinas trail near Guaje Pines Cemetery and restored some of the drainages on the Perimeter trail going west from the Cemetery. The final count was more than 100 new and improved drainages on these trails along with improving the trail surfaces.

The local volunteers have also been productive. The Tuff Riders have spent several evenings working the Perimeter Trail east of the Arizona Trailhead. This is a section of trail that they adopted a couple of years ago that has been in great need of maintenance following our fires and monsoon seasons.

The Tuff riders received Grant funding for trail work and have utilized a new tool purchased from that funding to chop through the jungle of vegetation growing on the upper end of Water Canyon. The trail had almost disappeared from view and the trimming session exposed the trail buried underneath.

Volunteers David Hampton and Steve Daly have been keeping the Valle Canyon Trail in tip top shape and have also worked the pipeline road down to the Valle.

Hampton is sponsoring a volunteer work party Saturday Aug. 17, starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Mitchell Trailhead on Arizona to clear locust shrubs off the Mitchell Trail all the way into Guaje Canyon. The early and fairly consistent rains over this summer have enabled invading vegetation to have a robust season of growth. Anyone interested in helping should contact Hampton on Facebook through the Los Alamos Trails Group or call him at 505.412.2969 for more information and to sign up to ensure enough tools and equipment are available. This will be a Santa Fe National Forest project, so all volunteers will need to sign a group roster and be equipped with safety gear including boots, gloves, eye protection, hard hats and long pants. Anyone under 18 will require a separate volunteer agreement signed by a parent.

Scene of the Los Alamos YCC team busy this summer working to improve the land in Los Alamos County and the Santa Fe National Forest. Courtesy/YMCA