Project: San Mateo Memorial Park - Mt. Ellen Trails
Photo Album: 1805-12 Memorial Park
On Saturday, May 12, we returned to San Mateo County’s Memorial Park to complete the work on the Mt. Ellen Summit Trail and Nature Trails, continuing both above and to the west of the work accomplished on the May 13 and August 18, 2017, workdays. In keeping with the following day’s celebration, the Trail Center crews did a job to make any Mother proud.
The weather was clear, with temperatures in the low 50’s at the outset and the low 70’s when the workday ended. The trail tread is soft Douglas fir and redwood duff and a mix of organic and sandy soil made workable by last winter’s rains. The work area was almost entirely under tree cover. Our 32 volunteers included a nice mix of experienced and first time volunteers
As on previous workdays, we staged the trailer and volunteers in the pull-out area immediately before the park entrance kiosk. We accessed the Nature Trail by hiking up the eastern end of the Mt. Ellen Nature Trail, while the upper Mt. Ellen Trail was accessed from the west. Many thanks to Rangers Dave Vasquez and Matt Auda-Capel for reserving this area, providing lumber and stakes for the retaining walls, and coordinating with us on the work scope.
Eva and Lisa’s crew began above the western junction of the Summit Trail with the Nature Trail, clearing and repairing a badly damaged switchback before proceeding uphill to brush, widen, bench, and outslope a quarter mile of trail, adding drains where needed. Karl and Helen’s crew (yay, PAli volunteers!) did similar work at the peak of Mt Ellen Summit Trail, artfully dodging lush groves of mid-spring poison oak while installing barriers to discourage the prevalent shortcutting of switchbacks by hikers. Aaron and Lianna’s crew turned a nearly impassable path, overgrown with trillium, forget-me-nots, and grass, into a bona fide Nature Trail (now a showpiece for the Memorial Park network), greatly improving the tread and replacing a rotting retaining wall, severely damaged by a fallen Douglas fir. Hank Magnuski and Dave Croker led a cozy crew, quickly dispatching that same fir, then buckling down to the time-consuming job of cutting a notch into and building steps approaching a fallen 36” diameter redwood which had previously and entirely blocked the trail. Special kudos to Tom, the Grim Reaper, for preceding all crews; luckily for all, neither he nor his weed whacker ran out of gas.
As of now, all planned Trail Center work for the Mt. Ellen Summit Trail and the Nature Trail has been completed. The Trail Center looks forward to working with SMCP on Pomponio Trail. Per discussions and walk-thru’s with Rangers Dave, Matt, and Louisa, this would require either the replacement of the footbridge at the extreme west end of Pomponio or carefully coordinated access from the east.
Thanks to Dave Croker for driving the trailer, to Kathy for coordinating and signing in our glorious volunteers at the beginning of day, and to Larry for catering the snacks and beverages at the end of the day.
Bill Farrell