Hi all, Chris Leman here. I’m back for another season as the BCRD Wood River Valley Trail Coordinator. I’m excited to be back at work on the trails, and oh man, things sure are heating up out there!

Land managers are busy monitoring conditions, signing the trails, and opening them as they dry. And eager trail users are taking advantage of the trails as they open. Want to know what’s opening early? Head to the BCRD Summer TraiLink site for the latest up-to-date trail info.

Volunteers can get going early this year too. We are scheduling 10 Adopt-A-Trail Nights where volunteers are encouraged to join in on some needed trail maintenance projects on popular trails. Adopt-A-Trail Nights will be held on the second Tuesday, and fourth Thursday, of each month, through September. Each Adopt-A-Trail Night will focus on a different, much-needed trail maintenance project. We’ll end each evening’s work back at the trailhead with some simple food (probably hot dogs on the grill) and cold beverages for the volunteers.

This note is to any volunteers, groups, and businesses who have been engaged in the Adopt-A-Trail program in years past: If you would like, you can get in touch with me about scheduling your work event, for your trail, on a date and time that works for your group. Or, perhaps we can slot it in to one of the scheduled Adopt-A-Trail Night dates listed below as “project to be determined.” Or, feel free to join us for one of the Adopt-A-Trail Nights, on a trail other than the one you normally work on. Some of the brushing projects we have scheduled will require follow-up duty, so if you want a break from the trail you have been working on for years, come help with one of the needy one’s listed below. I’m happy to work with you on your trail, or to have your valued help on any of the other projects before us. Adopters – Thank you for your years of service to the trails and our community!!!

2018 Adopt-A-Trail Nights

(!!!! Schedule Change !!!!    The first event will be on Harper’s Trail. I had originally scheduled it for the second event, but we have moist soil now, and we want to take advantage of that; for the digging work we have to do on Harper’s. Meet at the BLM Lake Creek Trailhead on Tuesday, May 8 at 5:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, May 8, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Repair Lower Harper’s Trail

Meet at the BLM Lake Creek Trailhead. The lowest portion of Harper’s Trail is braided with redundant trails, and they are v-shaped (in cross-section). Volunteers will place soils, rocks and plant materials into the redundant trails to discourage their use. They will also fill the ditch-like conditions that are occurring on the main trail and install several rolling grade-dip drains in the trail to help drain it more effectively.

Thursday, May 24, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Brush Parker Gulch Trail

Meet at the end of pavement/start of gravel on Parker Gulch Road. We will car pool in from there to help reduce the number of vehicles heading in, and so that people without high-clearance vehicles can access the work. The work will begin from the end of the Parker Gulch Road, at the start of the Parker Gulch Trail. The trail is choked with sagebrush, so a major effort will be needed to open it up. We won’t finish this project this night, as the trail needs a lot of work, for a long distance, but we can get a good start on it.

As always, tools and instruction will be provided, but if volunteers have a pair of long-handled loppers, they are encouraged to bring them to this event.

Tuesday, June 12, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Fox Creek Trail Maintenance

Meet at the BLM Lake Creek Trailhead. The south end of the Fox Creek Trail, where it descends into the Lake Creek meadows, is choked with encroaching vegetation. The volunteer work will focus on using loppers and other tools to selectively remove plants to open the travel way. Additional work will be performed to de-berm the trail where sections have become deeply v-shaped.

Thursday, June 28, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Brush Greenhorn and Mahoney Trails

Meet at the Greenhorn Trailhead. Work to keep the Greenhorn and Mahoney trails brushed-back has been an ongoing effort for several years, by a number of adopters and groups. Lets keep it going!

Volunteers can bring their bikes with them if they would like to ride in to some of the more distant areas along these trails. Or bring your hiking boots and walk to the closer-in work. As always, tools and instruction will be provided, but if volunteers have a pair of long-handled loppers, they are encouraged to bring them to this event.

Tuesday, July 10, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Pork Chop Maintenance

Meet at the Adams Gulch Trailhead. The lowest portion of the Adams Rib Trail #142 (Pork Chop) needs brushing and improvements to its drains. Volunteers will be assisting with the heavy brushing of the trail, and in areas requiring improved drainage, the installation of rolling grade-dip drains.

Thursday, July 26, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Project to be determined

Tuesday, August 14, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Project to be determined

Thursday, August 23, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Project to be determined

Tuesday, September 11, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Project to be determined

Thursday, September 27, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Project to be determined

For more information check out the Volunteer Info page at the BCRD Summer Trailink site, and check back to the volunteer page often. I’ll be updating it with volunteer accomplishments, and with what’s coming along next.

Chris Leman, BCRD Wood River Valley Trail Coordinator, call/text 2087207713 or email me at cleman@bcrd.org