Written by Julie Polovitch, Wild Stew Field Crew Member.
For our last hitch of 2025, one of our crews constructed a 0.5 mile reroute along an Oro Valley social trail colloquially referred to as “Cow Pies.” Our fresh tread was part of a larger project, which formalizes two popular user-created trails in the Golder Ranch trail system, soon to become the Stone Cactus Loop. Encompassing 30+ reroutes, the design strives to improve the trails’ sustainability and enjoyment for a variety of modalities: hooves, feet, and wheels. This vision was made possible by collaborative partnerships amongst agencies and organizations, including the Coronado National Forest’s Santa Catalina Ranger District, Outslope Trail Solutions, Wild Arizona, and American Conservation Experience.
Eric Ruljancich, owner/founder of Outslope Trail Solutions, was responsible for the trail design, and thus we were guided by his flagging. On day two of hitch, Eric gave us a walk-through orientation wherein he explained his decision-making processes and the new-trail specifications. During this session, we discussed key considerations for climbing turns, grade reversals, and other trail features that we would carve and fine-tune in the coming days.
We were blessed with excellent dirt, easy digging, and minimal rock removal. Instead of difficult terrain, an assortment of spikey/sharp/clingy brush—catclaw, hackberry, and cholla—served as the main antagonists.
We camped on a ridge near a troughed-in spring, only a couple minute walk away from the project area. A rock ledge served as our living room perch for sunset views, cooking, and chatting about life’s greatest musings. One night, as night cheese (there’s nothing better than night cheese, so they say) made its rounds, we discussed (really, debated) what products qualify as cheese; some of us reminisced about the absurdity of the children’s story, The Stinky Cheese Man; and other cheese-related meditations ensued. The result was the longest cheese-centric conversation that any of us had ever experienced.
We were pleased to have craftfully completed nearly all of the 0.5 mile-long reroute—the longest portion of new trail within the Stone Cactus Loop. This segment is not yet open, as the final 10 feet at both ends are yet to be tied into the trail; first, the troublesome portion of trail that constituted this project needs to be closed for natural rehabilitation.
The following day post-hitch, Wild Arizona staff gathered for our end of year celebration. Cosmically, during the white elephant gift exchange, I pulled out a real-life Stinky Cheese Man from a paper bag. It was accompanied by a copy of the aforementioned post-modern fairytale, which Sage was kind enough to read aloud to us.
With the Golder Ranch project being so close to home, it’s an easy-to-visit memento of my time with Wild Arizona, which sadly concluded with the close of our 2025 work year. As I reflect on my time with the field crew, I can definitively say that it’s been a pleasure. I’ll remember the work, the beautiful places, the cheese, and, most of all, the good people. While it’s true that there’s nothing better than night cheese… nothing better than cheese-centric conversations… nothing better than a cheddar-carved Stinky Cheese Man replica sweating in a bag… the real takeaway from my time here is that none of these superlatives hold merit without the camaraderie of my conservation friends.
