2018/19 Trailwork Season Recap

Words by Emma Ussat From June 2018 through June 2019, 539 unique MBOSC volunteers put in an impressive 4,912 hours of trail work in various parks and open spaces in Santa Cruz County. We hosted 15 Dig Days, countless weekday volunteer trailwork opportunities, built new trails, designed a few more, led a high school trail crew, launched Trail Academy, and the list goes on. Let's take a walk down memory lane and look back at all of our accomplishments this year.

2018-2019 SEASON TRAIL STATS

3,150+ staff hours 4,912 volunteer hours 539 unique volunteers 7 miles of new trail built 15 Dig Days

MEET THE MBOSC TRAIL CREW

[rescue_column size="one-half" position="first"]

Drew Perkins Trails Program Director

• MBOSC’s first employee, and first trail crew staff in 2014 with construction of the Flow Trail.
• Has built trails all over the world, including Austria, Alaska, and various regions in California.
• Current projects include mapping and designing all new trail projects, managing the trail crew, instructing Trail Academy courses, and directing Dig Days, to name a few.

[/rescue_column] [rescue_column size="one-half" position="last"] [/rescue_column] [rescue_column size="one-half" position="first"]

Jacob Hyde Trails Specialist

• Joined MBOSC trail crew in 2018 as a full-time employee.
• Has built trails all over the world, including Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, CO.
• Current projects include managing Summer High School Trail Crew, and construction of Glenwood Trails, Lodato Park, West Engelsmans Reroute, and more.

[/rescue_column] [rescue_column size="one-half" position="last"] [/rescue_column] [rescue_column size="one-half" position="first"]

Bruce Dorman Trail Builder

• Joined MBOSC trail crew in 2018 as a part-time employee.
• Previously top 10 MBOSC Trail Crew Leader.
• Loves building trails.

[/rescue_column] [rescue_column size="one-half" position="last"] [/rescue_column] [rescue_column size="one-half" position="first"]

Pete Katsaros Trail Builder

• Joined MBOSC trail crew in 2019 as a part-time employee.
• Previously worked on ACE crew.
• Current projects include Glenwood Trails, Lodato Park, West Engelsmans Reroute, and more.

[/rescue_column] [rescue_column size="one-half" position="last"] [/rescue_column]

ONGOING PROJECT UPDATES

Wilder Ranch State Park

This year we opened a new trail in Wilder Ranch, the West Engelsmans Reroute! We had 338 volunteers donate 1,978 hours of time to help build this trail in addition to 950 hours of MBOSC staff time and countless more hours of State Parks staff time. Thank you to the Santa Cruz County Horsemens Association, Current eBikes, and Another Bike Shop for sponsoring Dig Days hosted on this project. The project cost about $47,000, which was funded by Old Cabin Classic 2016-18 proceeds, two Trap a Rock Lobster campaigns, and a $15,000 grant from REI. Lots of wet areas popped up on the trail this spring and we purchased and placed 70 tons of rock on the trail. MBOSC wants to extend a huge thanks to the Santa Cruz District Trails Crew, especially Chris Pereira and Jose Castañeda for helping to make this project possible. Read the full project recap here!

Pogonip Open Space Preserve

U-Con is always a focus during the wet season, and this year we continued working on armoring wet areas of the trail. Specialized has adopted the U-con trail this year, and their crew has helped with several events on the trail in previous years. They were back out again for a Dig Day in March, where we hauled 15000 lbs of crushed rock down the trail with wheelbarrows, installed a french drain, and hopefully fixed up the last two muddy spots on the trail. U-Con is one of the busiest trails in the county, and we’ve been able to make big improvements each year. We’re excited to keep the trail in tip top shape next season. Down on the Emma McCrary Trail, we had another legendary Ladies’ Dig Day with Juliana Bicycles where we dug out drains and removed french broom. The weather predicted rain, and boy did the weather deliver! We experienced quite the downpour while we were out working, but we didn’t let that stop us from getting some great work done. There’s something great about doing trailwork in the rain. It turns a fun day into something that feels more like a big adventure! Our goals for the day were to clear drains, do some brushing, remove trash, and clear invasive species.

