Crossover Volunteer Trail Work

Posted by Charles Sat, 07 May 2005 14:00:00 GMT

A small group of ROMP volunteers kicked off the 2005 volunteer trail work season with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve. On May 7, Craig Beckman, the District’s Construction and Maintenance Supervisor met volunteers Paul Nam, Joan Murakami, Josh Moore, Julie Norton, and Charles Jalgunas. Our optimistic goal for the day was to complete the construction of the new Crossover Trail alignment that runs between the Timberview and Gordon Mill fire roads.

There has been a historic connection between these two trails longer than this Open Space has been publicly owned, unofficially known to many cyclists that use it as Hike A Bike. Most of the Hike A Bike trail was nicely contouring but steep and abruptly dropped even more steeply a hundred feet toward a creek, then paralleled the creek some distance before ending at Gordon Mill. While the trail was an entertaining challenge for skilled riders in the downhill direction, the trail’s name came from its impossibly steep grade in the climbing direction. Certain members of District staff I am sure had other less endearing terms for the trail that was impossible to properly drain and maintain, and its perpetual degradation. When local biologists and geologists started calling it names like Area Of Concern for its effect on water quality, we all had to step up and make some changes.

ROMP and District staff spent countless hours working on a new alignment for the Hike A Bike trail that would allow us to keep the valuable connection between the two fire roads at a sustainable grade and significantly reduce sediment runoff into the creek. What we ended up with was a winding trail with multiple switchbacks that cuts through incredibly beautiful rock formations, over redwood roots, and slaloms between trees that starts and ends very near the old Hike A Bike. The new Crossover Trail is much longer than the old, and climbing it will now be an attainable challenge for the fittest of riders. Descending the trail this year will be pretty simple, but as we have seen with the Leaf and Resolution trails, the trails true character will be revealed with time and use. I expect the tread to eventually be punctuated with natural features that will demand any trail users attention, in either direction.

We had the skilled guidance of Open Space Techs Brendan Dolan and Scott Davison on this day, and made some great progress with our Small Crew, and Small Crew is a key phrase here. Scott and Charles took on a small retaining wall project. This section of Crossover was slightly outsloped, narrower than the adjacent trail sections, and had a rocky tread that would degrade enevenly during use. It also led to a technical slot between a large rock and a tree. As we looked at this section, we could imagine the outside edge of the trail tread wearing away in time, rendering the trail impassible. Scott gave skilled instruction on the slow, methodical process of building a solid rock wall, and although it took two men most of the work day to get it done, the result will function for a decade. When they walked away, there was a three foot wide platform for riders to use for setting up for the slot. The trail will eventually grow narrower here, and the keyed rock construction will become more obvious after use as the soil wears away.

Down below the rock wall, the rest of the crew worked on benching a long stretch of trail with a couple of grade reversals. As rocks were dug out of the tread, they were either cached or carried downhill to the next switchback. This workday ended at this partially built switchback,where we ran out of time and energy. Although we didn’t get as far as we would have liked, the whole crew was proud of the work they had done, and knows it will last for years and provide countless grins.

The big job remaining now is building the section of trail that runs through the Goalposts. The new trail crosses an old logging road cut right after it pops out from between two massive redwoods. The District had long ago closed this road, and it is in the process of being restored, but still leaves its old contour on the hillside. Staff will come in with heavy equiptment here to arrange still more rock to be used for trail tread. This is where the trail will be most challenging for those climbing up. After a sustained climb at a steep grade, riders will face riding over rocks and roots, and through the Goalposts, with little margin for rider error. I’m looking forward to it.

Let’s get back for a moment to the part about the Small Crew. The unusual weather patterns we have had this year have made it difficult for the District to put the staff hours into trail work that they would have liked, and any volunteer efforts will have a greater effect this year than most. District staff will be getting back out to Crossover soon, perhaps as I am writing this, so it can be opened for the season, and there are other trail projects on the calendar that they may not be able to get to. You’re not the only one to ride through the mud on the Resolution or ECdM Trails and thought “Somebody out to do something about…” so we have two more Saturdays set aside for volunteers; June 18 and July 16. Take a look at your calendar, then shoot Paul McKowan an email at volunteer@openspace.org and let him know which day you can help out. Tools and training will be provided by the District.

If you would like to know more about this trail, or about other ROMP Volunteer Trailwork activities, give me a shout at trailwork@romp.org