Author: Karl Mosgofian

Project: Memorial Park

Photo Album: Memorial Park - Homestead Trail Photos 

Memorial Park – Homestead Trail
Trail Center Work Day Report
June 26, 2021

On Saturday, June 26, the Trail Center returned to Homestead Trail in San Mateo County’s Memorial Park. This was the third of three scheduled workdays with the goal of recommissioning the trail in time for the 100 year anniversary reopening of Memorial Park. The Trail Center was thrilled to participate in this important work, and its 15 volunteers brought this enthusiasm to Saturday’s workday.

The weather began with overcast skies that cleared by late morning, temperatures in the high 50s to the low 70s. The trail tread is a mix of organic, sandy, sandstone soil, nicely workable even after this season’s lower than average precipitation.

We staged the trailer and volunteers in the overflow lot at the Huckleberry Flat picnic area. Ranger Dave Vasquez had previously staged the required materials and tools nearby at Milepost 14. SMCP staff unlocked the gates and opened up the restroom in anticipation of our arrival.
Karl and Helen’s crew began at the unfinished retaining wall (tan oak fallen onto Douglas fir) and proceeded east to the Azalea Flat Campground for brushing, reestablishing trail width, and ensuring proper outslope. Along the way, Stu Smith and Jennifer replaced the rotted first stair step at the Milepost 6 staircase. After lunch, the crew remobilized to Huckleberry and proceeded east to complete all tread work on the Azalea-to-Huckleberry stretch of the Homestead Trail before heading west to perform the same work on 0.1 mile of the trail between Huckleberry and Homestead. Their work on these portions is truly impressive.

Judd’s crew designed and built a redwood bridge crossing a major drainage (second only to the extensive bridge and culvert over Pomponio Creek). The new and level redwood bridge replaces a rotted, slippery, and dangerously steep set of planks installed many decades ago. The bridge has the added advantage of leading hikers away from the precipitous outer edge of the trail to the more stable and maintainable inner bench. Upon completion of the bridge, they removed several toe-tripping roots on the approach, taking care to leave enough remaining to maintain the stability of the trail.

Dave’s crew attempted to resume and complete construction of the retaining wall where a tan oak had fallen onto a Douglas fir and had narrowed the trail. Disappointingly, they were immediately attacked by ground bees and after multiple stings, discretion became the better part of valor. Ceding the battle but not the war, they regrouped and successfully designed and installed not one, not two, but THREE retaining walls at especially narrow portions of the trail west of the planned work area. These walls will buy Homestead Trail several decades’ protection against erosion and sloughing into Pescadero Creek. Due to the persistence of bees at the planned location (both the Trail Center and San Mateo County Vector Control were unable to locate the nest), the Trail Center recommends that completion of this wall be postponed until winter when the hive will be dormant. In the meantime, the trail is passable to those who tread lightly. SMCP may want to consider filling in the construction hole this summer (preferably early in the morning and by staff wearing earth-tone clothing) and placing standard bee warning sign in order to ensure the public’s safety.

Summary:
Except for the above mentioned retaining wall, all work on the Azalea-to-Huckleberry section of the Homestead Trail is complete.

West of Huckleberry Flat, the Trail Center has completed approximately 0.1 mile of trail tread work. The pending two-tiered retaining wall at the decommissioned utility bridge remains to be addressed.

The Trail Center Projects Committee will convene Tuesday, July 6, to discuss a timeline for returning to Memorial Park to complete all portions of the Homestead Trail.

Project: Memorial Park

Photo Album: Memorial Park - Homestead Trail Photos 

Memorial Park – Homestead Trail
Trail Center Work Day Report
May15, 2021

On Saturday, May 15, the Trail Center returned to Homestead Trail in San Mateo County’s Memorial Park. This was the second of three scheduled workdays with the goal of recommissioning the trail in time for the 100 year anniversary reopening of Memorial Park. The Trail Center was thrilled to participate in this important work, and its 17 volunteers brought this enthusiasm to Saturday’s workday.

The weather began with a light drizzle that ceased by midmorning. Sky was overcast throughout, with temperatures in the high 50’s. The trail tread is a mix of organic, sandy, sandstone soil, nicely workable after last season’s rains and dust free due to the overnight and morning drizzle.

We staged the trailer and volunteers in the Azalea Flat Campground at Homestead Trail Milepost 7. Ranger Dave Vasquez had previously staged the materials and tools, required to build two retaining walls, at Milepost 14 in the Huckleberry Flat Picnic Area, the midpoint of Homestead Trail.

Hank’s crew began at the western end of the “maidenhead prow” retaining wall. They proceeded west to the Huckleberry Flat access road with by brushing, reestablishing trail width, ensuring proper outslope, and removing toe-trip roots from the trail tread. Their work on his portion was stellar.

Judd and Helen’s crew continued the work at the “maidenhead prow” retaining wall by driving and fastening the last of the hat channels before the final backfill with compaction. The retaining wall at this location is 100% complete, excluding manual de-staging of excess hat channels (which will be repurposed at the other second retaining wall - see below) during the June 26 workday. The Trail Center recommends that SMCP cut back the prow an additional 6 to 12 inches using a chainsaw; estimated duration is less than one hour, including transit time.

