The New West Engelsmans Trail is Now OPEN!
May 24, 2019
Words by Drew Perkins
Get ready to ride the new West Engelsmans Trail! (Photo: Mike Thomas)
MBOSC and State Parks have been working hard putting the final touches on the reroute of the West Engeslsman Trail in Wilder Ranch State Park, and we are so excited to announce that the new route is now open! The recent rain was great for helping firm up all the work that happened at the end of April, so the brand new singletrack is now ready to ride. Additional work will happen this summer to decommission the old fire road.
The new entrance to the West Englesmans trail looks like this! The fire road is now blocked. (Photo: Bruce Dorman)
The reroute is a replacement for the eroded and steep West Engelsmans road, which has been a long term safety and maintenance problem. The new trail winds down through oak forests and meadows, and has a lower average grade than the old trail, and is designed to be an enjoyable hike or ride uphill or downhill.
The new West Engelsmans trail winds through oak forests. (Photo: Mike Thomas)
MBOSC and the State Parks Trail Crew started on this project with clearing the trail corridor in October. Construction started later than planned due to the first rains coming in late around Thanksgiving, but we got right to work once the weather cooperated. Our first Dig Day of the season in early December focused on this project, and we had a record-setting turnout of 96 volunteers!
At our season's first Dig Day, sponsored by Santa Cruz County Horseman's Association, 96 volunteers came out to help work on this project! (Photo: Ian Stowe)
This project was our primary focus from Thanksgiving until mid-January, and our crew had to be flexible to find times to work on the trail when weather conditions allowed. We finished excavation and the rock wall construction in January, and were planning to let the trail season and harden over the winter while our focus shifted to other projects.
Construction of the West Engelsmans Reroute took place between October 2018 and May 2019. (Photos: Ian Stowe)
The very rainy January, February, and March made it very clear where problem spots with seeps and springs were located. We held two more Dig Days in March and April.
ABS sponsored a big Dig Day where we did a lot of rock work. (Photo: Isaac Wallen)
Current eBike sponsored our last Dig Day of the season on West Engelsmans Trail.
During these two Dig Days, our focus was placing nearly 150,000 lbs of crushed rock on the tread to strengthen these areas and prevent mud bogs from developing in the future.
Volunteers gave a lot of muscle, placing nearly 150,000 lbs of crushed rock on the new trail. (Photos: Isaac Wallen)
The week before the Old Cabin Classic, MBOSC staff and volunteers, the State Parks Road and Trails Crew, and a 15 person strong backcountry California Conservation Corp crew were all hard at work putting finishing touches on the trail so it could be used in the race.
Old Cabin Classic participants were lucky to get a sneak peek of the trail during the race! (Photos: Mike Thomas)
The majority of West Englesmans Reroute project costs were covered through MBOSC’s fundraising efforts. We even covered most of the costs of State Parks staff time and materials! Proceeds from the 2016-2018 Santa Cruz Old Cabin Classic have gone into a fund earmarked for trail projects in Wilder Ranch State Park, and those funds were used for this project. We’ve also hosted two Trap a Rock Lobster campaigns, where a lucky winner received a custom Rock Lobster Cycles frame built by the legendary Paul Sadoff in return for donating towards trail construction/maintenance in Wilder Ranch. Finally, we were fortunate to receive a $15,000 grant from REI, which was dedicated to completing this project.
Philip Watkins from REI presented MBOSC with a $15,000 grant at our first Dig Day of the season to help fund the West Engelsmans Reroute project. (Photo: Ian Stowe)
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. They committed a ton of their time and resources to this project, and we are so grateful for the strong partnership between MBOSC and State Parks!
State Parks' Jose Castañeda and MBOSC's Cob Hyde worked hand-in-hand on the completion of this project. (Photo: Isaac Wallen)
Because the trail will be the the primary way in and out of the Wilder Ranch Backcountry for most folks using the park, the trail will be busy! Stay alert, ride slowly and courteously, and expect oncoming traffic on foot, tire, or hoof!
Get ready to ride the new West Engelsmans Trail! (Photo: Mike Thomas)
MBOSC and State Parks have been working hard putting the final touches on the reroute of the West Engeslsman Trail in Wilder Ranch State Park, and we are so excited to announce that the new route is now open! The recent rain was great for helping firm up all the work that happened at the end of April, so the brand new singletrack is now ready to ride. Additional work will happen this summer to decommission the old fire road.