Soquel Demonstration State Forest

Every Friday during the winter our trail crew works at SDSF, initially focusing on Braille trail, and then spending the second half of the season addressing issues that developed this winter on the Flow Trail. With the help of an army of volunteers at three Dig Days (thanks Mick’s Automotive, Trail Head Cyclery, and Mikes Bikes!) we got some good work done on projects that should make the trail more resilient next time we have a real wet winter. Almost every berm as been patched and repaired, and the tread is noticeably smoother. Some say the Flow Trail in the best shape it has been in since opening it. After riding Coral, Flow, and Braille trails at Camp Dig It, we can tell you trail conditions are premo right now.

De Laveaga Maintenance

Every Wednesday evening at DeLaveaga Park, a group of volunteers led by long time Trail Crew Leaders Tom Wilson and Andrea Lee meet up at 5:30pm to work on the trails. Besides brushing, they have been making drainage improvements and rebuilt a section of the Shakespeare Connector trail that was destroyed when a large pine fell over this winter. They have a few more projects in the works. Sign-up to help! In January we a had record breaking 90+ volunteers at our Students’ Dig Day in Delaveaga this year. Our friends at Cycle Works returned as the Dig Day sponsor and helped rally students. We had a strong showing of kiddos and were able to perform routine maintenance on all trails in the park. We raffled a Santa Cruz chameleon to a lucky student at the end of the day.

Lodato Park Maintenance

The City of Scotts Valley is funding trail maintenance at the hiking trail at Lodato Park (East side of Highway 17 behind the City of Scotts Valley Parks and Recreation office). We have been working there Wednesday mornings addressing issues that have developed over 20 years of heavy use and no real maintenance. Please contact us if you are interested in hosting a Dig Day for your company or team.

Glenwood Preserve Trail Project

MBOSC completed just over six miles of new public multi-use trails at the Glenwood Open Space Preserve in Scotts Valley. There are three miles of multi-use trails on the west side of the preserve that are open now, and just over three miles of pedestrian-only trails on the east side that are scheduled to be open later this year after some bridge construction projects are completed. These trails provide local schools and the community a new resource for recreation and connection with the environment. Huge thanks to FOX for sponsoring a Dig Day at Glenwood in April!

Pumptracks

Cob’s routine maintenance of the Harvey West Pumptrack and Scotts Valley Pumptrack is showing! The two pumptracks are running smoother than ever, thanks to his handiwork. We plan to utilize the first two weeks of the Summer High School Trail Crew program to change things up at the Harvey West pumptrack. In other news, the Westside Pumptrack is most likely going to be paved and redesigned soon, which would result in a much more durable, useable, and fun pumptrack.

Our Partners Make it Possible

It takes a lot of hard work and time to put on Dig Days, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors.

A Special Shoutout to Ibis Cycles

It wouldn’t be right without giving extra kudos to our friends at Ibis Cycles for their incredible support of our volunteers with the annual Ibis Volunteer Raffle. Most folks are incredulous when we remind them every time they dig with MBOSC they are entered for a chance to win the Ibis bicycle of their choosing. Oh yes, you’d better believe it!

Share Your Feedback With us

Did you dig with us this season? If so, please take a moment to give us feedback on your experience at an MBOSC volunteer trailwork event, whether that be pumptrack maintenance, weekday trailwork, Dig Days, or the whole shebang! We want to keep improving every season and your feedback is appreciated. Share your feedback here!

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at MBOSC to turn as many trail users into trail stewards as possible, and we look to you to spread the good word. Bring a friend who’s never done trail work to one of our Dig Days and share the magic of giving back to the trails you love. All of you are a part of the success of our mission and goals; without our amazing volunteers, MBOSC would not exist. Thank you for everything you do. Cheers!