SaddleBrooke Hiking Club volunteers gather at the Oracle State Park;
Photo by Zach MacDonald.
Lynda Green
Since October, SaddleBrooke hikers have volunteered over 3,500 hours of trail work on the Oracle Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Hikers, runners, equestrian riders and mountain bikers have all expressed great appreciation for the trail work done by SaddleBrooke volunteers.
On March 20, nineteen volunteers performed a final spring clean-up of the Oracle Passage. They cleared out drainages and trimmed persistent over-growth. Project team leaders included co-steward Elisabeth Wheeler, retired park ranger Gary Faulkenberry and co-director of the Arizona Trail Zach MacDonald. Several backpackers who were hiking from Mexico to Utah stopped to commend the volunteers for making this passage “one of the best.”
Zach MacDonald, on behalf of the Arizona Trail Association, provided a celebratory lunch for the day’s volunteers at the Patio Cafe in Oracle. The SaddleBrooke Hiking Club will plan additional work parties beginning in October. To join in the camaraderie of volunteer trail work email Elisabeth Wheeler, [email protected] or Ray Peale, [email protected].