Trailblazers Program
The Trailblazers develop and maintain hiking and nature trails in the Preserve. A number of people have been trained and have gained considerable experience in trail building. The program is generally active from October through April.
Our first trail building exercise was building the Town Overlook Trail which leads from the future trailhead parking area approximately 0.4 miles to a great overlook to the east. The view from the overlook includes the Town of Fountain Hills and runs from Mesa on the south to McDowell Mountain Park and beyond on the north. In this first trail building project we were greatly helped by the Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona (VOAZ) in laying out and building the trail.
In April 2006 we completed the Western Loop trail. (see the photos below) This newest trail is 2.2 mile long and climbs over 600 feet in the McDowell Mountains to top out at 3,085 feet. There are fantastic views in all directions. From this point you are able to recognize the taller buildings along Central Ave. in Phoenix as well as areas in Mesa, Scottsdale and all the green agricultural fields along the Verde River as it passes through the Fort McDowell reservation. Two short spur trails lead to overlooks. The trail continues over the ridge and back down to the "jeep road" on the other side. Hikers can then return to the trailhead along the "jeep road".
An Easy Overlook Trail has also been completed and the Trailblazers continue to push completion of the North trail which is intended to access the Maricopa County McDowell Mountain Park.
Since October, 2007 these dedicated workers have given 408 hours of hard manual labor through very rocky soil to be within two hundred yards of the Maricopa County McDowell Mountain Park boundary. This progress is significant in two ways; finishing this trail completes all of the planned trail system for our Preserve. Also, this 4 foot wide, multi use trail assures the Town will be in position to negotiate an agreement for providing an entrance from the Preserve into the park. The park management estimates they will be circulating a new master plan revision for approval by Fall of 2008. With completion of the trails, Preserve Steward Mike Bogner created a series of GPS maps covering each trail.
For more information about the Trailblazers
Program contact Roy Kinsey at
The following pictures were taken in late March 2004 with a crew working on the Western Loop trail which heads west (and up!) from the so-called "jeep road" that provides one of the most visible landmarks from many places in town. The trail provides an approximately three mile loop running over the top of the ridge and back down to the "jeep road".
The "jeep road" mentioned above provides a broad, flat walking trail for 1.7 miles from the future trailhead parking area to the northwestern boundary of the Preserve. And we didn't have to do a thing to build it!
Here is SCFH Board Chair Roy Kinsey wielding a pick on
the Western Loop trail currently under development. It's not clear whether
he is trying to remove a rock from the trail bed or set a new rock in place for
a step or retaining wall.
Roy Kinsey (who said leaders don't work hard) is using
a McLeod to form a solid, level trail surface with just enough slant to drain
properly. In the background Dillon Sanders is working on building a step
in a switchback.
The McLeod is a tool used by fire fighters to
build fire breaks. After several hours of raking, chopping and hacking
with a McLeod we all gained a real appreciation for the strong physical
condition of fire fighters.
If you think it's all just moving some dirt around and
there's no heavy lifting involved, take a look at this picture of SCFH Board
Member Wayne Tall carrying a large rock. The rock will probably be used in
building a retaining wall. Retaining walls are needed when the trail has
to be built up. We don't bring in any construction materials so all
construction has to be done with materials found at the site.
Rocks of similar size, but flatter, are used
to build steps when the slope is too steep to get by with just cutting the
trail into the ground.