Remember everyone: the International Mountain Biking Association trail building workshop in Mount Shasta happens this Friday evening and Saturday, May 11 and 12, 2012.

This is a great way to learn about how trails are built and how they can help our local community and economy.

Get all the details here!

The Siskiyou Cycling and Trails Tourism Forum will be a great event. We need your help and input to help use our natural beauty and our trails to boost tourism. It’s happening May 16 and 17, 2012 at Mt. Shasta Ski Park (the 16th) and in Yreka (the 17th).

The Mount Shasta Trail Association Presents:

IMBA Trail Building Workshop: May 11th and 12th, 2012

201 N Mount Shasta Blvd, Mount Shasta, CA 96067

Overview:

1. Presentation on the economic benefits of trails (Friday evening, 7pm @ Black Bear Gallery)
2. Classroom workshop on essential trail building elements (Saturday morning, 9am-12n)
3. Field instruction and hands-on trail building workshop (Saturday afternoon, 12.30-3pm)

Friday May 11 @ 7pm at the Black Bear Gallery (upstairs)

Join us for a presentation by IMBA crew on the economic benefits of recreational trails in small towns and an update on the construction of the Gateway Trail and future plans.

Saturday May 12 @ 9am-3pm: meet at the Black Bear Gallery (upstairs), Lunch provided!

IMBA’s Trail Building School teaches IMBA’s philosophies and trains local volunteers and land managers on how to build and maintain sustainable trails.  The school involves a classroom session in the morning and a hands-on workshop in the afternoon.  Elements covered:

• Introduction to the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew
• Trail building theory
• Essential elements of sustainable trials
• Designing the trail
• Rerouting and reclaiming trails
• Advanced trail construction techniques

*Morning will be spent in classroom and then we will carpool to Gateway Trail for a hands-on building clinic.  Please plan on attending both classroom and outdoor sessions.

Who Should Attend this Workshop?

• Any trail user (bike, pedestrian, equestrian, etc.)
• People interested in or tasked with trail design, building and maintenance, such as land managers and city planners
• Community service: those who oversee a community service program, those who need to complete a community service project
• Anyone who would like to understand the elements for trail sustainability
• High school mountain biking teams and local scout troops
• Cycling teams, urban planners, parks and recreation majors, etc.

Lunch and Tools Included!

The Mount Shasta Trail Association will provide all tools necessary for the hands-on trail building workshop and also provide lunch for all participants. Please bring appropriate work clothes, shoes, rain gear, gloves, etc.

For More Information: Contact Andrew Braugh, 530-440-5921 or drewbraugh@gmail.com

The Mount Shasta Trail Association Presents: International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) Trail Building Workshop: May 11 and 12, 2012

Upstairs at the Black Bear Gallery – 201 N Mount Shasta Blvd, Mount Shasta, CA 96067

Overview:

1. Presentation on the economic benefits of trails (Friday 7pm @ Black Bear Gallery)
2. Classroom workshop on essential trail building elements (Saturday morning, 9am-12n)
3. Field instruction and hands-on trail building workshop (Saturday afternoon, 12.30-3pm)

Friday May 11 @ 7pm at the Black Bear Gallery (upstairs)

Join us for a presentation by IMBA crew on the economic benefits of recreational trails in small towns and an update on the construction of the Gateway Trail and future plans.

Saturday May 12 @ 9am-3pm: meet at the Black Bear Gallery (upstairs), Lunch provided!

IMBA’s Trail Building School teaches IMBA’s philosophies and trains local volunteers and land managers on how to build and maintain sustainable trails.  The school involves a classroom session in the morning and a hands-on workshop in the afternoon.  Elements covered:

• Introduction to the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew
• Trail building theory
• Essential elements of sustainable trials
• Designing the trail
• Rerouting and reclaiming trails
• Advanced trail construction techniques

*Morning will be spent in classroom and then we will carpool to Gateway Trail for a hands-on building clinic.  Please plan on attending both classroom and outdoor sessions.

