BEHIND THE TRAILS The Gila Backcountry Horsemen of New Mexico By Audra Labert (she/her) CDTC Communications Manager It’s easy to take a well-maintained trail for granted. From rocky alpine to seeping lowlands, the work that goes into making public trails passable and enjoyable takes place over many miles and much planning. Non-profit organizations work with government agencies, partners, and volunteers to form a network to maintain trails on public lands. The Continental Divide landscape encompasses five states and thousands of miles of trails, and this year CDTC partnered with Gila Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico (GBCHNM or Gila BCH) in the Gila Wilderness to address post-fire and flooding trail maintenance. Their roots date back to the early 1970s, and the Gila BCH has been contributing to a legacy of stewardship and service in the Gila Wilderness. Melissa Green is one of the Project Coordinators for the Gila BCH, a chapter of the national organization Back Country Horsemen of America with state and local chapters throughout the country. Green works year-round to plan and execute maintenance projects in the Gila, coordinate volunteers, and collaborate with partners to keep trails open and maintained. “I like working with other organizations because they each bring in a different experience or perspective. We can learn from each other,” Green said. The Gila Wilderness is unique because of the regular flooding that occurs on some of the trails. Seasonality, flooding potential, and accessibility are factors that help Green decide Gila BCH priorities for trail projects from season to season. Part of keeping trails open is also making sure people use them consistently. Several trails in the Gila Wilderness that were previously impassable were reopened through the work of the Gila BCH, and now the organization is working to put the word out. “That’s the whole reason I created the Gila Trails website, to encourage people out onto the trails,” said Green. She lamented having poured work into PAGE 26
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some trails during her previous career with the U.S. Forest Service that fell into disuse and eventually became indistinguishable again, due to the public not knowing the trail was reopened. Access to remote, backcountry trail projects is a joint effort in the Gila, made possible–in part– by a Montana-based packer who loves the backcountry of the Gila Wilderness. Russell Lewis began visiting the Gila in 2015 when he first packed stock through the area for a documentary film called 500 Miles, part of a program called Heroes and Horses. “We had eighteen fresh mustangs and took them on a pack trip with combat veterans along the Continental