It’s been a busy and productive Spring for trailwork in the Chiricahuas. The completion of the South Fork Trail project in mid-April was quickly followed by a week of work organized by the venerable John Sumner. A group of volunteers came from as far away as Minnesota to spend time cutting logs alongside this master…
Success is sweet. The saga of South Fork reached a new milestone in April when the crew of Wild Arizona completed the rebuilding of this classic Chiricahuan trail. Not since 2011 has it been passable to those who wanted to experience this path into our unique sky island wilderness. It’s now possible to reestablish connection…
On October 11, 2022, the US Forest Service issued the below letter saying that they are “withdrawing the draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact and cancelling the South Fork Day Use project.” This is a significant victory for all citizens concerned with preserving intact habitats. CRC applauds the USFS in reaching this…
A team of four volunteers led by John Sumner continued trail work in the Chiricahua Wilderness last week. The plan at this stage of the project was to ascend and work on the higher and more remote section of the trail. The Chiricahua Regional Council is sponsoring this multi year project to fully restore the…
A number of volunteer events are planned for September and October as we ramp up the effort to complete the South Fork Trail (SFT) and celebrate our public lands. Beginning on the September 22, there will be several of us working to remove downed wood on the SFT’s first segment. When an assessment was done…
(This is a part of a series of gleanings from the history of CRC’s 30 years of work; additional posts available here.) In April 2021, CRC, after much deliberation, opposed the proposal to develop the South Fork Day Use Area. Our concerns: This proposal violated the Coronado National Forest Plan in several respects. Most importantly, the…
(This is a part of a series of gleanings from the history of CRC’s 30 years of work; additional posts available here.) From 1998 through 2000, CRC’s newsletters reported to members on drought, wildfires, and the new USFS fire management standards, which allowed the Forest Service to let natural fires burn, as long as critical…
The Chiricahua Regional Council, in collaboration with Wild Arizona, has helped secure grant funding to complete the South Fork Trail project and restore a major section of the Crest Trail. We launched the first phase of work on this classic Chiricahua canyon trail in 2021. It was a highly successful project. CRC provided funding, coordinated…
In November, 2021, work continued on the South Fork Trail in the Chiricahua Wilderness to finish some trail reroutes and to do some additional work on the existing trail. This work was done by the Wild Stew Field Crew of Wild Arizona, accompanied by a team of volunteers, and supported by CRC and others. More…
The largest group to tackle trail work in Cave Creek Canyon in years assembled at the South Fork trailhead on October 3, 2021. The Chiricahua Regional Council’s Stewardship Program was instrumental in assembling this collaborative effort of the Chiricahua Wilderness Trail Crew and Wild Arizona’s Wild Stew Field Crew. It was the first of several…