Dave C’s crew resumed construction of the retaining wall where a tan oak had fallen onto a Douglas fir and had narrowed the trail. They drove, fastened, backfilled, and compacted the eastern section of the wall, and it is now 100% complete.

At the more challenging western portion, they excavated and constructed and installed the x-brace tie-back, finally safing it off with sufficient backfill, compaction, yellow caution tape, and red Do Not Cross tape to make the trail passable. While the trail is currently passable, the Trail Center recommends that SMCP return the trail closed signage at both the Azalea Campground and Huckleberry Flat access road trailheads. Work at this location was interrupted in the afternoon by yellow jackets and possible ground bees; three volunteers were stung, one volunteer twice. Ranger Dylan indicated that SMCP will deploy to the area and eradicate the hazard as needed prior to the next workday. When that occurs, all work at this retaining wall is confidently estimated to be completed by end of the June 26 workday, at which Homestead Trail may be reopened from Azalea Campground to Huckleberry Flat picnic area.

Due to the work delay caused by stinging insects, Dave C and Bill did not have sufficient time to revisit the trail at the decommissioned utility bridge nor were able to makes a plan for work and materials at this location. This review is scheduled to occur during the June 26 workday.

The Trail Center looks forward to returning to Homestead Trail Saturday June 26, completing all work planned for Homestead Trail, excluding the pending retaining wall at the utility bridge.

Thanks to Judd for driving the tool trailer, to Kathy for coordinating our volunteer, to Larry for checking them in, and to our glorious volunteers. Thanks to Ranger Dylan for preparing Azalea Flat for the volunteers, including opening the restrooms, and to SM Volunteer Coordinator Stu for his assistance planning the project. Special thanks to Ranger Dave Vasquez for providing and staging all materials and for his assistance in coordinating the work.

Project: Memorial Park

Photo Album: Memorial Park - Homestead Trail Photos 

Memorial Park – Homestead Trail
Trail Center Work Day Report
April 24, 2021
Homestead Trail runs 0.6 miles from Azalea Flat Campground (near the park entrance and ranger station) west to Homestead Flat Youth Camp. If it were not currently closed for the public’s safety, it would likely be Memorial Park’s most popular and used hiking trail. This very scenic trail is designated a hiker-only trail, as its topography make it neither feasible nor safe for equestrian and bicycle users. It connects to Pomponio Canyon Trail, allowing campers easy access to the Mount Ellen and Trillium Nature Trail complex.

On Saturday, April 24, we returned to San Mateo County’s Memorial Park with the goal of recommissioning the trail in time for the 100 year anniversary reopening of Memorial Park. The Trail Center was thrilled to participate in this important work, and its 19 volunteers brought this enthusiasm to Saturday’s workday.

The weather was overcast with unexpectedly warm temperatures in the low high 50’s by workday’s end. The trail tread is a mix of organic, sandy, sandstone soil, nicely workable after last season’s rains.

We staged the trailer and volunteers in the Azalea Flat Campground at Homestead Trail Milepost 7. Ranger Dave Vasquez staged the materials and tools, required to build two retaining walls, at Milepost 14 in the Huckleberry Flat Picnic Area, the midpoint of Homestead Trail.

Hank and Karl’s crew began at the western end of the trail. They spent the majority of the workday reestablishing the trail bed through a slide area approximately 30 yards long, grading the trail to remove large humps and to improve transitions at each end. After remarkable success at this, they undertook an exploratory attempt to restore the trail width and establish a stable inside bench on the uphill side. Unfortunately, the initial suspicion that the soil would be too unstable proved to be true, and a new retaining wall will be required. Still, the route and grade of the new trail is more than sufficiently laid out as to allow Pedro, SMCP’s carpenter, to survey and to design the retaining wall.
The crew had sufficient time remaining to clear duff and reestablish inside bench from Homestead Flat Youth Camp to the slide area.

Judd and Helen’s crew worked all day manually transporting the materials from Huckleberry Flat and building a large retaining wall. This wall is required to support the trail as it circumvents a “maidenhead prow” Douglas fir root impinging on the trail. By day’s end, all 4x8 lumber had been installed and most hat channels had been driven in place and fastened to the lumber. Remaining, work included driving and fastening the few remaining channels and to backfill the gap between the existing trail and the wall, estimated to require 2 to 3 hours with a crew of six.

Dave C’s crew also spent the day transporting materials and building a large retaining wall where a tan oak had fallen onto a Douglas fir and had narrowed to trail. The design and construction of the wall was made particularly challenging by the fir and its roots. The volunteers installed all 4x8 lumber east of the fir, including all hat channels and fastening. After considerable excavation and grading of the wall base west of the fir, Dave recommended that 6-foot tie-backs be installed under the trail, to be done during the next workday. 30-40% of all work has been completed, and remaining work is estimated to require two workdays with a crew of six.

The Trail Center looks forward to returning to Homestead Trail Saturday May 5 and Saturday June 26, completing all work planned for Homestead Trail.

Thanks to Dave C for driving the tool trailer and to Kathy for coordinating and signing in our glorious volunteers. Thanks to Ranger Dylan preparing Azalea Flat for the volunteers, including opening the restrooms, and to SM Volunteer Coordinator for his assistance planning the project and participating in the workday. Special thanks to Ranger Dave Vasquez for providing and staging all materials and for his assistance in coordinating the work.