SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – State parks throughout California are in clean up mode after a devastating winter and a busy hiking season ahead.
The Steep Ravine Trail in Marin County's Mount Tamalpais State Park is a popular hike among locals and out of town visitors. But, for the past few months, the area has been closed due to a fallen redwood that crashed through a foot bridge.
Officials are now using this time to revamp nine bridges that are found along the trail.
"If we don't update this infrastructure, we have public safety issues, we have environmental damage issues," said Mike Nelson, trail manager for California State Parks in the Bay Area.
During this year's rainy season, 38 atmospheric rivers hit California with intense downpours, high winds, lightning and thunder. At one point in time, more than 100 parks were closed statewide. The State Department of Parks and Recreation is still assessing damage and coming up with cost estimates.
"Given the magnitude, it's probably going to be a multi-year recovery," Nelson said. "There's no one significant issue that is dominating, but there's just an accumulation of small damages that really they take time to repair."
Mount Tam stood right in the line of fire during the atmospheric rivers that rocked the Bay Area. Despite the drastic conditions, crews have been working hard since January to repair the trails beloved by all.
"The only thing that stopped us from working out here were really high wind days where, you know, there's potential for tree fall or branch or limb failure," said Nelson. "The day we had snow on Mount Tam, the crew was out here working, building the bridges, rechecking bridges, hiking in, hiking out lumber. Through all of the events that everybody's witnessed, crews have been out here in their rain gear, hiking along and working hard."
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