Diamond Arrow Trail Progress

Earlier this week, Bill Haire of the Nevada County Land Trust, John Rapphahn of the BLM and I scouted a route for the upper (southern) section of the forthcoming Diamond Arrow Trail. You can view a track of the route we flagged:

View upper route in Google Maps
View upper route in Google Earth

One important thing I learned on this expedition is that it may be possible to keep the entire trail on BLM property, which would make planning and construction much simpler. Originally, I had thought that the trail would have to cross the Diamond Arrow property.

This project has long been dear to my heart, as I see this trail as a great addition to the South Yuba trail system. It seems that there is some momentum now to move this project along. The BLM may have some resources to conduct the necessary environmental assessment this year. Once that is in place, we can begin construction.

The terrain that this trail will traverse is similar to other areas near Round Mountain. Lots of nice views, poison oak, decomposed granite and steep canyon slopes.

Auburn Alert

IMBA State Rep Jim Haagen-Smit passes this along:

"ALERT: Auburn State Recreation Area Update

Mountain bikers should be aware of two issues concerning riding
opportunities in the Auburn State Recreation Area. First, State Parks is drafting a feasibility study regarding the Auburn to Cool Trail. Second, the management plan for the entire ASRA is being updated. It is important the mountain bike community be at the table. That's you!

Regarding the AtoC trail, it is general consensus that the current trail alignment is too steep and not all that fun. Additionally, the current river crossing has gone away now that the river is being restored into its channel, so agencies are reviewing crossing options. What would you like to see? A big expensive new bridge? A seasonal crossing? Use existing bridges, such as the Mountain Quarries Bridge (currently closed to bikes) or Highway 49, with new well-designed, sustainable trails between Auburn and Cool. Take a moment to send in a quick comment to:

Auburn to Cool Trail Crossing Study
Attn: Jennifer Rogers
c/o Jones & Stokes
2600 V Street
Sacramento, CA 95818
Comment deadline: April 15, 2007.

Next, be a part of the update process for the management plan. Email State Parks to let them know you would like to be on the mailing list. Small stakeholders meetings last Spring and this April are including mountain bikers, as well as equestrians, hikers, etc. Based on comments received, a draft plan will be issued and public hearings will be held. Please be prepared to review the plan and attend the hearings – FATRAC will post details. To get on the mailing list, email: jmiche@parks.ca.gov

For more information on the Auburn State Recreation Area, go to www.parks.ca.gov.

Contact: Cathy Haagen-Smit at (916) 663-4626."

New Space for Trails Near Auburn

The Sac Bee ran a story on Saturday indicating that Placer County intends to acquire over 600 acres of open space near the Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn. The plan is to use this land as an additional location of trails and recreation. View the existing Hidden Falls Trail map (PDF).

I have not visited the Hidden Falls park yet, but I hear that it is ripe with trail opportunities and possibilities. A big thank you to Placer County for taking on this initiative! And here is another story about open space acquisition near Donner.

Auburn to Cool Trail Public Meeting

From California Department of Parks and Recreation:

"Please join us to learn more about the Auburn to Cool Trail Crossing Feasibility Study! The California Department of Parks and Recreation is exploring options to provide a trail crossing of the North Fork of the American River for the Auburn to Cool Trail. We would like your input on crossing options, including potential bridge types and locations.

What: Public meeting
When: Tuesday, March 27 at 6 pm
Where: Canyon View Community Center, Foothills Room, 471 Maidu Drive, Auburn, CA

Project Background: The Auburn to Cool Trail is a multi-use recreational trail route between Auburn and Cool. The Auburn to Cool Trail is located within the Auburn State Recreation Area and crosses the reach of the North Fork American River that has been dewatered to allow for construction of the Auburn Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation and the Placer County Water Agency are working together to build a new Pump Station and to restore the North Fork of the American River to its historic channel. When complete, the restoration of the river will allow for all beneficial uses of the river in what is now the dewatered channel, including recreation, fisheries and other in-stream uses. As a result of this project the North Fork of the American River will divide the Auburn to Cool Trail. The California Department of Parks and Recreation is preparing a study to assess the feasibility of various options to provide a trail crossing
of the river.

We want to hear from you. This meeting will allow residents, stakeholders and interested parties to learn more about the potential Auburn to Cool Trail crossing project and to provide input on the potential crossing options and locations. Please join us!

For more information about the meeting, please contact Jennifer Rogers at (916) 737-3000, ext. 3326."

GCTC Spenceville Ride

Trail Boss Mark Hicks invites you to attend the upcoming equestrian Spenceville Ride!

NEW Date: Saturday, March 24, 2007
Time: Ride out at 10 a.m.

Directions: Take Highway 20 west out of Grass Valley; turn left on Smartsville Road heading towards Beale AFB; take left fork; turn left on Waldo Road; pass shooting range; cross Waldo Bridge; bear left 4 miles to staging area on left.

Questions or planning on attending the ride? Please RSVP/contact Mark Hicks at 530-268-0799 or e-mail lislhix@jps.net. Happy Trails!

Fund Raiser for NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League

From Jason Moeschler:

"The NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League is Pleased to announce the World Premier Tour of the Mountain Bike Movie 24 Solo. This is a benefit for the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League.

The movie will be playing in five locations throughout Northern California, including a stop at our very own Del Oro Theater, in Grass Valley.

By the looks of the trailer, the movie is going to be a good one. It will be a great evening to get together with the other local bike riders, and watch a good riding flick, while helping out the NorCal League.

The Movie will be playing on April 18th at 7:30pm at Del Oro in Grass Valley. For more information, to buy tickets, or to view the movie trailer, go to http://www.norcalmtb.org/."

Miners Indie Mountain Bike Team Article

There is another article in today's Union about the independent Miner's high school mountain bike team. It is very encouraging to see how well this team and the entire league has fared since they launched. Team practice rides always involve large number of kids and many members of SERT join in to help coach and mentor these you racers.

What a great way to focus your energy and time as a high school student. Way to go Miners!

Bicycle Master Plan Coming to Nevada County

Nevada County will conduct a bicycle master plan workshop on March 20, 6:30-8pm at Grass Valley City Hall. I also encourage ALL of you who ride a bicycle on dirt or pavement to attend this short meeting. If you ride the road, it is a great opportunity to ask for better riding conditions, bicycle lanes, etc. If you prefer the dirt, this represents a great chance to speak up for new trails as transportation corridors.

From Mike Woodman, Transportation Planner, Nevada County Transportation Commission:

"The Bicycle Master Plan is coming along well. Alta Planning + Design have been working on the mapping in preparation for public workshops in eastern and western Nevada County.
I have provided flyers to the bicycle shops and will be contacting BONC and the Sierra Express Bicycle Club as well. Also, a bicycle user survey is posted on the Nevada County Transportation Commission website at www.nctc.ca.gov.

The survey can be found by clicking on the "Poll" button on the bottom left of the homepage. The survey is in Adobe Acrobat format and is setup to allow the user to check boxes and fill in responses. Once it is complete it can be saved to the users computer and emailed in to me at mwoodman@nccn.net or printed out and mailed or faxed.

Hope to see you at the workshop on March 20th."

New and Improved Trails Planned

The USFS is planning to improve and add trails near Downieville, Grouse Ridge and Highway 20. To this end, they have published public scoping documents that describe these exciting new updates to our trail inventory.

The first three of the following documents have maps that describe the planned work. I suggest that you take a quick look at these documents and pass along your support to Tahoe National Forest staff:

• Pioneer Trail Re-Route
• Grouse Ridge Re-Routes and Additions
• Craycroft Trail Re-Route
• Summary of all of the above