Why is it so hard to stay off new trails that are still closed?
It costs $40,0000-$50,000 per mile to build trails in the Gateway System! When first finished, the trails are soft and easily wrecked by usage before the rain comes. That’s why we place tape and closure signs across the entries to the trails. Despite this, poachers are tearing out the tape and destroying the signs, then riding or hiking. And they’re not just out-of-towners.
WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUILD THESE TRAILS TWICE!!!!
Be patient. Please respect the fundraising, environmental work, administrative hassles, and construction that go into this $2 million project. There are plenty of trails to use right now. Don’t be the yo-yo who steps over or removes tape and signs. Don’t hike, bike, or horseback ride until the trails are open. And motorcyclists, the power and weight of your bikes destroys our trails very quickly, so please, please, use the many approved roads outside of Gateway (not to mention the danger of motos on trails).
List of closed trails (as of 12 Sept, 2024):
- All of the trails in the Learning Zone
- Deadwood
- Magma
- The very bottom of Bear Springs from Road 31 to the Mt. Shasta Blvd
To be clear: this was written by John Harch, not John Schuyler.