Trailwork Season Recap 2017-2018
June 18, 2018
Year after year our volunteer numbers and hours grow beyond what we thought possible, and 2017-2018 was no exception. MBOSC volunteers and staff worked a total of 3,828 hours on the trail, bringing in 398 unique volunteers to locations across the county. Wowie! We’re feeling pretty lucky to live in a place like Santa Cruz where folks understand the importance of giving back to the resources we all love. Keep reading below to learn about each unique project and milestone.
Ladies’ Dig Day
Since the inception of Dig Days, MBOSC has dreamed of a Ladies’ Dig Day, and this year we made it happen, thanks to Juliana Bicycles. An incredible 66 women joined us on the trail, exemplifying the event’s success and confirming it is essential for us to continue planning more events for women!
The Glenwood Preserve Trail Project is still underway and we need all the help we can get to finish the trail before it’s too dry! We started construction in May, thanks to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for partnering with us. We’ve made a lot of headway, hosted two Dig Days (thanks Specialized), and spent most weekdays out there, but we need more help from the community. Please join us Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays, sign up here. This is going to be a much-needed addition to the Scotts Valley community, offering a place for everyone to recreate next door.
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
Cob spent the first few months at MBOSC in Soquel Demonstration State Forest working through Braille and Ridge Trail, which have been thoroughly maintained and upgraded. He moved onto the Flow Trail thereafter, where we hosted several Dig Days (thank you Trail Head Cyclery, Mick’s Automotive, and Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers) which resulted in “the best conditions the Flow Trail has ever been in” according to MBOSC Executive Director, Matt De Young. We introduced our weekly Drop-In Trail Work sessions while Cob was working on Braille and Ridge Trail, which brought out new faces, and we hope to continue our efforts next trailwork season.
Wilder Ranch State Park
Wilder Ranch boasts Santa Cruz’s most iconic singletrack, diving into fern canyons and crossing through expansive meadows, all the while reminding it’s visitors of the ocean Pacific. We’re always eager to get out to this local gem and help where we can. We hosted a couple employee Dig Days on Zane Gray, and two Dig Days where we covered all singletrack trails, thanks to Current eBikes, Santa Cruz County Horseman's Association, and Another Bike Shop. Something we’re looking forward to most at MBOSC is our upcoming Trail Reroute of West Engleman’s this fall. We already designed and flagged the new singletrack trail replacing the badly eroded fireroad, and we raised funds through our Old Cabin Classic races and a generous grant from REI; all that’s left to do is rally the troops and put our hearts into the construction of the trail.
Pogonip Open Space Preserve
U-Conn is always a focus during the wet season, and this year we finished up a pretty big project! With help from the inmate crew, we hauled loads of base rock down the trail to the old paved portion of the trail. Thanks to the Specialized Crew and Mick’s Automotive Dig Day volunteers, we carefully removed all the pavers, placed base rock beneath the tread, replaced the pavers and added dirt. Our goal was to finish the rock project we started last year and we are happy to say the task is done (as done as it can be, being that it is an ongoing maintenance project). Emma McCrary Trail was covered from head to toe with utmost care this season, as our volunteers from Giro and Juliana Bicycles tackled every single drain.
DeLaveaga Park
Our Students’ Dig Day at DeLaveaga Park with Cycle Works Santa Cruz rallied a troop of 65 volunteers, mostly students. Stirling, owner of Cycle Works, celebrated by raffing off a bike at the end of the day (a first for Dig Day raffles). We covered just about every trail in the park. We’re grateful for the UCSC Cycling Team who helped rally the troops!
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. Our friends at Santa Cruz Bicycles took over maintenance of the West Side Pumptrack, which has been receiving some much needed TLC in the last few months. Our long-term plan is to pave the West Side Pumptrack, which will be a sustainable alternative to it’s dry, dusty conditions. We are currently working on design concepts, so stay tuned for details on that end.
New Hires = More Opportunities
[caption id="attachment_2383" align="alignleft" width="366"]
Trails Specialist, Jacob Hyde[/caption]
In addition to the new volunteers we met this year, we also hired a new staff member in January: Trails Specialist, Jacob “Cob” Hyde. Cob hit the ground running, taking over our pumptrack maintenance and a bulk of the prep work for Dig Days. On Monday, June 17, Cob will begin leading the High School Trail Crew, working on several projects for the City of Santa Cruz until Fall. This is the first year MBOSC will be helping lead the crew, and we’re excited to see what comes of it.
