Volunteering While Social Distancing
|
|
The ATA's regular group volunteer activities have been postponed to follow the CDC’s recommendations for practicing social distancing, but there are still safe and meaningful ways to get outdoors and help maintain the Arizona National Scenic Trail.
One great way to enjoy this amazing springtime weather and help maintain the trail is through our Remote Maintenance Task Force! Responding to requests from numerous hikers and riders who want to “give back” while they’re out there on the most remote portions of the Arizona Trail, we’ve developed a simple way for folks to trim back the encroaching acacia, remove problematic tree limbs, and help keep the Arizona Trail corridor clear. After all, it grows back with a vengeance every year.
To join the Remote Trail Maintenance Task Force, just fill out and submit a simple form online and we’ll mail you a pair of pruning shears or pro hand saw along with a pair of work gloves and a Trail Brushing Guide. Then, record your volunteer hours online after you’re done. Every hour you spend driving to the trailhead, hiking (or riding) and maintaining the trail is important to report. Don’t let your outstanding volunteer service go undocumented! You can keep the gloves and hand tool as a thank you for your help in maintaining the AZT.
Please limit your travel, and focus on areas closest to home. Since many of the Arizona Trail’s Gateway Communities have limited medical services that could quickly become overwhelmed with even a few cases of COVID-19, we recommend access points where you can travel safely from home to trailhead while eliminating or severely limiting any social interactions.
|
|
AZT Wooden Topographic Map
|
|
If you love Arizona’s diverse topography then you’re going to adore these unique wooden creations from Elevated Woodworking! Each piece is created with a computer-controlled router that carves Arizona’s mountains, canyons and valleys, and is lovingly hand-sanded and oiled to perfection. These custom beauties are made just for the Arizona Trail Association and trail lovers like you, and feature a laser-cut engraving of the 800-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail. They’ll be a welcome addition to your desk, bookshelf, or mantle, and will inspire you to get outdoors whenever you’re stuck inside.
Made from sustainably harvested oak, they are approximately 6” wide x 7” tall and retail for $110 through the ATA Online Store. ATA members login to receive a discount. All proceeds benefit the Arizona Trail Association and our mission to protect, maintain, enhance, promote and sustain the AZT as a unique encounter with the land.
Members joining or renewing at the Juniper, Ponderosa Pine and Bristlecone Pine levels will receive a smaller version of these (with a magnet on the back) as part of your “thank you” membership premiums. Learn more at the JOIN page of our website.
|
|
New Maps of the AZT Now Available
|
|
Thanks to our friends at the Arizona Office of Tourism we are now able to provide FREE maps of the Arizona Trail to individuals, schools, clubs, groups, visitor centers, and anyone else who wants them. These full-color paper maps feature the entire state of Arizona, along with all of the natural wonders and recreational resources you could ever want to explore.
Just a few of the features include:
- Arizona Trail Gateway Communities
- Arizona Trail Trailheads and primary access points
- National Parks, National Forests, Wilderness Areas and National Wildlife Refuges
- State Parks
- Campgrounds
- Roads, highways and primary dirt access roads
- Public roads on American Indian Reservations
- Cities and towns
- Lakes, rivers and streams
- and much more!
The map also includes the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace and information about the Arizona Trail. On the flipside you’ll find full-color photographs from the AZT with 16 of our favorite itineraries for hiking, running, mountain biking and horseback riding. We chose four of our favorite destinations for each of the four seasons to inspire folks to find their own adventure on the Arizona Trail.
If you’d like a map, or a box of 225 maps, please send us an email along with your mailing address. Help us share this outstanding resource with locals and visitors alike, or hang it on your wall to serve as inspiration to explore all 800 miles of the Arizona Trail…and beyond.
|
|
In an effort to preserve the history of the Arizona Trail, the Arizona Trail Association has begun archiving stories of early AZT pioneers on a new web page called Trail Blazers. Here you can read stories about Dale Shewater, the Father of the Arizona Trail, as well as personal stories about how folks got involved with the trail and the Association. There’s even a section for Arizona Trail adventures you may enjoy.
If you have a story to share, please consider adding it to the Trail Blazers page. Just email ata@aztrail.org along with one photo and we’ll upload it to the website. Be part of the Arizona Trail's history.
After all, this is your trail.
|
|
THAT Brewery is a proud Business Partner of the Arizona Trail Association. Located just one mile north of the AZT in the gateway community of Pine, THAT Brewery is the creator of Arizona Trail Ale, the Official Beer of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. They offer a wide variety of pub fare, craft beers on tap, and now have special “social distancing seating” available on their patio. THAT Brewery also accepts packages for thru-hikers and riders, and has the most extensive thru-hiker log book along the trail. In addition to their location in Pine, they also have a taproom on Cottonwood.
THAT Brewery is Ponderosa Pine level Business Partner.
Please support the local businesses that support the ATA.
|
|
|
|
