Trial maintenance life
Larry Reynolds

Recently, while searching for a volunteering opportunity, I was connected with the Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers - Thanks J.K. Once I was added to the Trail Alliance mail list I received notice of the Trail Care Series 2005 program. This program is in coordination with the Los Padres Forest Association and the Forest Service.

This monthly series targets a local trail for maintenance and June 18 was the date set to improve the mid-section of Jesusita Trail, which runs from the Foothill end of San Roque up to Inspiration Point. Since this was a rest day before the State Street Mile, it fit in well with my non-running plans for the day.

The meeting time was 8AM at the Cater Water Treatment plant. I dragged in at 8:30 only to learn that they provided bagels, pastries and coffee from 8-8:30 before they head out on the trail. My stop at 7-11 for java was totally unnecessary.

There were 8-10 volunteers that day and we loaded into two vehicles and drove up to the "Moreno Ranch" entrance where we had special permission to enter private property for the trail maintenance. This saved carrying our tools an extra two miles each way. We loaded up with hedge trimmers, loppers, McLeods and Pulaskis and hiked up to almost the top of Inspiration Point. The plan was to hike up and then work our way downhill which I was happy about after the sweaty hike uphill.

The meat of the workday was from 9-2:30. Three volunteers with McLeods (rake-hoe combo tool) followed behind two volunteers with hedge trimmers. The trimmers, Chris (team leader) and Ken shaved off thistle, poison oak and any other growth encroaching the trail. The McLeod team followed behind raking, hoeing and pushing the cuttings to the downhill trailside, leaving behind a manicured bike/pedestrian friendly trail. As part of the McLeod team I was a "weed-puller" and worked a 50-75 foot section then leap-frog ahead of the other two weed-pullers and in turn would get leap-frogged by them when they reached the start of my cleared section. I worked with Owen and Allen. Owen is a sprightly 70 something getting ready to go hike the Alps and Allen is a night auditor down at a beach hotel who got off at 7AM, went home for a change of clothes and came out to help.

The other volunteers that day worked the top portions of the trail. I did not see their work, but they fixed a trail portion hit by a slide and moved some large boulders. They came down at the end of the day to meet us at the cars. Their praise of our work was very satisfying.

While we were loading tools back into the vehicles, a pleasant man came up to us and thanked us for the work we did on the trail. He then said he wanted to give us some history of the property we were on. Back in 1975, the several hundred acres Moreno Ranch was for sale for $112,000 and nobody wanted it because of the public easement for Jesusita Trail. A deal was struck and the new owner became the first European owner of that property in recorded history. The man we were listening to was that man and he is a good-natured steward of the "Moreno Ranch". Robin Gauss wanted to share with us his story and good fortune in purchasing this land. Robin is also responsible for creating the spring-fed drinking fountain with carved stone basins by his gate that serves all hikers - humans, horses and dogs. He has also added a covered picnic area for further hiker comfort. He figures when he gets old he can just sit down by the drinking fountain and meet the hikers and bikers who come through his property.

After this enjoyable history lesson, we drove back down to the Cater Water Treatment Plant where the Trail clean-up organizers had set up a free Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch BBQ. We kicked back for 45 minutes eating good food and enjoying relaxed conversation. At 3:45 we all dispersed to the four winds knowing that we left behind an improved Jesusita Trail.

Many members of the SBAA are trail people - I met two on Jesusita while clearing the trail. If volunteering ideas percolate up, consider volunteer work once a year improving the trails of Santa Barbara. And if you hike Jesusita this summer and notice a particularly well-trimmed section - I did that part.

Summer Solstice 2005