Local Eagle Scout Blazing Trails

  • Published
  • By Danny Bazzell
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs

Now is a great time to dust off your mountain bike or hiking boots and take advantage of the roughly 30 miles of mapped, single and double-track trails on Edwards Air Force Base.

The trails have existed here for many years but recently, thanks to the efforts of 14 year old Eagle Scout William Fann, marked and mapped out for base personnel to enjoy

“I’d previously ridden these trails and realized that they weren’t mapped, so as my community service project to earn the Eagle Scout rank I chose to map and mark these trails” said Fann. “My goal was to improve the awareness of the trails so others can use them.”

Fann, a member of Scout Troop 247 at Edwards began planning the project in summer of 2020 with the bulk of the work accomplished in the late fall.

Aided by other members of Troop 247 and volunteers from the 412th Civil Engineering Group, Fann estimated that over 300 hours were put into mapping, creating and placing signs and trail markers along the routes. The team installed a bike stand with an air pump and basic repair tools at each trailhead to allow for on-site repairs and adjustments.

In addition, Fann created www.edwardsmtb.webnode.com, where riders and hikers can download digital maps to their phone or other GPS device. According to the website, “There are three main color trails that increase in distance: green is five miles, blue is 10 miles and red is 15 miles. Brown fiberglass trail markers with stickers show you where to go at intersections.”

“I feel really good about how it came out and I’m excited to see how it is received by the community” said Fann who is in the 9th grade at Desert Junior-Senior High School.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank achievable in the Boys Scouts of America and since the organization was founded in 1911 only four percent of all scouts have earned the rank. To become an Eagle a scout must complete a minimum of 21 merit badges, demonstrate leadership skills, a commitment to the Scout Oath and complete an extensive service project they plan, organize and manage.

Fann passed his Eagle Scout Review Board in February and joins the list of Eagle Scouts that include former President Gerald Ford, astronaut Neil Armstrong and movie producer Steven Spielberg.