Adopt-A-Trail: Mt Ord (FR626) - Follow-up from August CSC Meeting (1 Viewer)

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Hey, guys - spent some time on the phone today with ToolsRUs regarding the current state of Adopt-A-Trail in AZ, and he had some great information to share. With his focus on Tonto (TRAL), the Mt Ord route FR626, northbound from 87 Beeline to the peak, isn't believed to be sponsored by any groups at this time, however there's a lot of question as to whether CSC would be able to adopt this trail, so read on.
a-mount-ord-google-map-1-4811.jpg

(Kevin - please feel free to jump into the conversation if I've missed anything!)

Travel Management is reorganizing trails right now, and there's no formal 'Adopt-A-Trail' program which exists. This is partly due to contracting which takes place between the managing authority and clubs and takes into account liability concerns when a club chooses to maintain a trail. There's a lot of detail behind this, and CSC would need to make conscious decisions about any kind of trail work.

Existing club sponsorship of certain trails can continue - and nothing is being done to prevent trail maintenance by any club or organization if they've historically maintained that trail to good effect in the past. As mentioned above, Mt Ord FR626 is not known to be sponsored by any group currently.

New club sponsorship of trails is in a contested state - this is due to budgeting constraints by the managing authorities along with prioritization of routes across Tonto and surrounding areas which prevent any progress being made to formalize an Adopt-A-Trail program. No registry of trails and clubs which are interested in sponsoring them exists or has been proposed.

Unofficial club sponsorship of trails is done currently, and signage can be added to the trail to denote this if CSC wants to move forward with this route. Maintenance will need to be aligned with other groups despite not having a trail 'standard' applied to the route, nor with an acting contract between CSC and the managing authority, so basic tree trimming, bush cutbacks, and other cosmetic work can be done - but without any kind of dirt work or maintenance which may open the club to liability concerns if 'improvements' change the trail safety, hazards, or recreations. This last part is a bit gray, simply because no standards are in place by the managing authority about what can be done, and to what extent.

Work is apparently underway with Neil Bosworth, the Tonto Supervisor of Rangers & Staff, and may or may not come to a conclusion any time in the near future. There's a lot of uncertainty regarding the formalized process, but it looks like we may be able to move forward with a more relaxed and informal process to sponsor FR626 to Mt Ord by the club.

This should be discussed at length within the club to decide whether it's worth taking on the liability, adding our CSC name to trail markers, and other facets of sponsoring this route, so please post here with any thoughts you may have, and I'll do my best to answer based on what I know. Thanks,
 
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Thank you for the great update.

I have a question: Is it FR626 or FR27 that we are talking about? From what I know, FR626 is the easy road up Mt. Ord (the road that starts a little further to the west). FR27 starts at the bottom of the canyon (Slate Creek?) and is further east (toward Payson). FR27 is only about 5 miles long, and it connects with FR626, and then FR626 continues to the top of Mt. Ord.

Can someone please correct me, or agree with me?
 
Thank you for the great update.

I have a question: Is it FR626 or FR27 that we are talking about? From what I know, FR626 is the easy road up Mt. Ord (the road that starts a little further to the west). FR27 starts at the bottom of the canyon (Slate Creek?) and is further east (toward Payson). FR27 is only about 5 miles long, and it connects with FR626, and then FR626 continues to the top of Mt. Ord.

Can someone please correct me, or agree with me?


I do agree and yes you are correct

Side note- I was up on Mt Ord on Sunday and only a couple campers. Unbelievable for one of the biggest camping weekends of the year. Was on Casner Mountain Saturday and I had to look hard to find my little spot of paradise with its 100's of campers.
 
I do agree and yes you are correct

Side note- I was up on Mt Ord on Sunday and only a couple campers. Unbelievable for one of the biggest camping weekends of the year. Was on Casner Mountain Saturday and I had to look hard to find my little spot of paradise with its 100's of campers.

Phil,

Do you have photos?
 
Was on Casner Mountain Saturday and I had to look hard to find my little spot of paradise with its 100's of campers.

I thought Casner Mountain was special a permit area that allowed only ten vehicles? Are you talking about the rim area above Casner Mountain or is there another Casner Mountain? The rim is always popular this time of year not only campers but hunters. The Sunday of the May run the forest service road just past the switchbacks on 89A was loaded with them starting within fifty feet of the cattle guard just off the highway.
 

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