A special thank you to all who participated in our volunteer event:

Rodney, Julia, Jon G., Billie, Carl, Gene, Neil, Bruce, Mimi, Chuck, Jon A., Scott, Yu Ling, Heather, Robert.

On 10/1/2022, 15 Arizona Trailblazers met for the final AZ Trailblazers Volunteer event of the year.

Trailblazers are ready. [photo by Rod]

Standing:  Neil, Carl, Julia, Robert, Jon G., Jon A., Bruce, Billie, Scott, Chuck, Yu Ling, Gene Kneeling: Heather, Rod Hiding: Mimi

The AZT volunteers partnered with the Black Mesa Ranger District to clean up the section of the General Crook Trail #140 between Rim Top Trailhead and Carr Lake Trailhead. We cleaned up the trail, removing trash and debris, and moved small obstructions (trees, rocks) from the trail.

Our volunteer crew rendezvoused at the Rim Top Trailhead, piled into 4 vehicles, and drove 5 miles up the Rim Road (FR300) to the Carr Lake Trailhead. We distributed gloves, trash bags, and tools.

Chuck and Scott, fully equipped. [photo by Rod]

Parade of hikers. [photos by Rod]

Another volunteer just showed up. [photo by Heather]

We crossed the road and picked up the trail heading east. Although we had cleaned the trail twice before (May and June), heavy visitor traffic left debris along both sides of the trail.

Working our way down the trail. [photos by Rod]

Show us your gloves, Heather. [photo by Rod]

We traveled SE crossing several roads that honeycomb the area picking up trash and debris along the way.

We crossed the Woods Canyon Lake access road (FR 105) at about the halfway point before turning ESE.

Checking up and down the road. [photo by Rod]

We followed the new tread blazed by our earlier group. Although they worked hard to find the best path (ridges along naturally occurring ditches, berms around water sinks, paths around downed trees). Recent rains had soaked the trail, so we tip toed our way around the mud.

Heya Chuck. [photo by Rod]

Along the way, we found an original marker placed by General Crook’s soldiers. The “V” stands for Verde and the 70 is a mile marker.

Crook Trail Marker. [photo by Rod]

There were two conservation areas (preserving stands of Aspen) the new tread circumvented both areas, but we had to side step many puddles.

Traveling between stands of Aspen. [photo by Rod]

Much more trash than June. [photo by Rod]

We traveled a short distance to the Rim Top trailhead.

A Job Well Done! [photo by Rod]

The drivers rode back to the Carr Lake Trailhead to retrieve the cars and return to the Rim Top Trailhead to pick up the rest of the hikers.