The PCT and TRT are co-aligned within Desolation Wilderness, one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the country. Increasing use and extreme weather events combined to significantly degrade the trail. In many locations the trail is scoured out several feet by erosion, widened and braided, consistently muddy, or covered in loose rubble. These conditions reduce trail safety and negatively impact the recreation experiences of trail users. The erosion also causes negative natural resource impacts including the deposit of sediment into alpine waterways and the loss of valuable and scarce topsoil. Additionally, trail users are trampling fragile alpine vegetation in their attempt to avoid stretches of trail suffering from erosion.
This multi-year project is reconstructing several miles of trail with volunteer and youth corps trail crews to mitigate negative watershed impacts, contribute to forest ecosystem health, and improve a valuable recreation resource.
Project Sponsors
