Memorial Weekend I tagged along on an Adopt-A-Trail maintenance run on Holcomb Creek Trail in Big Bear, California with a local Jeep club. For the first time I was able to experience the devastating effects and aftermath of a major forest fire. This particular fire had destroyed over 14,000 acres.
My Jeep Rocks.com is one of the official Adopt-A-Trail adoptee clubs for the Holcomb Creek Trail. The trail and the area around it is closed for rehabilitation. The closure gives Forest Service personnel and participants in programs such as Adopt-A-Trail a chance to clean up and repair vehicle and hiking trails before reopening them to the public. The club has done a wonderful job repairing some sections of the trail since it had been damaged by fire and erosion. Working on a program like this is something I've always thought about but have never had the chance to participate in. It was fun and rewarding knowing that some of the work I helped with will allow other enthusiasts to enjoy this part of the San Bernardino National Forest. Seeing the devastation firsthand was a reminder that we all need to be extremely careful while traveling off-highway.
If you and your club, organization, or family are interested in programs like Adopt-A-Trail, you can find more information at www.fs.fed.us