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Below is information regarding a bear that is being fed near the McCloud Reservoir. The USFS is concerned that this bear will get more aggressive and eventually have to be destroyed if people keep feeding it. You can help by spreading the word and perhaps volunteering to inform the public at the site.

STRONG MESSAGE: A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

A black bear yearling has been observed near the popular boat ramp at McCloud Reservoir. The Forest Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have received reports of forest visitors feeding the bear, and as a result, the bear has become conditioned to fearlessly approach humans and their vehicles for food. The bear is old enough to forage for itself without a mother. It does NOT need supplemental feeding from people. A person knowingly feeding a black bear could be subject to criminal penalties pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 14, § 251.3.

The Forest Service is currently working with partners at CDFW to resolve this ongoing issue. In the meantime, we recommend that the public avoid the McCloud Reservoir boat ramp area. If you do choose to recreate in the area, please take the precautions:

• Do not feed the bear
• Do not leave food out and unattended
• Ensure the bear-proof trash cans are properly closed

If you are approached by the bear, CDFW recommends that you:

• Keep a safe distance. Back away slowly.
• Make yourself look bigger by lifting and waving arms.
• Make noise by yelling, using noisemakers, or whistles. If small children are present, keep them close to you.
• DO NOT run. Do not make eye contact. Let the bear leave the area on its own.
• Carry bear spray and know how to use it properly. If a black bear makes contact – fight back. Then call 9-1-1.

Any encounters can be reported through CDFW’s wildlife incident reporting system at https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir or directly to the Human-Wildlife Conflicts Specialist for Siskiyou County, Ian R. Keith (ian.keith@wildlife.ca.gov; 707-415-6120). 

Thank you for recreating responsibly. 

If you wish to help save this bear, call Daniel Hewitt (USFS Recreation Officer) at 530-926-9210.

Thanks.

Right now, there’s a terrific opportunity to enjoy some of nature’s splendor using existing and new Gateway Trails. Start at the GW Trailhead on Everitt Memorial Highway and head up the original Gateway Trail. About a half mile up, you can turn sharply left on the new Moon Doggie Trail (there’s a single, etched, plastic marker on a juniper post that says “Trail” with an arrow at that site. Turn left there instead of following the arrow straight). This entire route is covered in purple creeping sage in full bloom, as photographed by Mike Hupp (below). You can see more of his photos on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mike.hupp.581/posts/6349907108430986?notif_id=1686517095693494&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

Let’s meet at 9 am this Saturday, June 17, at the Gateway Trailhead (Everitt Memorial Hwy ½ mile north of MS High School) to install the first of the signs to identify existing and new trails! This will not be hard work. In fact, it will mainly be an opportunity to get everyone trained on how to label and install these signs. We will ultimately have about a hundred of these to place before the project is complete, but we’ll only put in about a dozen on Saturday. Below is a photo of the fiberglass signposts with a sample of the identifying stickers.

So, if you don’t like to work really hard, and want to use your brain a little, come and have some fun with us for about an hour or so.

Fourteen volunteers and 3 USFS personnel teamed up to unload several tons of signs and steel posts today. It didn’t take very long. Thanks to Shannamar, Steve D, Barbara, John, Kyle, Dave, Steve M, Rick, Marilyn, Tony, Sooz, Neil, Mark, Alan, Taylor, and Brian.

We will plan to begin sign installation as soon as we can unpack the stuff (maybe this Saturday morning). Stay tuned.

Fifteen people have already contacted me about helping unload the signs on Monday!

A POINT OF CLARIFICATION: The signs are currently in Redding, but will be shipped to the USFS Office in MS on Monday (204 W. Alma). That’s where we’ll need the help unloading, not in Redding.

Thanks to all who are planning to assist.

JH

Dear Volunteers:

$35,000 worth of signs for the Gateway II Project are sitting in Redding on six pallets. They were supposed to arrive today to be stored in a shed at the USFS Office on Alma St., but the shipper called me to say that we need to rent a forklift to offload the stuff! We don’t have a forklift available, so I postponed the shipment until Monday at about 1 pm.

Some USFS personnel are going to help us unload the stuff off the pallets in the truck, but I need about a half dozen willing volunteers to help. I think it will take us about an hour (I’m always optimistic).

CAN ANYONE HELP?

If so, please respond and give me your phone number so I can call you if the time of delivery changes.

This is a critical piece of getting all our trails completed and signed.

My phone number is 530-859-2454. Email john@harchms.com

Thanks!

JH

A couple reports came in that there was a stump below the second table jump on Lemurian Delirium (the “Jump Trail”) that was a big problem for those choosing to fly through the air with the greatest of ease on their bikes. Today, that stump became history, although I left a very small kicker on the down side in case the crazies now want to use it for a landing or launch pad. Photos show before and after from above and below.

No doubt you’re tired of hearing this, but eight of us went back up the access road on Gateway I today to remove more downed trees and brush. We think all the trees are gone. We finished most of the brushwork, with one short segment remaining for another day. Thanks to Bill, Kathleen, Mark, Chris, Todd, John, and Jim. Jim behaved today.

Chris Marrone, who never has enough hard work to do, wants to finish brush work on the Gateway access road that we started last Monday (when we took out the downed trees). Getting this finished will make maintenance of the trails much easier, including after Grinduro. We probably got 2/3 of it done already, so there’s not a mammoth job in front of us. We will carpool from the trailhead, so there will not be much hiking.

Let’s meet at 10 am on Wed, May 10 (I have a meeting with the USFS before that and it will warm up a little if we go at 10) at the Gateway Trailhead on Everitt Memorial Hwy (same place as last time). I plan to be finished by noon, especially if we get 8 or 10 people.

Sawyers: this is a good opportunity to practice your brushing skills (maybe some of the hardest of the saw skills). Also, there are a few trees left on the upper parts of Gateway I, as well as 2 small trees just below the second segment of Gateway.

Booyah!