It’s not quite hiking season yet, but the McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission is preparing now for both this winter and beyond.

The group recently acknowledged some purchases by the town to help with trail maintenance up in the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain Preserve and other locations.

In addition, commissioners are anxious to finish a trailhead design so that bidding and construction can begin as quickly as possible after MCO Properties builds a public roadway through Adero Canyon.

In the short term, commissioners want to take care of the seven miles of trails that exist in the preserve and around Fountain Lake.

Volunteers from the MMPC and the Sonoran Conservancy take responsibility for those trails.

The town has purchased large tool boxes, McLeods, trail counters and rakes for the volunteers to create and maintain those trails.

“We all wish to thank the town for purchasing these tools, which will be combined with blood, sweat and tears to keep our trails in safe and hikeable condition,” said Bill Myers, MMPC chair.

The large boxes will be strategically located and secured to provide easy access to the maintenance tools along the trails.

Commissioners are hoping public access to the preserve will be available through Adero Canyon in the latter half of 2016.

“This will give many more hikers of all abilities the chance to enjoy our great desert mountains here in Fountain Hills,” Myers said.

“The Adero Canyon Trailhead also will give an excellent view of our town without hiking far.”

The town collected impact fees over the years to help pay for the planned trailhead, which will allow vehicles to park at the preserve entrance.

Some final design work needs to be done on the trailhead plan so that bids can be received sometime next year from contractors to build the parking lot and other features.

Mark Mayer, Community Service director, told the group Aug. 25 that the work is in the town’s capital improvements plan for fiscal year 2016-17.

Trail loop

Commissioners also are putting the final touches on a proposed secondary loop trail on the Sonoran Trail.

It would run somewhat parallel to the existing Sonoran Trail, keeping closer to the Eagles Nest subdivision.

Initial concerns about the impact on the neighborhood caused the item to be pulled from an earlier Town Council agenda and revisions to be considered.

Myers told the commission last week that Jeremy Hall, MCO’s president, expressed concerns about reaction from Eagles Nest residents.

Some redesigning the proposed trail was done, and the new trail would be a minimum of 200 feet away from the back of any property line within Eagles Nest.

In some cases the trail would be 250 to 280 feet away from someone’s backyard.

The commission will meet with neighbors in October to review the plans and then hopefully present to Town Council for final approval.

Other items

*Members are putting the finishing touches on maps and other promotional materials for the preserve and area hiking.

*Area first responders will be given an updated map showing emergency markers and helicopter landing zones in the preserve, including the new Andrews-Kinsey Trail connecting the Fountain Hills and Scottsdale preserves.

*Quickly reviewed MMPC’s objectives for 2015; many of them have already been completed.

*The MMPC will move its monthly meetings to 5 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday.

*The group is planning to host a McDowell Mountain Month event at Fountain Park on Nov. 21.

*Commissioners hope to conduct a joint meeting with the Town Council on Jan. 26, 2016.