Drew Perkins, MBOSC’s first employee back in 2013, returned in April as our Trails Program Director. Since returning, Drew has spent much of his time with Cob at the Glenwood Preserve Trail Project, or jumping up to Marin and down to San Luis Obispo for trail work opportunities. Drew is a mastermind of trail design, building, and maintenance, and we are very lucky to have Drew in Santa Cruz. For those who don’t know, Drew designed and lead construction of the Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip, the Flow Trail in SDSF, and Harvey West Pumptrack, not to mention his long list of projects all over the globe. Currently he is leading construction of the Glenwood Preserve Trail Project, which he designed. We recommend spending a day or two with the team there and you may just learn a thing or two about trail building!
Something to Look Forward To…
With more staff we are able to accommodate larger trailwork productions, such as weekend-long events. We’re in the planning stages, but keep your eyes peeled for a weekend of trail work, riding, catered meals, and campfires comin’ atcha soon!
Additionally, we’d like to take this whole High School Trail Crew thing to the next step, and plan a Trail Steward Training Camp, which would also be a weekend-long excursion on the trail. The hope would be to get a crew of the next generation excited about sustainable trail-building. We’ve got to plan ahead, right!?
Last but not least, our annual Trail Crew Leader Training is due for a revamp, and we’re going to take it up a notch. To the 150 Trail Crew Leaders we’ve graduated: we have something in store for you. Level II Trail Crew Leader Training is on the horizon, so strap on your boots, hitch up your britches, and fortify yourselves for some real enlightening trail-building knowledge.
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!
Our Partners Make it Possible
Without our stalwart local partners, our efforts would not have been met with such mighty enthusiasm. Sure, we know our volunteers would still come dig were it not for piping hot Verve coffee and donuts, lunches from New Leaf Community Markets, post-work celebratory New Bohemia Brewing Co hops, and plentiful raffles, but boy oh boy do those perks sweeten the deal.
Dig Day Sponsors
Mick’s Automotive
Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers
Trail Head Cyclery
Juliana Bicycles
Current eBikes
Santa Cruz County Horseman's Association
Another Bike Shop
Specialized
Cycle Works Santa Cruz
Hospitality Sponsors
Ibis Cycles
FOX
New Bohemia Brewing Co.
Verve Coffee Roasters
Mega Partnership with 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 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! Out of the 398 unique volunteers that dug with us this season, one lucky winner will be drawn on Saturday, June 23 at the MBOSC Volunteer Appreciation Banquet! Will we see you there? RSVP here.
Since the inception of Dig Days, MBOSC has dreamed of a Ladies’ Dig Day, and this year we made it happen, thanks to Juliana Bicycles. An incredible 66 women joined us on the trail, exemplifying the event’s success and confirming it is essential for us to continue planning more events for women!
“Seeing almost 70 women digging on the Emma McCrary Trail, whose namesake was a total badass female trail-builder, was inspiring to say the least. One of my top goals at MBOSC is to make the number of men and women participating at our events equal, and that day was a big step forward. I’m really thankful for the ladies at Juliana who supported the idea from the start. And of course a huge thanks to Girls Rock for their ongoing inspiration for more women on bikes,” Community Outreach Coordinator, Emma Ussat, remarked.Glenwood Preserve Trail Project
The Glenwood Preserve Trail Project is still underway and we need all the help we can get to finish the trail before it’s too dry! We started construction in May, thanks to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for partnering with us. We’ve made a lot of headway, hosted two Dig Days (thanks Specialized), and spent most weekdays out there, but we need more help from the community. Please join us Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays, sign up here. This is going to be a much-needed addition to the Scotts Valley community, offering a place for everyone to recreate next door.
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
Cob spent the first few months at MBOSC in Soquel Demonstration State Forest working through Braille and Ridge Trail, which have been thoroughly maintained and upgraded. He moved onto the Flow Trail thereafter, where we hosted several Dig Days (thank you Trail Head Cyclery, Mick’s Automotive, and Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers) which resulted in “the best conditions the Flow Trail has ever been in” according to MBOSC Executive Director, Matt De Young. We introduced our weekly Drop-In Trail Work sessions while Cob was working on Braille and Ridge Trail, which brought out new faces, and we hope to continue our efforts next trailwork season.
Wilder Ranch State Park
Wilder Ranch boasts Santa Cruz’s most iconic singletrack, diving into fern canyons and crossing through expansive meadows, all the while reminding it’s visitors of the ocean Pacific. We’re always eager to get out to this local gem and help where we can. We hosted a couple employee Dig Days on Zane Gray, and two Dig Days where we covered all singletrack trails, thanks to Current eBikes, Santa Cruz County Horseman's Association, and Another Bike Shop. Something we’re looking forward to most at MBOSC is our upcoming Trail Reroute of West Engleman’s this fall. We already designed and flagged the new singletrack trail replacing the badly eroded fireroad, and we raised funds through our Old Cabin Classic races and a generous grant from REI; all that’s left to do is rally the troops and put our hearts into the construction of the trail.
