Written by Ollie Linden, Wild Stew Field Crew Member.
This week, snowy weather in the high country of the Chiricahua Wilderness caused a sudden change of plans for our hitch, instead sending us to the Slavin Gulch Trail on the west side of the nearby Dragoon Mountains. During this hitch, our crew maintained 1.3 miles of the trail. We turned formerly rocky, steep and eroded uphill stretches into easily walkable paths, with 400 feet of retaining wall, 58 steps, 22 drains, and 1.1 miles of brushing!
A combination of severe erosion on steep slopes and subsequent vegetation overgrowth combined with the popularity of this trail especially during wet seasons when the creek along the trail is flowing and has numerous pools and swimming holes has led to some challenging terrain to navigate whether on foot or horseback. Our goal was to make the trail easier to follow, easier to see, and drain water properly so that it is more sustainable for the future.
The weather started out cold, reminding us that winter is indeed coming, but we saw some excellent sunsets followed by clear skies as the week progressed. The crew struggled at first with the sudden cooler temperatures—there were some early mornings where everything was frozen, but by mid-morning, the sun would break into the canyon we were working in, illuminating the rugged beauty of the granite cliffs above us and letting us bask in the warmth during breaks.
While things were generally still fairly quiet on the trail, as we approached the weekend we started to see more hikers and equestrian trail users. The various trail dogs got to test out our new rock structures, and often stop to greet the crew.
By the end of the week, the trail was transformed. What was once a difficult, overgrown path was now cleared and equipped to handle water flow and foot traffic more sustainably. We’re proud to leave Slavin Gulch in a better state for visitors to enjoy this season and in the years to come.
