A group of six, hard-working American Conservation Experience (ACE) members recently spent a week at Archer Taylor Preserve in an effort to repair the Maggie’s Peak and Old Tin Cabin trails.
The American Conservation Experience is a non-profit that provides real-world conservation work to young people from all over the United States, lending a hand to groups who may need help with projects like wildlife surveys, trail maintenance or watershed restoration.
Part of the team’s work week involved improving the traction of the trails and clearing debris left over from the past winter. The other part involved replacing fire-damaged steps on the sometimes steep switchbacks.
Using wood logs for the steps, the crew drilled pilot holes through each one, then drove rebar stakes through the holes to anchor them to the trail; rigorous work, considering the tools and materials needed to do the job. After all was said and done, the ACE crew replaced over 70 steps.
Many of the trails and much of the land at Archer Taylor Preserve sustained fire damage during the October 2017 North Bay wildfires. The Land Trust has been busy restoring what we can and replacing what’s needed at the preserve now that the weather is better. As trail signs and step repairs near completion, staff and local experts will continue assessing any other potential areas in need of work with visitor safety in mind.
Land Trust of Napa County wants to say thanks for the hard work of ACE crew members along with our caretakers Liz and Jaye as we work toward re-opening the preserve. While some repairs have been delayed and a definitive re-opening date has not been determined yet, please stay tuned via our website and social media for updates on our progress.
