Student volunteers from nearby Journey Montessori School walk the Chili Line in La Tierra Trails, Sept. 25
Thanks to volunteers from Journey Montessori School and a representative of Santa Fe Fat Tire Society, we got a jump on protecting the old rail bed and preparing it for the La Tierra Chili Line Trail in September and October.
Removing yucca plants from the future trail tread…
Activities included putting up temporary barricades and signage to keep motorized users off the rail bed and adjoining areas, removing modern trash, examining “old trash,” including discarded rail artifacts to remain on site, selectively removing and in some cases transplanting vegetation from the trail tread, and assessing the viability of footbridges vs. full-on wood box culverts at the two gaps in the rail bed.
…to be transplanted off to the side just down the line, Oct. 9
Interesting historic articles discovered by the students, to remain on the site, include an old tobacco tin, a railroad spike and a “drift pin” (on right) presumably used to secure heavy lumber in one of three wood box culverts that the Chili Line used to traverse within the project site.
Temporary signage installed for education and preservation
Working the trail in through the junipers, approaching second gap, with SFFTS volunteer, Oct. 16
Trail flagged under early snow, Oct. 27
