The Mount Shasta Trail Association invites you to participate in the 2020 Trail Challenge. This year’s challenge features 10 trails that highlight the beauty and uniqueness of our area.
It is an excellent opportunity to participate in an event
that naturally socially distances participants while being part of a larger group
event. This is a great opportunity for
families to have many outdoor experiences together.
You have until Aug. 31st to complete 8 of the hikes listed on the passport. The first 70 people to complete their will receive a Hydro Flask tumbler! For more details and links to individual trail guides visit our 2020 Trail Challenge page, or download and print out your passport here.
On Saturday, May 30, MSTA is
partnering with the Boy Scouts and Crystal Geyser to weed and clean up the area
around the Spring Hill Trailhead. The Boy Scouts will arrive about 8 am, set
up, and begin working. The rest of us can show up then, or around 9 when things
are organized. We’ll keep appropriate distances, and you can wear a mask if you
like.
Bring weed whackers, rakes, gloves,
and water (or just use our tools). I suspect we’ll have a big enough group that
it won’t take long.
There are some very pretty dogwoods blooming on the Gateway Trail right now, especially on the Foundation Trail segment. On foot, the easiest way to access that area is to walk up the gravel road (east) from the Gateway Trailhead (approx. 3/8 mile), then turn right at the signs for the Foundation Trail. It’s about another 3/8 of a mile in. This photo was taken on 5/6/20, and the doggies are even more spectacular today.
Yesterday, the second of
three new kiosks was installed along the Lake Siskiyou Trail by MSTA volunteers,
near the restrooms at North Shore. Soon, permanent maps (with “Your Are Here” designations)
will be placed on the kiosks to identify the entire lake trail.
Why can’t we install the
third, new kiosk in the campground? The
story will follow in another posting, and you will be mad, fighting mad.
Today, about 20 volunteers
gathered off Hwy 89 to clean up some illegal dump sites. This energetic group,
aided by three dump trailers (thanks to Sean Doyle, Buzz Knight, and Ruth
Altes) removed tons of garbage in 40 minutes. Refuse removal has turned into a
sport! One photo shows a volunteer who’s having so much fun she appears to be
dancing.
This past week, two work
events happened that improved our little city. On Wed., April 22, over 20
people showed up to pick up garbage (yes, there’s nothing like removing trash
to get these folks excited). The group searched every nook and cranny on N. MS
Blvd. from Alma to the freeway, then along Spring Hill Rd. to the dump, and on
Abrams Lake to the Graffiti Bridge. Six pickup loads of junk were taken to the
dump. We were such good social distancers!
On Sat., April 25, about 20
determined people showed up to assist Terez Maniatis (of Native Grounds
Nursery) and the Beautification Committee of MS in weeding, raking, and
cleaning the median strip on Lake St. We’ll look back on the attached photo and
laugh about wearing masks while working, but it’s the responsible thing to do.
Stuck in your house because of
Covid-19? No problem. Let’s get out and clean up Mt. Shasta.
The Mt. Shasta Trail Association and Clean and Safe Mt.
Shasta are having a socially distant Earth Day cleanup on Wednesday, April 22,
2020, at 9 am. We’ll meet at the corner of Alma St. and N. Mt. Shasta Blvd.
Anyone approaching closer than 6 ft. will be slapped with a gloved 2X4.
We’ll split into groups of one (or more if you bring family
members) and spread out heading north on Mt. Shasta Blvd. and Spring Hill Rd.
We plan to clean up all the way to the dump. Dump fees will be covered, so
don’t worry about gathering a big load of garbage.
This will be more fun than when the hogs ate my brother.
In recent years, the MSTA has
spent Earth Day in Castle Crags State Park clearing trails, thinning brush,
rebuilding the theatre in the campground, etc. It is usually a big event, with
30 or 40 volunteers from a variety of communities.
This year we’ve had to cancel
the event due to social distancing requirements. But Mark Telegin, ever the
eager workhorse, suggested we have “Earth Day on your own.” He wants to
encourage everyone to get out on their favorite trails, trim encroaching brush,
rake leaves or pine needles, and pick up trash. Or, just look for problems,
take pictures, and report it to MSTA so we can get crews out there when it’s
safe to be together again.
You should know that the USFS
has closed their public lands to all volunteer work (for the same reason), so
those are the areas to take photos and make reports (unless you just can’t stop
yourself from picking up that discarded beer can!).
Attached is a photo of two
Marks (Telegin and Foster) working in Castle Crags State Park last year, where
a major thinning/cleanup was done.
The Mount Shasta Trail
Association (MSTA), in partnership with the Forest Service and Bike Shasta, is
pleased to announce work has begun on the expansion of the Gateway Trail
network.
This project, located on
national forest system lands administered by the Shasta McCloud Management
Unit, will add 46.5 miles of multi-use non-motorized trail to the existing
Gateway trails. While the final trails will be open to hikers, equestrians,
trail runners and bikers, the primary use is expected to be mountain
biking. Thus, the trails are being
located, designed and built, meeting USFS trail standards, with mountain biking
in mind.
District Ranger Carolyn
Napper approved the project on October 18, 2019, after a thorough review of all
applicable environmental requirements and the Forest Plan for the
Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Funding
the planning effort came from a variety of partners and grantors, including
BikeShasta, the McConnell Foundation, the Mountain Wheelers, and the Mount
Shasta Trail Association – truly a project with the community pulling together!
On-the-ground trail
construction under direction from the Forest Service is being coordinated by the
MSTA and Trail Labs, CO., a small business owned by internationally-known trail
designer Andrew Pellkofer. The initial work is the clearing of vegetation from
the trail construction corridor, making way for future building of the trail
itself. On-the-ground construction of
the trails by Trail Labs, CO. is expected to begin later this year. Trail Labs has hired local labor to conduct
these activities. Completion of the
project is expected to take 4-5 years.
At this time, work is
proceeding with strict COVID-19 safety precautions. While the post-COVID-19 future is unclear,
the Mt. Shasta Trail Association, Bike Shasta and the Forest Service are
pleased to share this good news with the community. Construction of the Gateway Trails will be a
major contribution to outdoor recreation around Mt. Shasta. As we move forward on this project, we expect
that it will contribute significantly to Mt. Shasta City’s reputation as a hub
for muscle-powered and trail-based recreation.
When things get back to normal, these fantastic trails will be there for
everyone’s enjoyment.
Trail Corridor Clearing by A Crew From The Deadwood CDCR Camp
The Mount Shasta Trail Association has postponed the annual meeting until further notice. In order to complete the 2019 Trail Challenge event and maintain social distancing, we decided to draw the special prize winner today. We would like to congratulate Katy Ostrowski! The special prize this year is a $150 gift certificate for the Fifth Season.
The Mount Shasta Trail Association would still like to
celebrate your accomplishment at our annual meeting. We will announce the date
of the meeting in a few weeks.
If you are interested in participating in the 2020 Trail Challenge, the new passport will be available at the Siskiyou Science Festival in downtown Mount Shasta on May 16th. The passports will be distributed at MSTA orienteering booth.