Who Should Attend this Workshop?

• Any trail user (bike, pedestrian, equestrian, etc.)
• People interested in or tasked with trail design, building and maintenance, such as land managers and city planners
• Community service: those who oversee a community service program, those who need to complete a community service project
• Anyone who would like to understand the elements for trail sustainability
• High school mountain biking teams and local scout troops
• Cycling teams, urban planners, parks and recreation majors, etc.

Lunch and Tools Included!

The Mount Shasta Trail Association will provide all tools necessary for the hands-on trail building workshop and also provide lunch for all participants. Please bring appropriate work clothes, shoes, rain gear, gloves, etc.

For More Information: Contact Andrew Braugh, 530-440-5921 or drewbraugh@gmail.com

Here’s the May 2012 schedule for the Siskiyou Wanderers (reprinted with permission)

May 3: Cinco de Mayo Celebration: Let’s trudge around and/or over the Cinder Cone east of Hwy 97. Work up an appetite on the ‘forever hill’! Then bring your tired bodies, sombreros, cervezas & chicharrones to Suzanne’s & Igor’s hacienda for an inauthentic south of the boarder hoedown around 1pm. Taco fixings will be provided, bring a side dish or dessert to share.
AD: 8-9 miles THE: 3800′ AEG: 2200′ PMP: A-12/Hwy 97 T: 9:00 am.

May 10: Bluestone Ark (aka Weiss Ranch): Jeff & Cindy Weiss live gently on 275 acres with solar & wind power. They’ve protected the land from grazing and other domestic animals allowing nature to redevelop the hillsides with an unexpected diversity of wildflowers in Shasta Valley. This year we plan to hike south to Terwilliger Peaks for amazing views & unique rock formations. (Sorry – No Dogs)
AD: 6+ miles THE: 2780′ AEG: 1000′ PMP: Montague Statue T: 9:00 am.

May 17: Cabin Creek aka Squaw Valley Creek: Richard will usher us through a botanical jungle of fir, cedar, Pacific yew, vinemaple, dogwood (should be blooming) oak, fern, iris and Indian rhubarb along this creekside loop trail.
AD: 6-11 miles THE: 2600′ AEG: 2000′ PMP: Mt Shasta Fish Hatchery T: 9:00 am.

May 24: Coquette Falls: Suzanne and Igor will take us to explore a remote and abandoned logging track up the northwest side of Mt Shasta to Upper Coquette Falls (probably dry, leave your swimsuits at home). Lot’s of driving on Forest Service dirt roads. Pack your lunch as the taco stand is closed for the season!
AD: 6-12 miles THE: AEG: 1200-2400′ PMP: A-12/Hwy 97 T: 9:00am

May 31: Castle Dome: Karl will keep us motivated as we conquer this challenging trail that climbs through a pine/fir canopy all the way to the dome where spectacular views and a sense of accomplishment will reward us. Only those with gear & experience (aka Flo) can summit the dome. The rest of us will proudly wait for our breath to catch up to us at the base. (I’m not sure about dogs on this hike?)
AD: 6 miles THE: 2750′ AEG: 1950 PMP: Mt Shasta Fish Hatchery T: 9:00am

Legend to the Schedule:

AD: Approximate round trip distance.
THE: Trailhead elevation.
AEG: Approximate elevation gain.
PMP: Principal meeting place.
T: Meeting time at PMP.
DDT: Drive Distance to Trailhead

For More Details…

Visit the Siskiyou Wanderers website here.

And There’s Also the Siskiyou Meanderers

These folks hike most Fridays. For more information contact Benita and Neal Clark at 926-2424.

Here’s the April 2012 schedule for the Siskiyou Wanderers (reprinted with permission)

Apr 5: Snow Day: Let’s take advantage of all the recent fresh snow!
AD: 3-5 miles THE: 7000′+/- AEG: 500 + PMP: Mt Shasta Fish Hatchery T: 9:00 am.

