[rodeogulchbroadband] Neighborhood hiking trails

Dear Neighbors,
our neighbor Rich Gellert at the end of Suncrest Dr (near the top of Hidden Valley Rd) started an excellent initiative to restore an old trail from Suncrest Dr down to the Chaminade. This trail needs widening and clearing of poison oak, stinging nettle and brambles. Rich has created a fund to pay a crew to do the work in about 4 days. He and his foreman budgeted the project at $1600.
Fourteen (14) families along Hidden Valley Rd have already pledged $100 each to the fund. I'd thought I post this to a wider set of neighbors as I know that many of you hike in our neighborhood. The Ponza Ln - Hidden Valley Rd - N Rodeo Gulch Rd for example is a popular loop. This new trail opens up the possibility to hike from Ponza Ln to the Chaminade and back.
If you like the support this initiative I urge you to get in touch with Rich Gellert by email at info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or by phone 477-1968 (home). I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a network of hiking trails in our valley. 

I'd like to end this email with Rich's description of the project.

   I have a couple of very hard working people that help me with
   various projects around my land. My lead guy, Miguel, is an amazing
   worker and very honest and dedicated. I could ask him to round up 2
   others that are not allergic to poison oak for a couple days of
   trail work. I will provide all equipment as well as food and drinks.
   I will lead the expedition along with them and we will spend four 8
   hour days clearing trail. We can get a lot done in that time. I can
   create 2-3 access points for the trail network off Hidden Valley and
   Suncrest and once complete post maps to everyone. We could even put
   up mile markers on signs and posts.

   I pay my lead guy, Miguel, $18 an hour and the others $15 an hour.
   So the total for labor for four 8 hour days of work would be $1536.
   Add $100 for food for the 4 days and the grand total would be $1636.
   I will provide my services for free as well as gas, oil, chains,
   etc..... If just 16 families put $100 in each we could have it done.
   Or fewer families could put up more $$ to achieve the goal. Either
   way it's not a lot to ask for a huge potential gain.  We would have
   a 6 foot wide trail free of poison oak, brambles, nettle and mainly
   ticks...... My goal would be to rake the cut up brush and branches
   and get down to the dirt so we can start packing it down and
   creating a real trail!

   If everyone agrees please confirm to this email and reply to all.
   You could send or drop off the checks or cash to me at 210 Suncrest
   Drive, Soquel, CA 95073 and once I have the funds I will begin the
   project.

   This seems like the simplest and most efficient way to do things as
   opposed to trying to coordinate people's schedules and take time out
   of people's weekends. So what do you all think?

   Oh, very important: most of the trails are either on my land,
   Chaminades, or the corridor along Arana Creek that belongs to the
   city or county. There may be a few bits that are on private land but
   only on the fringes and away from houses so no one would be bothered.

   Thanks for your time and here's to happy hiking!!!

--
*Bart Teeuwisse* // =bartt <http://bit.ly/thecodemill> // (831) 480-5106
twitter: bartt <http://bit.ly/bartt-twitter> // linkedin: bartt <http://linkd.in/bartt-linkedin>

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