MT Sobek volunteers are back out on the trail, this time returning to Pinnacles National Park in Central California. Pinnacles is one of America’s newest national parks (2013), born of fire some 23 million years ago when volcanoes erupted and lava flooded the landscape. Today, visitors can journey along its stunning woodland and rock trails, and marvel at the rock spires which give the park its name.
For this project, MT Sobek volunteers tackled a section of the North Wilderness Trail that hadn’t been touched in about five years. The team used clippers to trim back overhanging branches and brush, and groomed the trail with rakes to establish a clear pathway. Small cairns were also created to help guide hiker’s in the right direction. They made good progress throughout the day and rocked their rattlesnake gaiters!
MT Sobek volunteer, Susannah Starr, said, “One of the most rewarding aspects of this project came at the very end when our park coordinator told us that in our 4 to 5 hours of work we had accomplished something that would benefit the park for years.”
After the project was finished, the group explored the park, visiting Bear Gulch Cave and Balconies Cave. With just enough scrambling and the need for head lamps it felt like a small adventure. Watching the sun set over Bear Gulch Reservoir was the perfect end to a rewarding day outdoors.
Want to get involved in future restoration projects?
There is a Volunteer Coordinator at every National Park in the country, and anyone can form a group and volunteer depending on the season. For example, Pinnacles NP does not do projects in the summer because it is too hot. There are also public work days that any individual or group can volunteer for, too. When you’re a private group, though, as we were, some parks will also offer you a campsite in return for the work. You can find more information at Volunteers-In-Parks.