January 2026 Trail Day Report
1/18/26
Happy 2026 everyone! And what a great way to start the year by giving some love to the forest.❤️
We had a great turnout with 45 volunteers, including Advocate Board Members and State Park Personnel (Gilbert).
Good Fun, Good Cheer and Good Food!
Thanks to our generous sponsors, the group enjoyed tasty pastries from Companion Bake Shop, much needed and delicious coffees from Pacific Coffee Roasting and charged our energy with fruits and snacks from New Leaf Community Markets. A big Thank You to our sponsors!
Due to ongoing construction at Nisene, the group gathered at Aptos Village Park. We appreciated the spirit of those who walked down to the park for this event, and a shout-out to those who walked directly to the park! Be assured that we are taking steps to minimize future parking contention.
Our intrepid group of volunteers tackled a big list of projects and so much was accomplished!
What We Accomplished:
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Clean Foot Bridges
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Brush Back Historic Loma Prieta Mill Site
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Clean George’s Picnic Area & the Steel Bridge
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Remove Fallen Trees
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Repair Vienna Woods Trail at Washout
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Remove Invasive English Ivy
Highlights:
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Clean Foot Bridges:
There’s something almost spiritual in taking a leisurely stroll across Aptos Creek, admiring the flowing creek below. These bridges require regular cleaning to ensure they don't decay and pose a risk to park visitors. On January Trail Day, Mikhail's team cleaned the Buddha Bridge (on Mill Pond Trail), West Ridge Bridge and two bridges on the Loma Prieta Grade Trail. The crew immersed themselves into the task at hand thus no pictures of the cleaned bridges are available but in the gallery you'll see the “before” pics where sediment and vegetation are evident on the bridge decking. Get out to the park and enjoy the beautifully clean bridges! -
Brush Back Loma Prieta Historic Mill Site:
Brett and his five member team re-exposed the historic Mill Site so that visitors will more fully appreciate the history of this special park. The Mill Site is located just above Margaret’s Bridge in a low-lying plot conducive to rapid plant growth, and nature does her best to reclaim cleared areas. It is obvious from the before and after photos below exactly how much improved the area is now. But first, spotlight on the little yellow star of the forest the team encountered - a lounging banana slug! -
Clean George's Picnic Tables and the Steel Bridge:
Joe and Jim lead a group of 10 volunteers to George’s Picnic Area and Steel Bridge. This project involved some serious elbow grease. The picnic tables were covered with moss and the bridge filled with dirt and gravel that, given enough time, could compromise the integrity of the bridge deck. -
Remove Fallen Trees:
Have you ever been on a hike and approached a tree leaning over the trail? Walking under a fallen tree can be a nerve-wracking experience and potentially unsafe. Our sawyer-extraordinaire Andrea and assistant cleared several fallen trees on the Loma Prieta Grade Trail and the West Ridge Trail. -
Repair Vienna Woods Trail at Washout:
The Vienna Woods Trailhead is located at the head of Vienna Woods Drive in Aptos and is one of the park’s busiest trails. A short walk down from the trailhead is an area where the trail is perched along a steep ledge that is susceptible to trail erosion. This is the case for this washout and the trail had narrowed to a single track between the washout on the gulch side and a hill on the other. Chris and his crew widened the trail while ensuring that water would drain away from the washout. Well done all! -
Remove Invasive English Ivy:
Listed last but certainly not least is our recurring project to restore Nisene to its native state of flora. John, lead a large group of volunteers to pull English ivy from the ground and trees. Specifically, the crew made amazing progress clearing 4 plots of ivy within Emmett's Grove consisting of 2,247 sq ft and ivy was removed from 16 redwoods. Word on the street was that lots of fun was had by all!
Photo Gallery
