The Great Wall of Montini

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Filed under Stewardship, Trail Maintenance

Recently, we’ve been redoubling our volunteer maintenance efforts at the Montini Preserve by instituting a monthly trail work day in association with staff from Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Sonoma Ecology Center.

One of the jobs we wanted to tackle early on was a particularly sketchy spot that had narrowed from a rock falling out of the trail. This was just above a steep hill that if someone fell, they could really get hurt. On the first work day the team determined a wall, or more accurately a buttress, would need to be built up from some distance below the trail to support the trail and enable us to widen it safely. Continue reading →

Evening Layers

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Filed under Scenic Views

Sonoma Views

Snake Chat: A Conversation with Local Reptile Educator Galen Freed-Wilhem

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Filed under Interviews, Reptiles, Snakes

TRANSCRIPT:

[Sonoma Overlook Trail]
Welcome to the Sonoma Overlook Trail podcast. I’m Jess from the Overlook Trail Stewards.

In honor of the Chinese New Year of the Wood Snake, my guest today is Galen Freed-Wilhelm, a local snake handler and reptile educator. In addition to his love for reptiles, he has a deep passion for environmental causes and actually received the Youth Environmental Award from Sonoma County Conservation Council.

Among other endeavors, Galen volunteers at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood, California, where he leads nature walks, works on the trails, and relocates rattlesnakes from the campground there.

Continue reading →

Heavy Lifting

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Filed under Trail Maintenance

Moving boulders is a science

A hardy band of young men and women from California, Florida, Illinois and other states spent 12 weeks earlier this year solving hard problems — large sections of bare, rough rock in the Overlook trail bed.

As regular users know, the upper trail was closed between the Toyon Junction and the summit during the project. What went on beyond the “Trail Closed” tape? Every morning, a six-person crew from American Conservation Experience arrived around 7:30 a.m. from their campsite at Sugarloaf, did the daily stretch, and discussed the day’s plan. Then they hiked up to the site.

Continue reading →

Lace up your Hoka’s: The upper loop is open! 🥾🥾

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Filed under Land Maintenance, Trail Maintenance

Yes, the rumors are true: the upper section of the Overlook Trail is open!

The entire trail bed rehabilitation has been completed right on time, conducted over 11 weeks by nonprofit organization American Conservation Experience (ACE) in partnership with the Sonoma Overlook Trail Stewards and the City of Sonoma.  Additional steps, rock walls and drainage features have been installed to protect the integrity of the trail and to make the way more sustainable, walkable and enjoyable.  These improvements should last for decades and make our jobs as Overlook Stewards much easier.

We want to thank those of you who donated to this cause and those who had the patience and thoughtfulness to stay off of the trail whilst the ACE team did their intensive work; we know it wasn’t easy.  😜  We also thank Sonoma Police Department for helping us keep the work zone safe and clear.

Welcome back, Sonoma.  The Overlook awaits.

Before and after:
Trail Smoothing