Bicyclist was riding the Harmony trail today with two dogs north of Nevada City in the Tahoe National Forest and encountered three bears, presumably a mother and two older cubs  The dogs were attacked and sustained some significant injuries--they have received attention and will be OK.
 
Three bears of a similar description about a month ago along the Rock Creek Nature Trail Road. In that situation the bears held their ground and the hiker went around.

Tahoe National Forest Trails Coordinator has been alerted and wanted us to pass this information along:
Three bears have been sighted recently along the Harmony Trail and the Rock Creek Road west of the Hoot trail. They are possibly a mother and her two larger/older cubs. The two presumably younger bears had an altercation with two dogs in the most recent incident, and would not move out of the road in the incident of a month ago. 

Fools Gold Enduro Mt. Bike races on these trails: Mill Staging, Bald Mountain, Ballarat Canyon and Darling Ridge areas. Ride - Fools Gold Enduro
Date - May 6, 2018
Location - Georgetown, California
Ride Length - 80 -100 Miles
Info-This Enduro is put on by California Enduro Riders Association. To find out more information check out the Club Page: https://www.usdualsports.com/listing/fools-gold-enduro/

Starting the last weekend of May and continuing nearly every weekend until Oct. 14, the Truckee Donner Land Trust will be offering more than 40 free, docent-led hikes on 11 of the trust's properties.
The hikes range from family-friendly, easy hikes through Perazzo and Lacey Meadows, to a strenuous climb up Mount Lola, the highest peak in Nevada County.

"The idea is to introduce people to more properties and educate them on what they're seeing," said Linda Slattery, Truckee Donner Land Trust administrator. "We want to protect and preserve the land but make it available for public use."
Now in its third year of operation, the program is fully booked for every weekend in June, and still accepting registrations for the remaining weekends. This year the program has expanded to offer hikes on 11 of the properties as opposed to only three in past years, while capping each trip at 25 hikers accompanied by four guides.

“We want to protect and preserve the land but make it available for public use.”
— Linda Slattery, Truckee Donner Land Trust Administrator

The program has continued to offer more hikes each year moving up from 30 scheduled hikes in 2017. With an army of 50 volunteer docents, Slattery hopes this will provide a better ratio of guides to hikers than in past years, while making less of an impact on the land.
"Last year the hikes got a little too big and it was hard for the docents to keep control of people," said Slattery. "We have to be sensitive to nature still."
While Mount Lola's 11-mile round trip leads hikers through the wildflower-covered Cold Stream Meadow, ascending a total of 2,500 feet to reach panoramic views of the Sierra Crest, Perazzo meadows offers an easy stroll above the little Truckee River with a mild 400 feet elevation gain.
"We have hikes geared towards every skill level," Slattery stated.
Other hikes include the Lower Carpenter Valley trail, a 5-mile moderate hike through a lush valley rich with wildlife. As the Land Trust has just acquired the land in 2017, it can only be accessed through guided hikes until trails and public parking are fully installed allowing the trails to be open to the public in 2020.
In addition to the scheduled day time hikes, a moonlight hike will be offered Saturday, Aug. 11, as well as a mountain bike trip in early September.
Anyone can register on the Truckee Donner Land Trust website and view a full schedule of the hikes. Participants are asked to wear closed-toed shoes suitable for hiking and to bring bug spray, sunscreen and plenty of water. As weather conditions may vary throughout the season they ask that participants pay attention to the forecasts and bring rain or cold weather gear if needed.
(Photo credit: Truckee Donner Land Trust)

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Register for the Truckee Donner Land Trust summer hike series at http://www.tdlandtrust.org or call 530-582-4711.

Hannah Jones is a reporter for the Truckee Sun. She can be reached at hjones@truckeesun.com or 503-550-2652.
CLICK HERE to see the original article in The Union newspaper.

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area in Granite Bay will be packed with high school mountain bike racers on April 14-15 for the annual Granite Bay Grinder put on by NorCal High School Cycling League.
On Saturday, April 14 the North Conference teams will hit the trails and Sunday, April 15 the South Conference teams will be out in full force.  Each conference has 11 different racing categories and both days the first race is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

"We just love coming to Folsom Lake for our annual high school mountain bike race because the trails are incredible and the community is always so welcoming to our families," commented NorCal League's Executive Director Vannessa Hauswald.  "We are really looking forward to this April race and hope that lots of locals come out to watch these amazing kids!"
Hauswald explained that the league currently has more than 1,200 registered student athlete riders.  "The NorCal High School Cycling League is proud to be an inclusive, coed, no bench, no cut sport; our teams and coaches are here to help any and all teenagers who want to get into mountain biking in a supportive and fun environment."

