Cold winds and overcast skies failed to deter a dedicated group of volunteers that spent a recent Saturday morning improving a short section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail on Solano Land Trust’s Vallejo Swett Ranch in Vallejo. To commemorate National Trails Day on June 7, Solano Land Trust and Bay Area Ridge Trail volunteers met at the trailhead at Blue Rock Springs Park. The Greater Vallejo Recreation District, which operates the park, assisted with access and parking. The City of Vallejo provided their tools trailer for use by volunteers.
Volunteers cleared weeds along the trail, collected trash, removed old fences, repainted signs, and attacked the numerous invasive artichoke thistles. By the end of the morning, the trail was cleared to the Solano Land Trust boundary gate and looked much more inviting for hikers. Trail users no longer have to risk encounters with thistles and ticks now that the vegetation along the trail has been trimmed.
One of the volunteers at Trail Day was Stephen “Mos” Johnson, a frequent volunteer and docent from Fairfield. He recalled that the Blue Rock Springs trail was his first encounter to the Solano Land Trust and waxed rhapsodic about the property. “I adore how this particular location embodies my core aspect of adventuring discovery,” he said. “Blue Rock Springs offers an unimagined cityscape silhouette of the North Bay, with a trail heading mere feet from an immense and inviting leisure park. When nature calls, I am drawn to arrive with gusto. By being involved in the Trail Crew, I feel I am nurturing the relationship that regional trails have proposed to me. I am a trail runner at heart, and by acting as a trail steward, I can help keep the regional trails safe and accessible for others to adventure, to discover, and to relax in awe of the horizon and heights our Bay Area shows.”
Bob Berman, a Bay Area Ridge Trail board member, often hikes on trails in Solano Land Trust properties. "I know that it takes a constant effort to maintain the trails, especially with the many weeks that grow after our winter rains," he said. "I am happy to volunteer my time to help SLT staff to maintain the trails. Without volunteers the trails would quickly become overgrown and difficult to hike. After a few hours of volunteer time on the trails I can look back with satisfaction that hikers will appreciate the well maintained trails."
Shannon-Rose Hill, a college student from Benicia, was volunteering for the first time with SLT, and was motivated by childhood memories of Blue Rock Springs. “I remember coming to the park for birthday parties and wanted kids in the future to have opportunities to enjoy the natural environment,” she said. “I think it’s important for people my age to experience nature directly and not just get stuck in the digital world.”
The section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail which starts at Blue Rock Springs Park currently extends only about a quarter mile up a series of switchbacks to a rocky outcrop above the park. The trail extends onto land owned by the City of Vallejo and continues for about a mile and a half further north. Eventually, it will cross the ridge and pass through Solano Land Trust's Vallejo Swett Ranch near the former Greater Vallejo Recreation District's McIntyre Ranch Park and will connect to an existing Ridge Trail section at Hiddenbrooke.
Blue Rock Springs is located at 650 Columbus Pkwy, Vallejo, CA 94591. Visit https://www.gvrd.org/blue-rock-springs-park for information about hours.
To learn more about trail volunteer activities, contact Solano Land Trust Engagement Specialist Di Holokahi (di@solanolandtrust.org)
