This past September ACE Arizona worked with Coronado National Forest Service on an eight day project to install wilderness signs.
The area that the crew was working in is known as Ramsey Canyon. The high walls of the canyon provide a moist, cool environment in the midst of a desert. This environment allows for a range of biodiversity not found in many other places in Arizona. In any given spot you might see sycamores, maples, and columbines growing alongside desert plants such as cacti and agaves. Ramsey Canyon is located southwest of Tucson, very close to the border of Mexico.
The crew was led by ACE crew leader, Matt Donaldson. The main objective of this project was to remove and replace wilderness trail signs along the Hamburg Trail. These signs, that hikers may only spend a few seconds looking at, are crucial to the hikers experience of a trail. The reassurance of knowing you are hiking in the right direction and getting back on the right track if you aren’t greatly reduces the chances of search and rescue situations.
The work behind these signs is a little bit more involved than you might imagine. The ACE crew started by finding the right size and shape juniper trees. Once the crew cut the right trees for the sign posts they removed the bark from the logs. Removing the bark helps preserve the sign posts for longer because the bark holds in moisture and causes rot. These logs are then carried up the trail by foot by ACE corps members. The crew then dug holes and leveled the posts in the ground and attached the signs. The last set of signs were estimated to have lasted about fifteen years on the trail and hopefully these signs will last just as long if not longer.