Congratulations go out to those that completed all of the trails included in the 2019 Trail Challenge!
The Mount Shasta Trail Association wants to celebrate these accomplishments during our annual meeting on April 2, from 6:00-8:30. The evening will begin with a social hour of appetizers and drinks. It’s a great opportunity to meet other trail enthusiasts and find out more about current and future projects. Then, near the beginning of our meeting we will have a drawing to determine the special prize winner. The location will be announced soon.
The need to close some of the Gateway Trails for public safety during thinning operations begins on Wednesday February 12th. Below is a map of the closure area.
For more information, the Forest Service news release can be found here.
The USFS has asked us to post a notice about temporary closures of the Lollipop Trail and the first section of the Gateway Trail due to logging in the area. The closure will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 12, and possibly extend to Feb. 17, 2020.
Also, please do not remove the orange flagging in the area. Mt. Shasta Trail Association volunteers have spent many hours flagging trails so that the loggers don’t obliterate them.
For further information and maps, please refer to the Shasta Trinity National Forest Facebook page or the Mt. Shasta Trail Association Facebook page.
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.
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:
Getting construction started on the Gateway II Trail– early spring?
The
Mount Shasta Trail Association (MSTA) is very pleased to announce that John
Harch was recently elected as the association’s new president. John has
been active on MSTA’s board of directors since 2013 – serving as its vice
president for the past three years. He
was elected president at a recent board meeting, assuming the reins that Barry
Price held for over three years.
A
retired general surgeon, Harch brought a good mix of humor and energy to the
MSTA. John has been very successful in
getting volunteers and other organizations out on the ground to cut brush, dig
trail tread, build rock walls and install trail signs. His core of hard workers has been nick-named
the “crazy old men,” but under John’s leadership they’re the hardest working
bunch of guys and gals you’ll ever meet.
John earned a degree in biology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, before going on to medical school at UCLA. He completed his surgical internship and residency at LA County/USC Medical Center. Before landing in Siskiyou County, John practiced surgery in the Bay Area and southern California. John is board certified in general surgery and critical care medicine.
Don’t be surprised to run into John on an area trail, hiking, riding his mountain bike or leading a group of volunteers working a trail. With surgical precision, John will use his skills and passion to lead the MSTA into the future!
There’s lots going on with the Mount Shasta Trail Association right now. Help us move forward on several big trail projects like the Gateway II and Mossbrae Falls Trails. Go to https://www.northstategives.org
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!
There are many ways to enjoy the trails. If you love our trails, please support the Mount Shasta Trail Association by donating during Giving Tuesday on December 3rd .
One way to enjoy the views on the Gateway Trail
Click here to pre-schedule your donation. Thank you!