Apr 12: Burstarse Falls: Let’s hike to this beautiful & secluded waterfall with extensive views of Castle Crags massive granite spires along a trail through a mixed forest of conifers. There could be emerging poison oak near the creek.
AD: 6.5 miles THE: 2300′ AEG: 1000′ PMP: Mt Shasta Fish Hatchery T: 9:00 am.

Apr 19: Mt Shasta City Park/Spring Hill Trail: The Wanderers & the Meanderers will have a joint hike & potluck. Bring your place setting, beverage & potluck dish to share. It’s a Hawaiian shirt theme. Be colorful!! The lodge will be open for those who don’t wish to hike.
AD: 3-5 miles THE: 3200′ AEG: +/- 400′ PMP: Mt Shasta City Park Lodge T: 9:00 am

Apr 26: Riverview: A hike from the Pioneer bridge along the Shasta River north of Yreka. This may be a mountain goat climb to the hilltop where there is a logbook to sign. Al tells me to stay left of the ridge to avoid the need for a machete on the final assault to the top. Hiking sticks & solid shoes advised.
AD: 6+/- miles THE: 2400′ AEG: unknown PMP: Yreka Mall T: 9:00 am

Legend to the Schedule:

AD: Approximate round trip distance.
THE: Trailhead elevation.
AEG: Approximate elevation gain.
PMP: Principal meeting place.
T: Meeting time at PMP.
DDT: Drive Distance to Trailhead

For More Details…

Visit the Siskiyou Wanderers website here.

And There’s Also the Siskiyou Meanderers

These folks hike most Fridays. For more information contact Benita and Neal Clark at 926-2424.

The Shasta Land Trust has spearheaded the effort to create the Great Shasta Rail Trail, and there’s been major recent progress. Here’s an excerpt from the Redding Record Searchlight:

The owner of the McCloud River Railroad agreed Thursday to donate and sell 80 miles of railroad right of way to a Redding nonprofit agency that plans to turn the strip of land into a recreation trail.

Railroad owner Jeff Forbis of Mount Shasta said he donated to the Shasta Land Trust two-thirds of the appraised value of the land, which he said was worth close $1.5 million.

“I’m really glad that it’s going to be preserved as a trail and there’s going to be some historical and recreational aspects to it,” Forbis said.

The land trust recently was awarded a $350,000 grant from the state Transportation Commission to buy the property. Ben Miles, executive director of the land trust, said that over the next couple years, his agency will try to raise the rest of the purchase money through grants from federal, state and private agencies.

Read the rest of the story here.

Great Shasta Rail Trail Press Release…

Shasta Land Trust (SLT) and our partners proudly announce an agreement has been signed to purchase a railroad right-of-way between McCloud (in Siskiyou County) and Burney (in Shasta County), a property known as the McCloud Railway. The agreement, signed by SLT and the property’s owner, 4 Rails, Inc, will ultimately lead to establishment of a public “rail-trail” on the property and is an important milestone following many years of efforts by several local non-profit organizations and 4 Rails. The negotiated purchase price is well below the appraised fair market value of the property, constituting a considerable donation of value by the seller.

Established in the late 1800’s, McCloud River Railroad Company was purchased in 1992 by 4 Rails, which is owned by Siskiyou County resident Jeff Forbis. In 2005, the railroad (then operating as McCloud Railway Company) filed for abandonment of that portion of their property between McCloud and Burney. Save Burney Falls, a local non-profit organization, temporarily halted the abandonment process by formally requesting permission to convert the right-of-way into a public trail using a tool called “railbanking.” Railbanking was created in the National Trails System Act by act of Congress and allows the right-of-way to be sold to an organization that will preserve the property and manage it for public use and public benefit, until it is again needed for railroad use.

