VWA Trail Crew

On March 21 through 24, 2003, eight members of the volunteer VWA Trail Crew made a return trip to the Marble Peak Trail out of Arroyo Seco in order to finish brushing the route in to Strawberry Valley. We backpacked in and spent the first night beneath the sheltering oak forest of Willow Springs Camp, then worked our way on to always-pleasant Strawberry Valley by the following evening, brushing trail as we went. On Sunday morning a quick side-trip was made up the lower end of the Black Cone Trail to take in the views and survey conditions, then the crew worked back to Willow Springs through a light spring mist, once again cutting back corridor-encroaching brush using saws and loppers. Following a cheerful evening campfire and a well-deseved night's rest, we backpacked out the following morning to our vehicles at Arroyo Seco.

VWA Trail Crew members came from far and wide to take part in this trip, with participants hailing from Big Sur, Albany, San Jose, Santa Barbara, Woodside, Marina and Atascadero. The common denominator, of course, was a deep fondness for the Ventana backcountry and a desire to help out by pitching in with a little much-needed trailwork. But as always, we had good fun as we worked hard, and look forward to the next trip.

Mike, Blaine and Mark admire Matt's "Water Sculpture" performance at Camp Creek.
Rob, Dave, Matt, Mark and Blaine settle in at Strawberry after a long day cutting brush.
John relaxes during a rest break.
	Rob and Dave fortify themselves at Strawberry for more work come the morrow.
Mark and Dave at the bottom end of a tall project.
Jon, Matt, Blaine, Mark, Dave and Rob enjoy the evening hour at Strawberry.
Blaine and Mike pause along the trail.
The crew took great care to avoid disrupting a noteworthy patch of the rare and endangered Hickman's Checkerbloom (Sidalcea Hickmannii), a CNPS list 1B plant that grows near the Marble Peak Trail corridor 1/2 mile east of Strawberry Valley.
Boon with Santa Lucia Peak in the background.