MOTHER LODE TRAILS
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Donations
  • Volunteer
  • Links
    • Law Enforcement Emergency
    • Federal, State, County Districts Parks & Trails
    • Running Clubs
    • Equestrian Clubs
    • Mt. Bike Clubs
    • Hiking Clubs
    • Trail Advocacy Organizations
    • Phone Numbers State & Federal Parks, Trails & Lands
    • Lost & Found on the Trails
    • Where to Eat on the Trails
  • News
  • Alerts

Independence Trail vehicle break-ins and 5 ways to prevent them

2/7/2018

 
Picture
 Recently there has been a rash of vehicle break-ins at the Independence Trail trailhead off Highway 49. Unfortunately, these thieves are cunning, mainly smashing and grabbing quickly what they can steal, and leaving the area. If this happens to you, be sure to call 911 and report it. You may not get your gear back, but it will alert the authorities to increase patrols and prevent others from thefts.

Here are five ways to prevent a trailhead break-in
One of everyone's biggest fears is showing up at the trailhead after several miles and hours on the trail to discover that your  car has been broken into, your tires have been slashed, and the spare water that you keep in your car has been consumed by the same thief.  Stuck, alone at an isolated trailhead, without cell phone reception.

Nothing would ruin a good day on the trails more than a trailhead break-in like this.  And it’s easy to get complacent, especially for those of us who think we live and play in safe places.  A little bit of common sense and street smarts are a vital part of break-in prevention.

1. Chose your trailhead wisely.  Stay informed, check the news or a good social media news monitoring site to see if there have been any trailhead break-ins in areas you want to explore.  If we hear of trailhead break-ins, Mother Lode Trails will  keep you posted.  A report of recent break-in is no reason to stay home or avoid a trailhead since local authorities will likely be checking trailheads, and that one in particular, more often.

2. Keep the inside of your car clear. a clean car.  Reduce the amount of clutter inside the car.  If a thief looks into a car and can see a bunch of clutter, loose change, and gear, it’s an invitation to smash open the window with a rock and see what else they can find.

3. Park your car in a smart place.  Check the ground for broken glass or evidence of vandalism.  An article on the REI website recommends parking “your vehicle with the trunk or rear-access door facing the most exposed section of the parking lot,” to expose any thieves tampering with your vehicle.

4. Stash items in the car before you pull into the trailhead.  It’s inevitable that we aren’t going to carry everything we bring in our car to a trailhead. Sheriffs will advise you to stash your items in a locked truck BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT THE TRAILHEAD. Chances are if someone wants to break into a parked car they are watching every move at the trailhead and they’ll pay close attention to where you are hiding our gear before we lock our doors and head out for adventure.

5. REPORT your trail and trailhead issues to www.ParkWatchReport.com  And, you can dlownload the free app from the App Store (parkwatchreport). This vital data is sent to the land managers to have a paper trail and keep tabs on all trail issues (maintenance, conflicts, law breaking) so they can respond appropriately.

HOW TO ACCESS THE INDEPENDENCE TRAIL AT HIGHWAY 49, 5 MILES NORTH OF NEVADA CITY.
PARK HOURS AT 49 CROSSING ARE SUNRISE TO SUNSET. NO PARKING 10PM-6AM.
Pass through Grass Valley / Nevada City and turn left to remain on Hwy 49 for another 7 miles. There are 2 parking areas for the Independence Trail about 1/2 mile before the river crossing on the right. The parking lot for 49 Crossing is immediately before the bridge on the right.
Picture

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Home
Contact
 Mother Lode Trails is YOUR local non-profit trail information and resource website. Here you can find
up-to-the minute information on trail alerts, links and trail news for Placer, Nevada, El Dorado, Yuba and
Sacramento counties. Mother Lode Trails is trademarked.