Recently, signage was completed to guide hikers, runners, and mountain bikers through the section of the Lake Siskiyou Trail that runs through the campground. Previously, it was easy to get confused and lost in that area, especially for out-of-towners. Now, a combination of brown signs with text and arrows, along with small, green signs with hiker icons and arrows create a clear path for travelers. The “Beach Loop” segment is particularly scenic and pretty.
Thanks to Tim Holt, Mike Feil, and Sean Feil for repairing a short segment of the trail between Tauhindauli Park and the Botanical Gardens in Dunsmuir. The trail runs along a rather steep slope that is subject to erosion when it rains, especially at the base of a large fir tree. We fixed it last year, but it has suffered more damage because of the wet year we had. Photos show the angled trail just below the tree’s roots, the placement of some boulders, followed by gravel to recreate a flat, smooth path. Let’s hope we get a few years out of this repair .
After receiving a gracious OK from the landowner (George Kay) to create a safe crossing over a spillway on Quail Hill, MSTA volunteers placed lumber and ropes today. A second small walkway was placed uphill at another crossing. Shown are the workers (one nut in the creek) and our first, happy (and safer) hiker.
Today, five lunatics assembled at the Parks Creek Trailhead to install a new kiosk adjacent to the brand, new pit toilets. It was the usual group from the Mt. Shasta Trail Association, along with Forrest Coots from the US Forest Service. We tripped over one another, argued over how to dig the holes and place the posts, and generally had a great time. Shown are Glenn Harvey and John Schuyler mixing cement while Forrest Coots supervises, and Mark Telegin touching up the results. Shockingly, it all came out well, and we’ll be placing the panels and maps soon.
This morning, a dozen community-minded folks showed up to remove the weeds and overgrown sweet pea behind the library and leading into Sisson Meadow. I miscalculated the size of the job, but we cut and slashed a huge amount of vegetation left from the wet winter.
Many thanks to Carol Simpson, Larry Dabrois, Molly Breitmun, Glenn Harvey, David Tucker, Will McCleary, Adam Henson, and Laura and Jessica (sorry, I don’t have their last names). Don’t forget our superheroes of illegal encampment eradication, Perry Sims and Todd Cory; they removed the slash screens that provided cover for several camps, and hauled out garbage left by the transients.
At the end, a somewhat crazed Molly said, “This was fun! When are we gonna come back and finish the job?”
Love your spirit and enthusiasm, Molly.
JH
I’ve been avoiding this for some time, but recently forced myself to walk behind the MS Library to check out the growth of weeds, bushes, trees, etc. It looks like a jungle, and a huge fire hazard (see photos). It’s been chosen as one of the top priorities by our “crazy old men” group of MSTA workers for a cleanup.
Please consider showing up on Saturday morning, Sept. 14, at 9 am to weed whack, cut, trim, rake, and generally thrash the area behind the library, extending toward Sisson Meadow.
This will be mostly light work. We’ll need weed whackers, hedge trimmers, clippers, loppers, and lots of people to rake up the slash into piles that can be burned when the cool, moist weather arrives.
To do this right, we’re gonna need about 20 volunteers, so start beating the bushes (no pun intended) for helpers. As usual, you don’t need to commit to any amount of time. Come and go as you wish; we’ll be grateful.
Thanks,
JH
PS: If you agree to come, I’ll bring whatever refreshments/snacks you want (just contact me with requests)! When I bring donuts, no one eats them, and then I have to snarf them all.
On June 26, 2019, forty volunteers got together to clean up several areas southeast of Grocery Outlet near the truck stop on Vista Drive off I-5. The team included the Mt. Shasta Trail Association, Clean and Safe Mt. Shasta, Gear Up of Weed (organized by Kelsea Ochs), and citizens of Weed and Mt. Shasta. The City of Weed Public Works Dept. contributed a huge dump truck, a flatbed truck, and a loader with jaws.
The first two photos show some of the mess before our tenacious volunteers got started.
Then, everyone got to work.
Without the help of the Weed Public Works guys, we couldn’t have moved the massive pile of heavy stuff.
Many thanks to all who participated.
On Friday, July 12,
we cut, drilled, and collated 100 birdhouses for the giveaway to be handled by Raven Tree store in Mt. Shasta. Thanks to all who participated, esp. Tom Ravizza for creating the model and templates and buying wood, and Kendra Bainbridge (of Raven Tree) for buying hardware and lunch.
On July 1, 11 volunteers dug, raked, and cleaned up the Chalet Trail segment of the Lake Siskiyou Trail. This is a gem of a trail
which you should walk if you haven’t. Park across from the resort tennis courts on W.A. Barr Rd. and drop into the trail on the north end of the parking lot near the pit toilet.
Over the past two years, there has been a big problem with transient encampments in the Mt. Shasta City Park, with hidden campsites and mounds of garbage, sleeping bags, clothing, tents, etc. Since Clean and Safe Mt. Shasta and the Trail Association joined forces with the Mt. Shasta Police Dept., thinning of overgrown brush and prohibiting overnight camping have made a big difference. Numerous encampments were removed, and when I rode my bike through the park on June 25, 2019, I couldn’t find a single encampment. This is how the trails looked on the west side of the river.
JH