Concerned citizens and local organizations formed a partnership in 2009 in order to acquire the right-of-way and convert it to a public recreation trail, called the Great Shasta Rail Trail (GSRT). This group, called the “Core Team,” consists of SLT, Save Burney Falls, McCloud Local First Network, the Volcanic Legacy Community Partnership, and McCloud Trail Association.

The multi-use GSRT will benefit Siskiyou and Shasta counties and the rural communities of McCloud and Burney by stimulating tourism and recreation related commerce, increasing neighboring property values, and attracting new businesses. Increased opportunities for outdoor exercise and recreation provided by the GSRT will improve the quality of life and offer health benefits for residents and tourists. The GSRT will also connect with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, recreational facilities on adjacent national forest land, and will link to the trails around the McCloud River Falls and McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.

This railroad right-of-way spans over 80-miles through the forested mountains of northern California and is a significant property in the history of McCloud, Burney, and the surrounding area. The McCloud River Lumber Company owned the original railroad, as well as the original ‘company town’ of McCloud. When the rails reached Burney in the early 1950’s, the town celebrated with a golden spike ceremony. The completed GSRT will be similarly embraced and enjoyed by the surrounding communities, and visitors to the area, for generations to come.

Community contributions and generous grant funding from the McConnell Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation, Burney Chamber of Commerce Donor Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation, and Shasta County Public Health Department have provided crucial support to reach this exciting milestone. Assistance provided by the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) will assist in promoting community outreach and developing trail management and uses. Fundraising efforts are underway to purchase the right-of-way.

For more information about the GSRT, please visit www.saveburneyfalls.org. To learn about the rails-to-trails process, please visit www.railstotrails.org.

The Mount Shasta Trail Association is closely following the development of the Great Shasta Rail Trail, so stay tuned!

This sounds quite interesting. Here’s the schedule for all the presentations:

This sounds really exciting! Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. at the Mount Shasta Resort.

Here’s the March 2012 schedule for the Siskiyou Wanderers (reprinted with permission):

Mar 1: Louie Rd: Yes, another road hike in Shasta Valley. We’ll stroll through rustic ranch land while gazing up at the mountain. Afterward we’ll head over to the Hart’s cozy cabin for a potluck. Theme tba. AD: 6-7 miles THE: 2600′ AEG: 400 PMP: Louie Rd exit off I-5 T: 9:00am

Mar 8: Snow Day: If snow conditions are good, let’s go over to Scott Mountain and see if we can follow the PCT out to that fantastic over-look. Check your email for possible schedule or meeting place change on this day. AD: 5-7 miles THE: 5400′ AEG: 800′ PMP: Gazelle Grange T: 9:00 am.

Mar 15: Hayden Ridge: A pleasant & scenic hike up a public road that goes through a private hunting preserve/ranch located between Callahan & Gazellle. Lush valley views from the ridge, although they may be snow covered this time of year. AD: 7-8 miles THE: 3510′ AEG: 1830′ PMP: Yreka Mall T: 9:00 am.

Mar 22: Klamath River/Ash Creek: A fairly level road hike along the Klamath River starting at the Ash Creek Bridge. AD: 8-9 miles THE: 2800′ AEG: 780′ PMP: Yreka Mall T: 9:00 am.

Mar 29: Masterson Rd: A good ole’ road hike stand-by through slightly hilly ranch lands near Callahan. If snow conditions are favorable we could swap this out for a snow day! AD: 6-7 miles THE: 3300′ AEG: 800′ PMP: Gazelle Grange T: 9:00 am.

Legend to the Schedule:

AD: Approximate round trip distance.
THE: Trailhead elevation.
AEG: Approximate elevation gain.
PMP: Principal meeting place.
T: Meeting time at PMP.
DDT: Drive Distance to Trailhead

For More Details…

Visit the Siskiyou Wanderers website here.

And There’s Also the Siskiyou Meanderers

These folks hike most Fridays. For more information contact Benita and Neal Clark at 926-2424.