Announcing: “Happy Trails to You” Day CNF 2022!
Every year the TrailFit program of San Diego Ultra Running Friends, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, works to maintain and improve the trails in our local mountains. Usually, we’ll have a crew of 4-6 volunteers working with power equipment to remove brush and with hand tools to do tread and drainage work. For the past several years, nearly all of our TrailFit volunteers have been ultra runners who need a day of volunteer trail work for a 100 mile or longer race. While we will continue with our regular trail work program, this year we want to increase participation by ultra runners who are racing and training in our local mountains but have not come out for a TrailFit project as they weren’t entered in a 100 miler that required it.
So, on November 12, 2022 we’re hosting a TrailFit “Happy Trails to You” event with our friends at the Cleveland National Forest to work on the Pacific Crest Trail. We hope you’ll sign up to join us via https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090b4badad2da31-trailfit1.
Meet up at 7:00 am on the 12th at the Redtail Roost Center on Mt. Laguna. We’ll car pool over to the Desert View Picnic area, work on the trail until lunchtime, then return to the Roost for lunch and beverages. You provide the free labor and we’ll provide the food and beverages!
IMPORTANT: So that we can plan out food and equipment, you must register on-line in order to attend this event. Once you sign up, we’ll provide further updates and more detailed information via email (what to wear, what to bring, etc.) as we get closer to the 12th. Maximum enrollment is limited to 24 volunteers (due to logistical limits on equipment and supervision).
This is a great way for us to keep our local trails in tip-top condition and impress our friends at the Forest Service with our work ethic (remember: they’re the ones who issue the race permits). It’s also a great way to make some new running friends, swap ideas on gear, hydration, nutrition, trash talk, you know; the usual topics of conversation. We will also be using this event for training of our future trail crew leaders. Let me also point out that currently, our district of the Cleveland National Forest has zip zero nada personnel assigned to trail work. These trails aren’t going to stay runnable without our on-going participation.
But perhaps you’re running or thinking about running a race that requires trail work volunteer hours. If so, if you attend the Happy Trails to You project, then we’ll credit you with 8 hours of trail work for your race. Friends, family and kids over age 14 are welcome to come with you but they need to sign up on-line and be prepared for strenuous physical activity and a hike of 1-4 miles at approximately 6,000 feet elevation. The event will take place, rain or shine (but if a big winter storm is due to hit, we’ll have to cancel). You do not have to be a member of SURF to participate in this event; you only need to be willing to give back some time to our trail system.
Thanks for your support. If you have any questions, Ken can be reached at ken.bonus@gmail.com
