Author: John Harch

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START GETTING EXCITED!

Most of the Gateway II Trail Expansion has been reflagged, so that the trail construction crews can locate exactly the routes through the forest. This morning, a crew of three worked in the plantation area just north and east of the Gateway Trailhead, placing orange tape on trees and dense brush. Sometimes we were crashing through manzanita 8 ft. high. We hope to begin trail construction this spring. Get your bikes and shoes ready.

John Schuyler is shown gently placing a tape on one of his favorite trees.

Mike Hupp smiles because he placed two heavy rocks in John Harch’s backpack before starting the hike.

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Trail Association Raises Nearly $23,000 on Giving Tuesday

Mt. Shasta Trail Association board members Debbie Derby and John Harch picked up a check for $22,652.73 from the Shasta Regional Community Foundation on December 18, 2019, representing the final tally for the Giving Tuesday fundraiser. Sincere thanks to so many of you who donated.

We will now focus on: 

  1. Getting construction started on the Gateway II Trail– early spring?
  2. Moving forward with the trail to Mossbrae Falls
  3. Completing the City Park to Downtown Trail

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WORK ON GATEWAY I REROUTE HAS BEGUN!

Brushing out the .7-mile section of Gateway I Trail that is being rerouted to avoid a steep segment has now started. On Thursday, Nov. 21 and Monday, Nov. 25, volunteers hiked in carrying chainsaws, loppers, pole saws, and safety gear. Andrew Pelkofer and Jenna Kane of Trail Labs Co directed the effort.

It was rough going in the dense brush of the gulley and hillside, but we didn’t care. We ripped and slashed, creating brush piles for burning. And miraculously, no injuries occurred!

Thanks for the hard work from Patty Guthrie, Davis Bowden, Neil Jacobs, Justin Schmidt, David Tucker, Brian Sindt and Brian Crane (who came from Redding representing the McConnell Foundation), Steve Russell, Becky Cooper and Steve Clark (USFS), Gary German, Carol Winston, John Schuyler, Barbara Paulson, and Todd Whitney (new to our trail crew). This volunteer effort is important not only because it advances a trail project without breaking the budget, but it sets the framework for future construction of the Gateway II Trail System (46 new miles), some of which will be built by volunteers.

Join us next time. We had fun, and got exercise on two beautiful days!

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No Need to Get Lost in the Lake Siskiyou Campground Any Longer

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.

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Eroding trail in Dunsmuir fixed again

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 .

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Safe Crossing Constructed on Quail Hill Trail

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.

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New Trailhead Kiosk Installed at Parks Creek

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.

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Library/Sisson Meadow Cleanup

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

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Mount Shasta Library Cleanup – Sept. 14 at 9 AM

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.