One Month Contract Project for an Equestrian Trail

Trail Builder — One-Month Contract Project

Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch — Mesa, Arizona

Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch, a historic guest ranch on the Salt River in the Tonto National Forest, is engaging one experienced trail builder on a one-month independent contractor project: leading the rebuild of our ~10-mile horse trail network. This is a defined project with deliverables, not an employment position.

The real problem is erosion. Our desert trails take monsoon rains every summer and have had no real maintenance in about 15 years. We don't need someone to clear brush — we need someone who builds trails that stay built: proper drainage, grade reversals, outsloped tread, armored crossings, and knowing when a gullied section needs to be rebuilt rather than patched.

The project — scope and deliverables

• Be on-site at the ranch for the project month and lead our crew of 2–3 ranch hands —

• working in the dirt with them, not supervising from the sidelines

• Assess the full network and agree a priority list with us before work begins

• Rebuild drainage, tread, and armoring on the priority segments; clear corridor to stock

• standard throughout

• Train our crew in the maintenance standard as you go

• Final deliverables: the completed priority-segment work, a written assessment of the full

• network, and an annual maintenance calendar

How the engagement works

• Independent contractor engagement under a written agreement

• Project fee of $2,000 per week, invoiced and paid in three milestone installments: on start, at

• midpoint, and on delivery of the final assessment and calendar

• You carry your own insurance

• We provide: our crew of 2–3 ranch hands, and tools and equipment

• Possibility for ranch housing

• Start date: soon, but flexible for the right person. The first week is an initial phase — either

• side can end the engagement at the first milestone if it isn't a fit

You

• Real trail-building experience on stock/equestrian trails — and a fix you're proud of that's still

• holding after multiple storm seasons

• Desert Southwest trail experience (monsoon hydrology is its own discipline — please don't

• learn it on our trails)

• Crew-leading experience; comfortable teaching while you work