National Trails Day Recap: A Retaining Wall, a Raffle, and Some Really Awesome Volunteers
Thanks to support from Sierra Nevada and Specialized Santa Cruz, we had a blast with 20 volunteers as we fixed up local trails, gave away awesome prizes, and, of course, enjoyed some amazing beers.
National Trails Day comes around only once a year, and with COVID-19 restrictions easing up in Santa Cruz County, we couldn’t resist the chance to bring together our first larger group of volunteers for a day chock-full of trail work and celebration. This past Saturday, we gathered 20 trail-loving folks to complete some much-needed trail work in DeLaveaga Park and party with us at the Specialized Experience Center Santa Cruz. Read on for a full recap of the day.
We kicked things off at 9:00 a.m., and as volunteers joined us at DeLaveaga Park, we got them up to speed on the tasks for the day. The 20 volunteers quickly split into three groups—two would be dedicated to brushing the trails, and the third would construct a new retaining wall(!!). With the groups set for the day, we trekked up the trail to find our work sites.
Trails Stewardship Coordinator, Katie Teschler, and SCMTS Trail Sage, Andrea Lee, each led a group of volunteers through proper trail brushing procedure. Trail brushing involves removing hazardous brush and branches from the trail corridor with large shears and loppers. Volunteers learned the finer details of proper brushing, like cutting flush with the existing branches and double-checking trail sight lines, before getting to work throughout the upper trails of DeLaveaga. Brushing is an ultra-important part of any trail maintenance because it keeps trails safe and clear for all users. No one wants to be smacked in the head with a rogue branch or accidentally run into someone due to overgrown brush!
SCMTS Trail Crew Member, Liam Ruff, led the most challenging work of the day, and guided a group through the construction and installation of a wooden retaining wall on Upper DeLaveaga Loop Trail. The retaining wall replaced a dilapidated log that was buried in the side of the trail to prevent catastrophic erosion and hold the trail’s tread together. Check out the photos below for a peek at the construction process! (Photos thanks to David Moore!)
Once the clock struck one, it was time to party! The group reconvened at the Specialized Experience Center for some deluxe post-dig refreshments and raffle prizes. Once everyone had a chance to grab a taco bowl (thank you, Specialized!) and a Sierra Nevada beer, the real business began—raffling off those sweet, sweet prizes. Lucky volunteers went home with Sierra Nevada beer koozies, hats, Specialized swag, and even $50 gift cards to the Experience Center!
All in all, National Trails Day was a great success. We loved getting together with fellow trail-loving folks for a day of hard work and celebration.
Thank you to Specialized Experience Center Santa Cruz for supporting Saturday’s trail work as the adoptee of the upper trails in DeLaveaga Park. Our group also thoroughly enjoyed Specialized’s prizes and delicious food! Special cheers to Sierra Nevada for the amazing raffle prizes and tasty beer.
To learn more about National Trails Day, we highly recommend checking out the American Hiking Society’s website. They’re great people doing amazing things!
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