Amazing Turnout Last Weekend! Volunteer efforts improve Tamarancho and China Camp Trails

Thanks to the many volunteers who showed up over the weekend to care for the trails at Tamarancho and China Camp State Park! We had representatives from MCBC, NorCal, Access4Bikes, Friends of Tamarancho, Bear Development and the Forest Knolls Freewheelers – a real team effort!

On the Tamarancho property, after receiving a hearty welcome, 35 volunteers broke out to focus on the four projects for the day. Team One worked to repair the trail tread at the top of Broken Dam, smoothing out roughly 500 feet of rough entrenchment. A second group installed concrete paving blocks at the approach of a switchback which has been notoriously muddy each spring (even worse this year with our epic rains!) Crew three rebuilt a short wood bridge, also on Broken Dam which needed to be replaced. The fourth crew repaired a rutted section of lower Alchemist Trail between the first and second switchback.

The next day 30 volunteers showed up at China Camp State Park to repair site lines by pulling French Broom on the connector road between Echo Trail and the Nike Missile Site.

While this segment is paved, it is a popular route for mountain bikers moving from China Camp to Gold Hill. If you’ve ridden there, you know that he road is steep and in poor condition. Most riders stay on a 1 foot wide piece of recently paved asphalt. But even that narrow band had become overgrown with broom. The volunteers also stenciled safety messages on the roadway. An enthusiastic contingent of San Rafael Dawgs mountain bike team members got in a bunch of cross-training pulling that broom!

Thanks again to all the amazing volunteers who showed up and helped act as stewards for the trails we enjoy. We have such wonderful resources here in Marin county, and giving time and energy to keep them in great shape is an excellent investment.  Here’s to all the miles to come! Special thanks to Jim Jacobsen for his leadership and to Steve Fong and Nick Fain for helping spread the word!

If you did not hear about these Trailwork parties – head over to the MCBC MTB Trail News page and subscribe to the calendar – that will make sure any planned meetings, trail days or events will show up for you!  We look forward to seeing you out there soon!