Project: Sam McDonald Park
Photo Album: Sam McDonald Photos
Heritage Grove Trail – Sam McDonald County Park
Trail Center Work Day Report
November 11, 2021
On Saturday, November 11, a 6-member Trail Center crew returned to complete all work on the San Mateo County Sam McDonald Park’s Heritage Grove Trail project. This was a previously unscheduled (“bonus”) workday, intended to finish the work begun on September 11 and continued on October 9. The Trail Center is pleased to announce that it was successful in this completion. The trail is greatly improved, with new staircases, retaining wall, and replaced bridge that will add decades to the life of this historic and scenic treasure.
The weather was perfect for trail work. 65 degrees, clear skies, and no wind. The entire trail was well shaded, and the soil was easily workable, with an ideal moisture content following this month’s heavy rains, and consisted of a good mix of organic duff and mineral underlay.
We staged the volunteers at the Alpine Road trailhead. SMCP supplied the lumber, milled and drilled, foundation stakes, and fastening hardware at the trailhead. They also coned off the parking area for the volunteers’ vehicles.
Work completed included:
1. Installation of 7 additional steps (8x8 x 3 ft) at Staircase #3 (farthest uphill from the trailhead) bringing the total new steps at this location to 11.
2. Demolition and reconstruction of the bridge above Staircase #3 using 8x8 x 3 ft footings, 2x12 x 8 ft surface, and 2x6 x 2 ft crossbeams. The new bridge is approximately 8 ft long and 2 ft wide and level.
3. Reestablishing trail width, out-sloping, and grading at two locations, over a total of 60 yards.
4. Permanently attaching the previously installed retaining wall lumber to the foundation stakes, using 2 ½” long deck screws.
5. Temporary repair to the “Please Do Not Litter” sign at the base of the trail. The rotten right-hand 4x4 support had caused separation of the text so as to make the message unaligned and nearly illegible.
6. Removal of a rotten and fallen 4x4 post, including outdated trail plaques.
All work was performed without closure of the trail. An estimated 25 hikers passed through the work area during the workday, each safely guided through the site without incident by the Trail Center volunteers.
The Trail Center cached a few residual 2x6 timbers out of sight near the new bridge, should SMCP wish to recover them. We recommended SMCP completely replace the 4x4 posts supporting the “Please do Not Litter” sign.
Again, the Heritage Grove Trail project is now completed.
Thanks to Dave V and his staff for providing and staging the materials, Judd for serving as trail boss, and Kathy for coordinating our glorious volunteers Jerrold, Dave K, Jennifer, Simona, and Bill.