Sun One (and myself) have been in the Arizona area working for the Grand Canyon Trust for about 3 weeks now. The project we have been working on (and have recently completed) was constructing/renovating the Maze Trail. A trail in the Vermilion Cliffs that brought people to a site that petroglyphs could be viewed. The entire trail was about a mile in length. The section we were renovating was probably 170 feet. We created switch backs, and stone steps and erosion control walls. We used muscle and rock bars to move boulders from around the area and place them on the trail as needed. It was incredibly rewarding work because you were able to see the progress and progression each day. While completing this project the team had a base camp about 2 miles away at the state-line campground. We were happy to set up our "tent city" once again and hoped for less windy conditions that at 2 mile base camp the previous week. Chasing tents through the night is not as fun as it sounds! We didn't end up chasing tents, however we did end up searching for warmth. Towards the middle of the week we were faced with Sunshine, Sleet, Rain, Snow, and Hail. Sometimes all of those things in one day! The team continued to work to complete the trail despite the weather and would retreat to campfires and warm food each night. It was a struggle to stay dry and warm for multiple days of bad weather but our last day the sun came out SHINING and helped to perk of the team's spirits and dry our clothes. Below are some pictures of the trail we worked on and camp before and after the weather :)
We are all still smiling at the end of our 2nd week of work and looking forward to the next! We will be backpacking into the Paria canyon to remove an invasive species called Tamarisk. This project has been incredible so far and the Grand Canyon Trust have been amazing sponsors. What a great experience! Start looking forward to more updates from the next portion of our journey :)
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