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Mary West: Exploring the American Canyon Trail

11/26/2020

 
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American Canyon Trail is where the mushrooms grow in thick moss carpets along the creek in winter. The variety of butterflies and wildflowers are worth the four-mile hike in spring. The color display in fall makes a return trip a must.
The trail leads to a jungle like setting at the bottom with a flowing creek, boulders and hanging vines.
Wide enough for two to walk side by side, the trail is lush with ferns in winter and wild grape vines in summer. A thick area of mint, in its season, begs you to pick a leaf or two. Be aware that poison oak and blackberry vines crowd the trail in many areas. Snails and lizards also call this area home so make sure you look beneath your feet as well as up to the canopy of trees to get the full effect of this trail.
At the bottom of the 1.7-mile trail, you find Hobokin Creek. Water cascades over boulders and fallen trees. The trail continues across the creek, so depending on your schedule, you can continue your trek to Dead Truck, Ruck-A-Chucky, Dru Barner and Western States Trails, among other destinations.
The trail leads to a jungle like setting at the bottom with a flowing creek, boulders and hanging vines.
The two-mile hike to Dead Truck from the trail head is a gentle downhill stroll on a well-maintained trail. As you walk deeper in, the trees seem taller and vines hang more densely.
In winter the ferns grow all along the canyon wall. The moss on the trees is heavy with rainwater. You can hear the rush of the creek below.
At the first switchback, you find a sign reading several trail options. Turn away from the sign and continue down the switchback. After a couple of short switchbacks, you will come to a similar sign. Instead of turning on the switchback look at the sign straight ahead of you on the trail. This sign will show Dead Truck 1-mile. Your journey will continue deeper into the woods with the sound of Canyon Creek keeping you company along the way.
Soon you come to Canyon Creek with Hobokin Creek right behind it. I can in no way encourage you to cross these creeks if you do not feel confident doing so. This is a lovely spot to pull up a rock and listen to the gentle babbling of the creek over stones as it continues downstream.
The trail narrows in places. Downed trees and hanging branches may be hurdles along the way. Wet leaves and slick mud are also common hazards.
At 1.9-miles, you reach another sign, showing you at the foot of Dead Truck Trail marked STEEP.
Facing the sign, turn 180 degrees and you will see a footpath over to the creek and a cliff face blanketed in green in the wet season. Take the path and you can hear the falls get louder the closer you get. Shuffle down to the pool below. Again, I cannot suggest you cross the creek this last time, but the view of the falls is from the other side. When the water is low, there are exposed rocks, but with heavier flows, a crossing can be treacherous.
If you choose to cross you earn the prize of a view of the waterfall. Once you have enjoyed the falls, the pool and the peace and quiet of this trail, prepare for your return.
The two-mile hike out is moderate due to the uphill climb back to gate 3. Take your time, drink plenty of water, watch for slugs and newts in the wet season.
Take care crossing the creeks and before you know it, you will hear the cars coming into the gate and your adventure will be at its end.
To get to American Canyon Trail take Interstate 80 to the Elm Street exit in Auburn toward Placerville. Follow Highway 49 into the Canyon from Placer County into El Dorado County and out to the town of Cool.
At the stop sign in Cool turn left on Highway 193. Drive five miles to Pilgrim Way. Turn left to gate three of Auburn Lake Trails. Just before the gate you see room for three or four cars on your right. Park and you see the trail sign marking the trailhead.
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Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guide. The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the outdoors, and favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2017 and 2019 CRAFT Award for Best Outdoor Column and the 2020 Craft Award for Day Hiker-Gold Country Trail Guide II by the Outdoor Writers of California. You can follow West on Facebook and Instagram.

CLICK HERE to see the complete article and all the photos in The Union newspaper.

Mary West: Exploring the Yuba Rim Trail

11/12/2020

 
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The Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT) has succeeded again in providing a great opportunity to get us outside on a trail with outstanding views of the Yuba River environs. The Yuba Rim Trail in Yuba County takes us out 2.3 miles and up 750 feet to a nice view of the confluence of the north and middle forks of the Yuba River. I have to strain to see the river below, but the canyon views are fantastic. This moderate hike begins near Dobbins in Yuba County, not far from the Bullards Bar reservoir and Dam. The area across the street from the quarry provides ample parking. The large sign marking the trail head identifies this as the Rice’s Crossing Preserve.

New signage at the trailhead makes locating this trail much easier. Head out behind the signs and look to the left for a great view of the canyon to begin your trek. A new gazebo makes a nice break at the end of the trail to enjoy the view before you depart.

