A New TPT Milestone… The Tahoe Pyramid Trail recently completed its first-ever major trail repair and upgrade.
The Work: (see the project’s progression photos at end of this blog post)
Installed over 300’/100yds of new trail surface downstream of the Farad/Hwy 80 exit/trail access point.
The Problem and Some Background on this Trail Section:
This section of trail was first built over a boulder field in 2015. The process included installing Gabion cages over the boulders. Then back-filling with coarse gravel and compacting to create a usable trail surface.
Over the years, loosening and shifting gravel exposed the metal cages. This created an uneven surface that was difficult to ride, hike, and run through.
The Repairs and Upgrades:
To correct this situation, we removed the old gravel. Then placed Geotextile fabric over the existing cages. After which we installed a 4″ thick by 36” wide strip of “Green Road Base” (32 cubic yards total). The new Green Base material was then compacted to create the final new smooth trail surface.
Logistics Challenge: The Green Base delivery at the Farad exit was 900′ (300 yards) from the work area.
Leadership & Planning:
Bill von Phul led the project planning and execution. As VP of “Trail Construction & Maintenance”, he coordinated equipment, labor, and materials. This included hiring a four-man crew from Rock and Rose Nursery & Landscape in Truckee to perform the work.
Using both manual and motorized wheelbarrows, the work crew hauled the new material to the repair area. Then the work of spreading and compacting took place.
The original estimate was for 4 days to move the 32 yards of material and complete the work. In an unexpected turn, the work was completed ahead of schedule in only 3 days!
Project Funding:
The funds for this work came from several sources:
- Income from the Tahoe Pyramid Trail Endowment
- Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s Nature Fund
- The Tahoe Donner Giving Fund
- The Renown Foundation
The Project’s Progression in Photos:
