BBVTC Trail Crew 2010 Annual Report

Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew 2010 Annual Report

The Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew had an outstanding year in 2010 as it continued to attract new volunteers and again exceeded the 1,000 hour total after several years below the mark. For the year the Trail Crew worked 1015.5 hours over 14 workdays.

With the return of a wet winter after several relatively dry years, we were kept busy. In February the Crew cleared the Sequoia Trail and hit a virtual wall of down trees on the trail. It took 3 hours of work to cover a one-half mile section of trail. It seemed like every turn in the trail revealed more work.

Trail Crew works a trail.

Starting in late February we had several special workdays as the Trail Crew helped the Semperivirens Fund prepare for the dedication of its Red Tree property purchase. Two days before the March dedication a large storm obliterated the planned access route to the meadow dedication area. As Trail Crew lead Jeff Bleam put it, ‘A long story short; a van got stuck, a huge tow rig got stuck and had to use a winch to get out. The road down to the meadow is a mess’.

Twenty four hours before the dedication, Trail Crew members joined contractors and Sempervirens staff in a steady rain to lay a boardwalk and improve the trail to allow access to the dedication area. With all the work in place, the dedication went off as planned under sunny skies.

The Trail Crew was also fortunate to work over in the Rancho del Oso section of Big Basin on three different occasions clearing brush around the nature center, removing exotic vegetation, installing sign posts and removing trail and fire road blockages.

Dale Stadelman clears brush at RDO

Several Trail Crew members, Bill and Jan Fjellbo, Mike Peasland and Fran Newton, and retired Basin ranger Mimi Guiney and her husband Steve, also visited Trail Crew founder Bob Kirsch during the year in his new Oregon home.

Bob and Margo Kirsch in Oregon.

The year ended with the Trail Crew’s 3rd annual December holiday party at long time members Manuel and Anita Valdivia’s home.

2010 Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew By the Numbers:

? Total hours worked - 1015.5

? Workdays - 14

? Average Number of Hours per Workday - 7

? Average Turnout per Workday - 11

2010 BBVTC Annual Report

Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew 2010 Annual Report

The Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew had an outstanding year in 2010 as it continued to attract new volunteers and again exceeded the 1,000 hour total after several years below the mark. For the year the Trail Crew worked 1015.5 hours over 14 workdays.

The year started out on the coast with an outing to RDO. We cleared weeds and removed a few trees but this was the first and only time the crew would pull weeds.

Dale was up from Texas and joined us for the day.
The Trail Crew was fortunate to work over in the Rancho del Oso section of Big Basin on two other occasions clearing brush around the nature center, removing exotic vegetation, installing sign posts and removing trail and fire road blockages.


With the return of a wet winter after several relatively dry years, we were kept busy. In February the Crew cleared the Sequoia Trail and hit a virtual wall of down trees on the trail. It took 3 hours of work to cover a one-half mile section of trail. It seemed like every turn in the trail revealed more work.

Starting in late February we had several special workdays as the Trail Crew helped the Semperivirens Fund prepare for the dedication of its Red Tree property purchase. Two days before the March dedication a large storm obliterated the planned access route to the meadow dedication area. As Trail Crew lead Jeff Bleam put it

‘A long story short; a van got stuck, a huge tow rig got stuck and had to use a winch to get out. The road down to the meadow is a mess’.

The kids were concerned on the very rainy day that that Marja, Rick, Jeff, many other volunteers, and contractors were required to lay about ¼ mile of plywood to create a boardwalk.

The next day was sunny, unseasonably warm, and a stark contrast to the soaking of the previous day. All the people that came to the event reached the dedication area without incidents. It was a very nice day.

Banner at the intersection of Hwy 9 and 236

Board Walk at the top

The crew helped out in the more slippery areas

Close to 1000 showed up on a gorgeous day

In April there was a BBQ to honor Bob and wish him well in Bend, OR. Dell and Dale were kind to host the festivities.

Bob and Margo Kirsch in Oregon.

It's amazing what you can see in the park.

The year ended with the Trail Crew’s 3rd annual December holiday party at long time members Manuel and Anita Valdivia’s home.

2010 Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew By the Numbers:

Total hours worked - 1015.5

Workdays - 14

Average Number of Hours per Workday - 7

Average Turnout per Workday – 11

The annual report turns out to give all of the trail crew recognition for the work we do. Here’s a message from Kevin Williams who is the supervising ranger

Hi Mike,

Thank you for the report. On behalf of the Big Basin and Santa Cruz District staff I can't say enough about all the great work done by the Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew. Your crew's dedication amazes me and it makes such a difference, especially in these financial times. Thanks for the most recent slide fix on the Skyline to the Sea trail!

Kevin

Some time in December a slide closed the Skyline-to-Sea Trail just below Middle Ridge fire road. A Douglas fir that was standing just above the trail ripped loose at the roots and took an entire section of trail with it.

Since this trail is used at all times of the year we wanted to get it reopened. When we arrived, we quickly realized why park staff had closed the trail as anyone trying to traverse the area was likely to slide down the hillside. Here’s the slide work that was done on the STS trail between Middle Ridge and the Sunset connector.


After about 3.5 hours of work we had completed what initially looked like an all day project. Thanks to Jeff Bleam, Peter and Michele Gelblum, Michael Ishaq Janie and Bill Leifhelm, Janette Mello, Roger Miller, Mike Peasland and Dale Petersen, for helping to reopen this major trail.

Hope to see you on the trails in 2011.

Mike and Jeff