Santa Teresa Park Stile Ranch Trail Work Day, 11/6/10

On November 6, 2010, REI and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council sponsored trail work days all around the Bay Area. Each REI store sponsored one event. The Saratoga store's event was held on the Stile Ranch Trail in Santa Teresa County Park. Volunteers met at the Pueblo Picnic Area. These are pictures from the work day.

At the Pueblo Group Picnic Area, Joel Gartland, volunteer coordinator for the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, welcomes and thanks the volunteers.

About 50 volunteers came to help out.

Phillip, the representative from REI, presents a donation check to the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council for $20,000.

County Parks volunteer coordinator John George (left) introduces park staffers Kimberly Brousseau, Eric McFarland, and Brian Shively. Eric and Brian are park trail crew members.

The sign-in table has literature on the Bay Area Ridge Trail, the Juan Bautista De Anza Trail, and REI's outdoor classes.

Breakfast, water, and snacks were provided to the volunteers. Coffee was supplied by Peet's Coffee & Tea.

The volunteers head out to the trails.

The crews head down the Mine Trail. Part of the group splits off to work on the Rocky Ridge Trail, while the rest go to the Stile Ranch Trail.

This steep section of the Mine Trail is the hardest part of the route.

The rest of the group ascends the Mine Trail. In the background is the Rocky Ridge Trail.

Ahead, the Mine Trail meets the Stile Ranch Trail, which branches off to the left.

The volunteers pick up gloves and tools at the tool trailer.

The trail-building tools are arranged for the volunteers to pick up.

Brian brings out snack bars for the workers.

Trail crew leader Sam Drake explains how to use the tools.

Trail crew leader Woody Collins demonstrates the safe use of the tools.

Ranger Mark Violette talks about trail safety.

Brian Shively talks more about trail safety.

The volunteers divide up into groups and prepare to head out.

The first group heads up the Stile Ranch Trail. Woody Collins leads the group, which will go the farthest on the trail.

The rest of the group follows.

The trail crosses a bridge at the bottom of the valley, then heads up the first hill on a switchback.

The side of the first hill is covered with clay soil and grass.

Cresting the first hill, the west side is much drier and rockier.

The group led by Michael Young (in green) pauses at the first switchback.

This group will work on this part of the trail near the top of the hill.

Looking back, these groups will work on the rocky west-facing slope of the hill.

Near the bottom of the trail, Woody finds a tarantula crawling by the trail and moves it to safety into the grass.

Woody crosses the bridge leading to the switchbacks on the east-facing slopes of the second hill.

The trail on this side is all clay soil and gets muddy and eroded in the rainy season. Woody gives instructions on how to improve the drainage on the trail.

The volunteers are clearing grass from the outside edge of the trail to improve drainage.

Trail Watch volunteer Ted was the farthest crew member on the trail, working near the end of the last switchback.

This is the view looking down the hill at Ted and Woody nearby, with the other groups on the far switchbacks.

This view is from the top of the hill, looking at the crews on the far switchbacks.

Woody's crew has contoured this section of the trail to allow water to flow off the side instead of down the trail.

The crew knocks down the berm at the edge of the trail to allow water to drain off the side.

Back on the west-facing switchbacks, the ground is much drier and rockier than the east-facing switchbacks.

Crews work on the lower and middle switchbacks.

The crew here is building a rock drain, which they will fill with rock and cover up with dirt.

This is the view looking west from the top of the first hill at the switchbacks on the second hill.

The crews move over to the switchbacks on the east side of the first hill.

Kim leads this group in the middle of the trail.

Brian and Michael lead this group farther down the trail.

These volunteers are clearing and out-sloping this lower part of the trail.

This group has made a drainage swale near the bottom of the last switchback.

The crews return to the tool trailer to drop off their tools and gloves.

The groups head back along the Mine Trail and return to the Pueblo Area.

Back at the Pueblo Group Picnic Area, Steven Ross, Outdoor Recreation Planner for the National Parks Service, talks about the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

Phillip from REI pulls raffle ticket numbers. Prizes donated by REI were raffled off.

Friends of Santa Teresa Park President Mike Boulland arrives with burritos donated by Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Sam and Woody talk with Mike and Dorene Boulland.

This weekend, Trail Head Cyclery was holding their annual Fall Dirt Demo. Mountain bikes by several manufacturers were provided to rent to try out on the trails. Many mountain bikers were using the trail we had worked on.