Projects – trail construction

August 17, 2023 – Project leader Jenny Blackmore (at right of trail sign) with other volunteers and Forest Service personnel at formal opening of Challenge Trail extension. This project, which added 5 miles to the Challenge Trail, took two years to complete as a partnership between the Forest Service, Albuquerque Mountain Bike Association (AMBA), and FOSM.

Jenny Blackmore leads this crew, which builds new or reroutes existing trails usually working on Thursdays. In addition to extending or rerouting short sections of existing trails, the crew has accomplished two multi-year trail improvement projects since 2017: the Cienega/Armijo Trail Improvement Project and the Challenge Trail extension project.

These activities require a good level of stamina. Crew members frequently talk about being physically exhausted after a day’s work but feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

Safety is paramount. Everyone must wear appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE), which includes gloves, long sleeves, long pants, sturdy boots, helmets, eye protection, and hearing protection when chain saws are being used to clear a new trail.

Jenny or another crew member prepares a detailed report including photographs after each activity. These reports, recent copies of which can be found here, provide a great means of learning about the crew’s activities.

Please fill in the form below if you would like more information about these activities or are interested in joining this crew. Please email webmaster@friendsofthesandias.org should you encounter any problems with this form.