Public Asks for Montara Mountain Access Plan from San Mateo County, GGNRA and Other Agencies after Emergency Grading and Work Truck Driver Issues

I am concerned about the recent activity on Montara Mountain by our state agencies and private companies who use it as a resource. This summer, a project was rushed through an emergency approval process to improve the main trail that leads to the north peak area where various commercial and government towers are located. The stated goal was to improve access to these areas for trucks to ascend to the towers at the top in case of storm damage. The main dirt road was regraded and acres of brush and plants were destroyed to create more space and turnouts for trucks. In my opinion it has accomplished very little other than to destroy the native vegetation and mar the landscape in ways that made it nearly unrecognizable in places.

After just the few rainstorms we’ve had so far this fall and winter, I’ve seen the trail surface already have deep culverts dug into it as happens every year from the storms. The summer project to improve the trail has a accomplished nothing as a result as the engineering approach they took did not work. 

 

There needs to be a different plan for the mountain going forward and more regulation of who should be allowed up there and in what type of vehicles.

 

Two weeks ago, a PG&E crew truck tried to drive up the main trail, taking the long way around the bottom and not taking the steep route from the ranger station.  The truck hit a section of trail that was not wide enough to accommodate it and then got stuck with front and rear right wheels falling into the ravine. They had to have a tow truck pull them out. I noticed at three sections on that trail that the truck hit trees in the canopy and ripped whole limbs off the trees. The PG&E truck was the type with the ladder and bucket and was very tall even when not extended. I cannot imagine why there was a need for a PG&E truck to be driving up there and why they had an inexperienced driver who was obviously not familiar with the route doing the driving.

 

We need more oversight of the mountain access in general.

 

The trail as it existed before the summer emergency grading project was done was accessible to normal 4WD vehicles with experienced drivers. They’ve been driving up there for decades without major issue. The work that was done has not improved access in any meaningful way, and now we have inexperienced drivers ripping up the trees because they seem to think they should be driving up there.

 

I ask that the Midcoast Community Council, San Mateo County and other relevant agencies come up with a more comprehensive plan for managing access to Montara Mountain. Montara Mountain is a precious resource that needs to be protected from misuse and mismanagement.