CIBOLA COUNTY - A group of men, ten to be exact, met on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. to volunteer time and pick up trash alongside several main roads on Mount Taylor.

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    “We are doing this because we love the mountain and it is National Public Lands Day,” said B.R. Fjord. Fjord is a member of the High Country ATV Explorers and a board member of New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance. The nine other men belonged to either organization or both, according to Fjord. Some of the volunteers came from as far as Rio Rancho and the East Mountains near Albuquerque. Three of the ten are from Cibola County.

    “What a beautiful day,” Fjord said as he looked toward the tip of Mount Taylor as the sun shone across it. “This is a perfect day for this project,” he announced to his partners.

The men started where the pavement ends on Mount Taylor and simply drove alongside the road on their ATVs and picked up trash. Some had picks they used to poke the trash and place in a bag. One man mounted a trashcan in the front of his ATV.

    The group was excited to conquer the trash on the mountain. They picked trash until approximately 2 p.m. on Mount Taylor Road and La Mosca Road. As a reward they awarded themselves a ride on the mountain until about 4 p.m.

    In the group were Duane Toivanen, B.R. Fjord and Tom Minnick, all of Cibola County, Rick Lay and Ron Schubert of Rio Rancho, John Kennamen, Rudy Garza and Jim Novak of Albuquerque and Cory Campbell and Bob Stapleton of Tijeras.

    The High Country ATV Explorers is a social club composed of outdoor enthusiasts that like to ride and have fun. For more information about this club, go to www.atvfrontier.com.

    The New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance groups is a statewide incorporated alliance of motorized off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts that promotes responsible OHV recreation through education, safety training, land conservation and access, in cooperation with public and private interests, to ensure a future for OHV recreation in the state. For more information about NMOHVA, go to www.nmohva.org.

    National Public Lands Day began in 1994. The recognized day keeps the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the “tree army” that worked from 1933-42 to preserve and protect America's natural heritage. The annual event educates Americans about critical environment and natural resources issues and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands. It builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands. For more information on the nationally recognized day, go to www.publiclandsday.org.