Earth Day at Harvey Bear Park

Trail Work Day on the Savannah Trail

April 18, 2009

On Earth Day, April 18, 2009, a trail work day was held at Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. It was held on a new trail, the Savannah Trail, which runs along the hillsides on the west central side of the park. It branches off from the Rancho San Ysidro Trail below the Willow Springs Trail, runs along the hills, then drops down to cross over New Creek on a new bridge. It climbs a hillside and follows along a canyon above the north fork of Church Creek, then rejoins the Rancho San Ysidro Trail. The trail crews met at the Harvey Bear Ranch entrance and parking lot on San Martin Avenue.

Trail crew leader Sam Drake and his wife Elaine talk with Greg Bringelson, head of the County Park trails program.

The trail crews assembled in the parking lot, then were shuttled by a park van to the work site.

This is the work site, at the bridge over New Creek.

Park staffer explaining the job to volunteers

Some of the volunteers coated the wooden bridge with linseed oil to protect it.

Other volunteers helped move rocks to the side of the trail near the bridge.

Crews filled the powered wheelbarrow with dirt.

The dirt was transported up the trail.

The dirt was dumped on the trail, where workers spread it out to provide a dirt tread for the trail

Dirt was also moved with a manual wheelbarrow.

Workers built an approach to the bridge, lined it with rocks, and smoothed it out.

More volunteers came by van.

The dirt was watered down to compact it.

Greg Bringelson arrived by bike.

A power compactor packed down the trail surface.

Park staffer Eric McFarland drove a bulldozer to move the heavy rocks.

Elaine Drake putting some finishing touches on the bridge.

A group of volunteers, led by park staffer Brian Shively, went south along the trail to dig out and move rocks to improve the drainage on the trail.

Eric brought up tools in an ATV.

Other workers used the tools to cut the grass on the trail.

View of the bridge work area from higher up on the trail

View of the Savannah Trail switchbacking up the hill on the north side of New Creek.

View from higher up on the trail. Below is New Avenue, ranches, and the city of Gilroy.

The trail turns as it runs along the hillside above the north fork of Church Creek. Cutting across the creek is the service road, an old ranch road, used to reach the work site. Beyond are private homes and ranches near Church Avenue.

Looking up the eroded canyon cut by Church Creek.

Looking up the trail. Ahead is the Ranch San Ysidro Trail cutting along the hillside.

View of the Rancho San Ysidro Trail across a wide wildflower-covered meadow.

The Savannah Trail joins the Rancho San Ysidro Trail ahead, which climbs the hill to the Coyote Ridge Trail.

Returning to the worksite, rocks have been moved to line the trail.

Park staffers work on a trail gate.

The finished bridge.

Removing the temporary work planking.

The new trail now covered with packed dirt.

Bringing back the tools.

Greg Bringelson stretching a ribbon across the bridge.

Cutting the ribbon, signifying the opening of the new trail.

Hiking the new trail.

For more information on future trail events, volunteering in the parks, past trail events, pictures of the park's trails, and trail maintenance in general, see the links on the side. For copies of these and other pictures, contact Ron Horii (see links).