Project: Memorial Park
Photo Album: Memorial Park - Homestead Trail Photos
Memorial Park – Homestead Trail
Trail Center Work Day Report
April 24, 2021
Homestead Trail runs 0.6 miles from Azalea Flat Campground (near the park entrance and ranger station) west to Homestead Flat Youth Camp. If it were not currently closed for the public’s safety, it would likely be Memorial Park’s most popular and used hiking trail. This very scenic trail is designated a hiker-only trail, as its topography make it neither feasible nor safe for equestrian and bicycle users. It connects to Pomponio Canyon Trail, allowing campers easy access to the Mount Ellen and Trillium Nature Trail complex.
On Saturday, April 24, we returned to San Mateo County’s Memorial Park with the goal of recommissioning the trail in time for the 100 year anniversary reopening of Memorial Park. The Trail Center was thrilled to participate in this important work, and its 19 volunteers brought this enthusiasm to Saturday’s workday.
The weather was overcast with unexpectedly warm temperatures in the low high 50’s by workday’s end. The trail tread is a mix of organic, sandy, sandstone soil, nicely workable after last season’s rains.
We staged the trailer and volunteers in the Azalea Flat Campground at Homestead Trail Milepost 7. Ranger Dave Vasquez staged the materials and tools, required to build two retaining walls, at Milepost 14 in the Huckleberry Flat Picnic Area, the midpoint of Homestead Trail.
Hank and Karl’s crew began at the western end of the trail. They spent the majority of the workday reestablishing the trail bed through a slide area approximately 30 yards long, grading the trail to remove large humps and to improve transitions at each end. After remarkable success at this, they undertook an exploratory attempt to restore the trail width and establish a stable inside bench on the uphill side. Unfortunately, the initial suspicion that the soil would be too unstable proved to be true, and a new retaining wall will be required. Still, the route and grade of the new trail is more than sufficiently laid out as to allow Pedro, SMCP’s carpenter, to survey and to design the retaining wall.
The crew had sufficient time remaining to clear duff and reestablish inside bench from Homestead Flat Youth Camp to the slide area.
Judd and Helen’s crew worked all day manually transporting the materials from Huckleberry Flat and building a large retaining wall. This wall is required to support the trail as it circumvents a “maidenhead prow” Douglas fir root impinging on the trail. By day’s end, all 4x8 lumber had been installed and most hat channels had been driven in place and fastened to the lumber. Remaining, work included driving and fastening the few remaining channels and to backfill the gap between the existing trail and the wall, estimated to require 2 to 3 hours with a crew of six.
Dave C’s crew also spent the day transporting materials and building a large retaining wall where a tan oak had fallen onto a Douglas fir and had narrowed to trail. The design and construction of the wall was made particularly challenging by the fir and its roots. The volunteers installed all 4x8 lumber east of the fir, including all hat channels and fastening. After considerable excavation and grading of the wall base west of the fir, Dave recommended that 6-foot tie-backs be installed under the trail, to be done during the next workday. 30-40% of all work has been completed, and remaining work is estimated to require two workdays with a crew of six.
The Trail Center looks forward to returning to Homestead Trail Saturday May 5 and Saturday June 26, completing all work planned for Homestead Trail.
Thanks to Dave C for driving the tool trailer and to Kathy for coordinating and signing in our glorious volunteers. Thanks to Ranger Dylan preparing Azalea Flat for the volunteers, including opening the restrooms, and to SM Volunteer Coordinator for his assistance planning the project and participating in the workday. Special thanks to Ranger Dave Vasquez for providing and staging all materials and for his assistance in coordinating the work.