A huge thank you to our volunteers and partners for a productive Ridge Trail Day! Every year on Ridge Trail Day, hundreds of volunteers participate in projects throughout the Bay Area to build, improve, and maintain trails in partnership with the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and REI.
Morning orientation. Photo by Lila Lee.
On Mount Sutro, Ridge Trail Day started on an early sunny morning. Volunteers gathered at the Woods Lot for sign in and orientation, and were treated to free t-shirts from REI for their service. 50 volunteers and crew leaders split into teams to complete trail and habitat projects.
Fairy Gates trail work. Photos by Lila Lee.
The big effort for this trail day was rebuilding a section of the Fairy Gates Trail, one on Mount Sutro's oldest trails, dating back to the late 1800s. This trail has been eroding over the past decade, and contained a very rough and rocky section of narrow trail tread above a steep slope, presenting a safety concern for hikers and other trail users. Sutro Stewards and UCSF worked together with the help of a geologist to determine the extent of repairs needed, and a team of staff and crew leaders spent a full day preparing the site the weekend prior. On Ridge Trail Day, volunteers worked to build up this section of trail so it is now safe and sturdy for many years of future trail users! Roughly five tons of material including many buckets of gravel, fines, soil, and water were carried to the site and tamped into place to build up and re-establish the trail. Recology generously donated gravel the Fairy Gates project, and SF Urban Riders kindly loaned us tampers.
Fairy Gates trail work. Photos by Lila Lee.
Volunteers also worked to weed and maintain the trail width along the Clarendon Trail, which was just completed last June and dedicated as Ridge Trail route last November. As the Fairy Gates project wrapped up, volunteers also worked to continue efforts to prepare the gathering area at the Clarendon Trailhead, which is anticipated to be complete mid-2019. The Clarendon Trailhead is funded by REI and support from UCSF.
Clarendon Trail weeding and maintenance work.
We worked together to move five tons of materials, restore 45 feet of historic trail, maintain 100 feet of the Clarendon Trail, and remove about six cubic yards of invasive weeds!! Thank you, volunteers!
Following a morning of rewarding labor, we met at the Aldea Center for lunch, refreshments, and our traditional Ridge Trail Day raffle! Cheers to Fort Point Beer for donating beer for volunteers to celebrate Ridge Trail Day and our day of teamwork for trails!
Volunteers find dappled shade in the cool grass on a warm day during lunch.
Help continue to support trail and stewardship efforts on Mount Sutro by joining us at our 1st & 3rd Saturday Trail & Habitat Stewardship events or our weekly Wednesday morning Nursery & Habitat Stewardship events
Thank you to our event partners & sponsors:
Bay Area Ridge Trail Council
REI
UCSF
Recology
Fort Point Beer