Greeted by an array of fall treats, fifty curious Sonomans were then led by Fred Allebach through the Mountain Cemetery yesterday, the amateur historian sharing stories and lively lore “dug up” throughout the years. As in years past, the fundraiser was sold out, 100% of the funds raised going directly towards improvements on the Overlook Trail. Join us next year!
This morning six volunteer trail stewards met to rebuild two of our worst sections of trail on the Overlook. These sections are just below the top meadow and are rocky and difficult to traverse—particularly for runners. Prior to today, four wagonloads of packable gravel had been hauled up to the job site. Even so, we could have used more.
After about three hours of work we had rebuilt the two sections of trail to our satisfaction (at least for now, there are a few mop-up jobs left to finish off the segments).
In rebuilding these parts of the trail, we essentially went through several phases:
At the start of our work I had set up a time-lapse camera to capture a greatly sped up version of the morning, which I then edited into a less-than-five-minute video that ends up being slightly comical. I hope you enjoy it.
Today I found an Italian thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus) plant (see picture). It’s the earliest I have found it, with the previous record being November 10th. I fault the early rains we’ve had this month.
What this means is that I will now turn the bulk of my trail efforts to pulling it from along the trail, primarily on the Montini Preserve, where we have yet to push it back. Last year, sadly, I didn’t even get close to achieving that highly desirable result. My hope is to do a lot better this year, which would mean removing all of the trailside plants by about June.
This is going to be a long eight months.
The Sonoma Overlook Trail Stewards invite you to take a lively, informative walk through our historic cemetery with our own amateur historian Fred Allebach.
Meet ranchers and ranch hands, real estate tycoons, farmers and farriers, carpenters and stone masons, quarry-men, grocers, butchers, bakers, maybe a candlestick maker, and many more! This fundraising event is limited to 25 participants per hike. We sell out every year, so register early to be sure you get a spot!
We’ll have a hike at 10am and another at 12:30. Your $40 donation includes the walking tour, cookies and cider. All proceeds go toward improvements on the Overlook Trail. The Trail is solely supported by private donations.
We’re rolling into autumn. As always, we continue our work to keep the trails healthy, safe and accessible. If you’ve visited lately, you’ve seen many freshly graded sections, thanks to our intrepid Maintenance Team.
Yes, we carry out much of the labor ourselves, with pleasure. However, the Overlook lies on a mountain of rock, so when we can, we bring in specialized crews, with specialized equipment, to carry out some of the heavier work. If you’ve been an Overlook devotee for long, you’ll have seen the glorious results of these projects, improvements that are likely to last well beyond our lifetimes.
We are now raising the funds needed to complete the third and final phase of this process and we need your help!
Please consider becoming a part of it all as a supporter of the Overlook Trail, or renewing your support, with a tax-deductible donation to the cause. What finer purpose than the betterment of a local sanctuary that serves 60,000 visitors a year?
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Donate via credit card HERE. To contribute by check, make it payable to: Sonoma Overlook Trail All donations are tax deductible. |
Sonoma Overlook Trail • Montini Open Space Preserve 