The new entrance to the West Englesmans trail looks like this! The fire road is now blocked. (Photo: Bruce Dorman)
The reroute is a replacement for the eroded and steep West Engelsmans road, which has been a long term safety and maintenance problem. The new trail winds down through oak forests and meadows, and has a lower average grade than the old trail, and is designed to be an enjoyable hike or ride uphill or downhill.
The new West Engelsmans trail winds through oak forests. (Photo: Mike Thomas)
MBOSC and the State Parks Trail Crew started on this project with clearing the trail corridor in October. Construction started later than planned due to the first rains coming in late around Thanksgiving, but we got right to work once the weather cooperated. Our first Dig Day of the season in early December focused on this project, and we had a record-setting turnout of 96 volunteers!
At our season's first Dig Day, sponsored by Santa Cruz County Horseman's Association, 96 volunteers came out to help work on this project! (Photo: Ian Stowe)
This project was our primary focus from Thanksgiving until mid-January, and our crew had to be flexible to find times to work on the trail when weather conditions allowed. We finished excavation and the rock wall construction in January, and were planning to let the trail season and harden over the winter while our focus shifted to other projects.
Construction of the West Engelsmans Reroute took place between October 2018 and May 2019. (Photos: Ian Stowe)
The very rainy January, February, and March made it very clear where problem spots with seeps and springs were located. We held two more Dig Days in March and April.
ABS sponsored a big Dig Day where we did a lot of rock work. (Photo: Isaac Wallen)
Current eBike sponsored our last Dig Day of the season on West Engelsmans Trail.
During these two Dig Days, our focus was placing nearly 150,000 lbs of crushed rock on the tread to strengthen these areas and prevent mud bogs from developing in the future.
Volunteers gave a lot of muscle, placing nearly 150,000 lbs of crushed rock on the new trail. (Photos: Isaac Wallen)
The week before the Old Cabin Classic, MBOSC staff and volunteers, the State Parks Road and Trails Crew, and a 15 person strong backcountry California Conservation Corp crew were all hard at work putting finishing touches on the trail so it could be used in the race.
Old Cabin Classic participants were lucky to get a sneak peek of the trail during the race! (Photos: Mike Thomas)
The majority of West Englesmans Reroute project costs were covered through MBOSC’s fundraising efforts. We even covered most of the costs of State Parks staff time and materials! Proceeds from the 2016-2018 Santa Cruz Old Cabin Classic have gone into a fund earmarked for trail projects in Wilder Ranch State Park, and those funds were used for this project. We’ve also hosted two Trap a Rock Lobster campaigns, where a lucky winner received a custom Rock Lobster Cycles frame built by the legendary Paul Sadoff in return for donating towards trail construction/maintenance in Wilder Ranch. Finally, we were fortunate to receive a $15,000 grant from REI, which was dedicated to completing this project.
Philip Watkins from REI presented MBOSC with a $15,000 grant at our first Dig Day of the season to help fund the West Engelsmans Reroute project. (Photo: Ian Stowe)
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. They committed a ton of their time and resources to this project, and we are so grateful for the strong partnership between MBOSC and State Parks!
State Parks' Jose Castañeda and MBOSC's Cob Hyde worked hand-in-hand on the completion of this project. (Photo: Isaac Wallen)
Because the trail will be the the primary way in and out of the Wilder Ranch Backcountry for most folks using the park, the trail will be busy! Stay alert, ride slowly and courteously, and expect oncoming traffic on foot, tire, or hoof!
Project Stats
- Trail length: 5500’
- Elevation change: 290’
- Direct project cost for labor and materials: $47,000
- State Parks Staff time: a lot!
- Rock placed on trail for rock walls, rock causeway, and tread hardening: 110 tons
- Staff hours: 950
- Volunteer hours: 1,978
- Volunteers: 338
- Dig Days: 3 Dig Days Sponsored by Santa Cruz County Horseman’s Association, Another Bike Shop, and Current eBikes.
Enjoy!
We hope you love the new West Engelsmans Trail! Don't forget: because the trail will be the the primary way in and out of the Wilder Ranch Backcountry for most folks using the park, the trail will be busy. Stay alert, ride slowly and courteously, and expect oncoming traffic on foot, tire, or hoof!
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