There is no fee for spectators, however there is a $12 per vehicle fee at the gate to the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Food trucks and merchandise booths will be on-site. Come on down to Granite Bay to see these fearless riders weave through the challenging terrain around the lake in hopes of earning a spot on the podium.

CLICK HERE to see the original article in the Rocklin-Roseville Today newspaper.

April 6, 2018 - CA State Parks has closed the parking lot at the 49er bridge due to concerns over possible landslides. Please respect the signs and DO NOT park in the lot.

Several Park Watch Reports have told of dozens of Black Legged Ticks crawling on hikers, riders, and dogs after hiking in Auburn and Folsom Lake SRAs this week.

Particular reports:
Auburn Overlook
Pioneer Express Trail
Browns Ravine Trail
Sterling Pointe Staging Area

These certainly aren't the only areas and trails with loads of ticks waiting to jump on you and your pets. Be aware in ALL grassy and treed areas at the lower elevations. In a few weeks, ticks will be active in the higher elevations. Where ever there are deer, there will be ticks.

WHY SO MANY TICKS??
The past two years have had higher than normal rainfall resulting in a higher mouse and deer population, the main carriers of the Black Legged Tick. Add the lush grass where they can hide and drop on any person or animal that brushes past, and we have a perfect storm.

BLACK LEGGED TICKS ARE A MAIN CARRIER OF LYME DISEASE
Approximately 10 to 30% of the ticks tested in our area are affected by Lyme Disease and can pass it to you and your pets. If not identified and treated quickly, Lyme can become a chronic and debilitating disease.

MORE INFO
To see all the information posted about Lyme Disease, and ticks in our area, and how to deal with them, just type in Lyme in the search function at the top of this page.

NEW TICK APP
Go to the App Store and get the free Ticktracker app. It will help all trail users!

“Electric bikes (e-bikes) are considered motorized vehicles, so they are allowed only on roads and trails designated for motorized use,” said Jeff Christenson, recreation planner of Bureau of Land Management. The rising popularity of electric bicycles prompted federal and local staff to remind the public that the bikes are not allowed on trails meant for non-motorized use.

The U.S. Forest Service also considers e-bikes to be motorized vehicles, and users must stay on motorized routes, said recreation planner Tom Rice. Photo credit: Jim Mimiaga

The BLM has heard reports of riders illegally using the e-bikes Christenson said, adding that riders have a questions about where they are allowed.

BLM Tres Rios Field Manager Connie Clementson said the BLM plans to add signage at popular non-motorized trailheads like Phil’s World and Sand Canyon to inform the public that e-bikes are not allowed there. Local rangers also have been made aware of the rules, she said.

But there is plenty of territory where e-bikes are welcome. They can be used anywhere motorized travel is allowed, including Forest Service and BLM roads and local streets, county roads and highways. They are allowed on ATV routes.

E-bikes are equipped with battery-powered motors and come in commuting, touring and mountain biking models. A Class I bike provides electrical pedal assist up to 20 mph; Class II provides electrical power when the rider is pedaling or not up to 20 mph; and Class III provides electrical power up to 28 mph, and are not allowed for riders under 16.
They are recharged using a regular outlet. Range of most e-bikes varies between 10 and 40 miles depending on how much a rider pedals, model and battery size. Prices have been falling and generally run between $1,000 and $5,000 for quality models. E-bikes handle similar to a regular bike, but they weigh more, typically around 50 pounds.

To read the complete article in The Journal newspaper and see photos, CLICK HERE.

Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8, will be busy with trail events in Tahoe National Forest, Folsom Lake SRA Granite Beach, Folsom Lake SRA Browns Ravine/Beals Point, and Spenceville Wildlife Area.
The largest event will be the AR 50, the second largest 50 mile run in the United States. Be sure to plan your hike or ride away from all the hubbub on Saturday at Folsom Lake SRA.

• Saturday, April 7 2018
  • YBONC Nevada CO Women's MTB Skills Camp (mt. bike) All Day | Gold Country Equestrian Trail Head, Conservation Road, Nevada City
  • TBF - ICE Breaker Triathlon with Super Sprint ICE Breaker Triathlon and Duathlon All Day | Granite Beach
  • American River (AR 50) Endurance Run, All Day | Browns Ravine Boat Ramp

 
        Sunday, April 8 2018

• YBONC Nevada CO Women's MTB Skills Camp (mt. bike) All Day | Gold Country Equestrian Trail Head, Conservation Road, Nevada City
• TBF - The Mighty Dog 5K/10K For Runners and their Dogs All Day | Granite Beach
• SFHA Judged Trail Ride (equestrian) All Day | Spenceville Wildlife Area Field Trial Grounds
• TBF - The Happy Kids Duathlon (run, bike) #5 All Day | Granite Beach