Clear path for Overlook Trail rehab project

As regular users of the 17-year-old Overlook Trail know, a few segments are showing quite a bit of wear and tear, the result of heavy use and natural erosion.

When it first opened, the trail above Sonoma’s Mountain Cemetery had about 5,000 annual visits – it now logs more than 50,000. All of those footsteps deliver a pounding that eventually damages the trail.

In some places, storm water has surged down the path instead of sheeting across and over it. The result is that the thin soil layer has been scoured down to volcanic bedrock, creating dicey footing and trip hazards.

All trails need regular maintenance but these issues are more substantial, said Jeni Nichols, co-chair of Sonoma Overlook Trail Stewards, the all-volunteer group that monitors the trail and performs routine maintenance.

The group asked noted California trail expert Don Beers, who designed the adjacent Montini trail a few years ago, to assess Overlook’s condition and advise how to improve its sustainability.

“Mr. Beers spent several days on site in 2016 and recommended some rehabilitation and restoration measures and re-routing around the most problematic areas,” Nichols said. The group decided to tackle the work in phases, beginning with the lower route, tentatively scheduled for Spring 2018.

“Thanks to our amazing donors and grants received we are able to launch these measures next Spring,” Nichols said. “We are now fully funded for the lower trail, cleared by the biological review, and ready to reroute and rehabilitate the lower trail once we have moisture in the ground.”

The project will take 10-12 weeks and includes rehabilitating the First Street West trailhead, an area that has become worn down by use and erosion. The most sustainable and safest solution is to install stone steps, Nichols said. “The Kiwanis Club of Sonoma Plaza has generously agreed to help fund this work.”

Another element of the repairs is to reroute part of the lower trail to avoid a badly degraded, rocky segment. The new section will better follow the contours of the land to create a safer, more gradual climb up the hill. Meanwhile the old path will be restored back to a natural condition.

SOTS leads a free community hike Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m. at the Overlook Trail Kiosk. A trail docent will point out the reroutes that are planned for the trail. For more information contact: [email protected].