The People of the Land Trust: Ralph Hendrix

Ralph Hendrix (right) on a volunteer trail crew on the Donner Lake Rim Trail.

To say that Ralph Hendrix is an MVP volunteer for the Truckee Donner Land Trust is a huge understatement. Ralph can consistently be found helping out on the Donner Lake Rim Trail or our Royal Gorge Trails dating back to the 1990s, putting in tons of work to make and maintain trails for everyone to enjoy. 

“Volunteers are the backbone of our trail program, and Ralph has been an absolute stalwart in getting trails like the Donner Lake Rim Trail Built,” said Kevin Starr, stewardship coordinator for the Land Trust. 

His time volunteering goes back to the early days of both the Land Trust and the Donner Lake Rim Trail in the mid 90s.

“I can’t remember what it was – if it was something from the Land Trust, or something in the Sierra Sun way back when, where I first learned about the Donner Lake Rim Trail – this idea of a trail going all the way around Donner Lake, and for some reason that really caught my fancy,” Ralph said.

He started volunteering on trail days in Johnson Canyon, coming down from his cabin on Donner Summit to stretch the ribbon of trail little by little moving rock, dirt and working through dense brush.

“it was such a great experience working with the other volunteers and the Land Trust staff, I really had no trail building experience but what we built was very rewarding,” Ralph said. “It’s just great to see your progress, and to see the benefits of our work.”

Ralph grew up camping in the Sierra with his family, and remembers visits to Meadow Lake where he passed by Perazzo Meadows and Webber Lake – then marked as private property – and is happy to see those places protected and open to the public.

“I think the Land Trust does so many different things that people can support,” Ralph said. “I would tell other potential supporters to find something that you’re excited about and get involved.”

Note: This is part of a series of stories the Land Trust will tell over the coming months about the people that make our organization tick – from board members and staff members to volunteers. See last month’s feature on Board President Aparna Reddy here.