Pogonip Open Space Preserve
U-Conn is always a focus during the wet season, and this year we finished up a pretty big project! With help from the inmate crew, we hauled loads of base rock down the trail to the old paved portion of the trail. Thanks to the Specialized Crew and Mick’s Automotive Dig Day volunteers, we carefully removed all the pavers, placed base rock beneath the tread, replaced the pavers and added dirt. Our goal was to finish the rock project we started last year and we are happy to say the task is done (as done as it can be, being that it is an ongoing maintenance project). Emma McCrary Trail was covered from head to toe with utmost care this season, as our volunteers from Giro and Juliana Bicycles tackled every single drain.
DeLaveaga Park
Our Students’ Dig Day at DeLaveaga Park with Cycle Works Santa Cruz rallied a troop of 65 volunteers, mostly students. Stirling, owner of Cycle Works, celebrated by raffing off a bike at the end of the day (a first for Dig Day raffles). We covered just about every trail in the park. We’re grateful for the UCSC Cycling Team who helped rally the troops!
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. Our friends at Santa Cruz Bicycles took over maintenance of the West Side Pumptrack, which has been receiving some much needed TLC in the last few months. Our long-term plan is to pave the West Side Pumptrack, which will be a sustainable alternative to it’s dry, dusty conditions. We are currently working on design concepts, so stay tuned for details on that end.
New Hires = More Opportunities
[caption id="attachment_2383" align="alignleft" width="366"] Trails Specialist, Jacob Hyde[/caption]
In addition to the new volunteers we met this year, we also hired a new staff member in January: Trails Specialist, Jacob “Cob” Hyde. Cob hit the ground running, taking over our pumptrack maintenance and a bulk of the prep work for Dig Days. On Monday, June 17, Cob will begin leading the High School Trail Crew, working on several projects for the City of Santa Cruz until Fall. This is the first year MBOSC will be helping lead the crew, and we’re excited to see what comes of it.
Drew Perkins, MBOSC’s first employee back in 2013, returned in April as our Trails Program Director. Since returning, Drew has spent much of his time with Cob at the Glenwood Preserve Trail Project, or jumping up to Marin and down to San Luis Obispo for trail work opportunities. Drew is a mastermind of trail design, building, and maintenance, and we are very lucky to have Drew in Santa Cruz. For those who don’t know, Drew designed and lead construction of the Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip, the Flow Trail in SDSF, and Harvey West Pumptrack, not to mention his long list of projects all over the globe. Currently he is leading construction of the Glenwood Preserve Trail Project, which he designed. We recommend spending a day or two with the team there and you may just learn a thing or two about trail building!
Something to Look Forward To…
With more staff we are able to accommodate larger trailwork productions, such as weekend-long events. We’re in the planning stages, but keep your eyes peeled for a weekend of trail work, riding, catered meals, and campfires comin’ atcha soon!
Additionally, we’d like to take this whole High School Trail Crew thing to the next step, and plan a Trail Steward Training Camp, which would also be a weekend-long excursion on the trail. The hope would be to get a crew of the next generation excited about sustainable trail-building. We’ve got to plan ahead, right!?
Last but not least, our annual Trail Crew Leader Training is due for a revamp, and we’re going to take it up a notch. To the 150 Trail Crew Leaders we’ve graduated: we have something in store for you. Level II Trail Crew Leader Training is on the horizon, so strap on your boots, hitch up your britches, and fortify yourselves for some real enlightening trail-building knowledge.
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!
Our Partners Make it Possible
Without our stalwart local partners, our efforts would not have been met with such mighty enthusiasm. Sure, we know our volunteers would still come dig were it not for piping hot Verve coffee and donuts, lunches from New Leaf Community Markets, post-work celebratory New Bohemia Brewing Co hops, and plentiful raffles, but boy oh boy do those perks sweeten the deal.
Dig Day Sponsors
Mick’s Automotive
Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers
Trail Head Cyclery
Juliana Bicycles
Current eBikes
Santa Cruz County Horseman's Association
Another Bike Shop
Specialized
Cycle Works Santa Cruz
Hospitality Sponsors
Ibis Cycles
FOX
New Bohemia Brewing Co.
Verve Coffee Roasters
Mega Partnership with 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 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! Out of the 398 unique volunteers that dug with us this season, one lucky winner will be drawn on Saturday, June 23 at the MBOSC Volunteer Appreciation Banquet! Will we see you there? RSVP here.
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