Follow the trail into the woods. The shade on this trail makes for nice autumn color hiking. Some vegetation clearing around power lines opens the area before you return to denser woods. The well-marked path leads to a sturdy bridge. Above the bridge we counted 10 switchbacks that get you out to a logging road. Continue uphill. Just when you think you have crested the last hill, keep going. Look for another area sending you back downhill along the rim of the canyon. The moderate effort this trail demands pays off in a nice rock outcropping and a beautiful sunset view of the canyon in winter.
The elevation provides a mixed conifer forest. This area has a wide variety of trees and attracts many birds for bird watchers. The trail is dog and bike friendly. The moderate effort this trail demands pays off in a nice rock outcropping and a beautiful sunset view of the canyon in winter.

On our last visit, we got a late start. As the sun went down, we felt the need to make more noise and hasten our pace. This is mountain lion habitat as well as bear.

To get there take Marysville Road off Highway 20. Look for the old quarry on your right and the trailhead on your left.
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Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guide. The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the outdoors, and favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2017 and 2019 CRAFT Award for Best Outdoor Column and the 2020 Craft Award for Day Hiker-Gold Country Trail Guide II by the Outdoor Writers of California. You can follow West on Facebook and Instagram.

CLICK HERE to see the original article and photos in The Union newspaper.

State Parks recommends Nevada City’s Sugarloaf Mountain Trail to receive $216,411 for new trail

11/3/2020

 
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. November 2, 2020 – California State Parks today announced recommendations for $5.6 million in funding for eight local non-motorized trail projects under the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Funding from this program helps improve the quality of life for the nation’s communities by providing access for all to the outdoors. The list of recommended non-motorized RTP projects for California includes:
 

Sugarloaf Mountain Trail: $216,411 City of Nevada City Construct approximately one mile of new trail and a parking lot within Nevada City.  

​The RTP provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act Authorization provides funding for the program. Eligible applicants include cities, counties, districts, state agencies, federal agencies, and non-profit organizations with management responsibilities of public lands.

Here are the other projects in California:
Bridge to Beach: 
$900,000 East Bay Regional Park District  Develop and extend the San Francisco Bay Trail in the City of Richmond. Construct approximately 1.25 miles of trail along the shoreline between the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and the Point Molate Beach Park.  

Strawberry Rock Redwood Forest Trail Acquisition: $400,000 Trinidad Coastal Land Trust Acquire an approximately 45-acre conservation easement of mature forest of second-growth Redwood near the town of Trinidad in Humboldt County.
La Sierra Public Access Project: $1,328,800
Mountains Restoration Trust
Acquire an approximately 74.82 acre parcel to create the new La Sierra Watershed Public Access in the Santa Monica Mountains northwest of Los Angeles.          

Azalea Hill Trail Restoration: $700,000 Marin Municipal Water District Develop Phase III of the Azalea Hill Trail in the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed. Construct approximately 6,400 linear feet of new multi-use trail, a new bridge, retaining wall, causeway, armored rock crossings, and a kiosk, as well as directional and educational signage.  
Natural Parkland Trails Project: $1,560,000 City of Highland Construct two miles of new trail, interpretive signage, outdoor education presentation area, culvert canyon crossings, trail head with parking lot and renovate 10,450 linear feet of trail.  
Gateway Phase 2 Trail Project – Learning Zone: $104,000 USDA United States Forest Service Shasta-Trinity Construct approximately 9.5 miles of multi-use, non-motorized beginner and intermediate trails.  
Harmon Canyon Trail Development: $458,348 Ventura Land Trust Construct approximately five miles of new multi-use recreational trails within the Harmon Canyon Preserve in the County of Ventura.  

The Office of Grants and Local Services for State Parks conducted a competitive review process and recommended these projects to receive the grants. Eligible non-motorized projects include land acquisition for recreational trails and recreational trail corridors; and, development, or rehabilitation of trails, trailside, and trailhead facilities. The program requires a minimum 12 percent match derived from local sponsors and state funds. FHWA must approve project recommendations before State Parks can execute grant agreements with these local agencies.

Prior to forwarding these projects to FHWA, each recommended project must comply with the National Historical Preservation Act of 1966 (Section 106), National Environmental Policy Act and be listed on the State Transportation Improvement Plan. Compliance with these requirements can take up to nine months to complete.  


After the local sponsors complete the three federal requirements listed above, applications are sent to FHWA for its final review. There is a 30-day final approval window once FHWA receives the applications from California State Parks. 

CLICK HERE to see the original article in YubaNet.com.

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