Blog Archives

Due to excessive heat, Hidden Falls will be closed June 30 through July 2, 2023

6/28/2023

From Placer County:
"Out of an abundance of caution, Hidden Falls Park in North Auburn will be closed June 30 to July 2 due to an excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service. All existing reservations have been canceled. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

Go HERE to see the original posting.

Apple co-founder to sell huge Carmel Valley ranch to become 14,100 acre public nature preserve

6/21/2023

Rana Creek Ranch is half the size of the city of San Francisco, with “the grandeur of many of California’s state parks.” (Photo: The Wildlands Conservancy / Hall and Hall)
The deal was funded in part by the Newsom administration. On May 25, the state Wildlife Conservation Board approved contributing $24 million in state parks and water bond funding, and the State Coastal Conservancy contributed $2 million and the Wildlands Conservancy, an environmental group based in San Bernardino County, for $35 million.

A legendary Silicon Valley tech leader who bought a vast ranch in Carmel Valley 40 years ago is selling the property to a conservation group to become a new public preserve and cultural site.

In 1977, Mike Markkula gave two unknown, shaggy-haired computer programmers, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, $250,000 to help turn their young partnership into a new company. He become the third employee at Apple, served as its CEO and chairman of the board, and at one time owned 26% of the company.

Markkula, an engineer who had worked at Intel before meeting the duo, used part of his fortune to buy one of the largest properties in Monterey County, the historic Rana Creek Ranch, a 14,100-acre landscape that stretches 8 miles through Carmel Valley, between Salinas Valley and Big Sur.
After listing the property for sale, Markkula, of Woodside, has signed an agreement to sell it to the Wildlands Conservancy, an environmental group based in San Bernardino County, for $35 million. Escrow is set to close July 30.

The conservancy, which operates 22 other preserves in California, and one in Oregon, plans to open the scenic property to the public for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding in the coming years for free, said Frazier Haney, executive director of the Wildlands Conservancy.

“The property is the size of — and has the grandeur of — many of California’s state parks,” Haney said. “It’s a wonder land of oak-filled valleys and magnificent flower-studded ridgelines.”
Rana Creek Ranch, a 14,100-acre property in Carmel Valley, is being sold by Apple co-founder Mike Markkula to The Wildlands Conservancy, an environmental land trust, for $35 million in a deal that closes July 30, 2023 to create a new public nature preserve.

The property has been a working cattle ranch for roughly 200 years. Before that, it was the site of a key Esselen tribal village. It remains home today to black bears, mountain lions, golden eagles and other wildlife.

Markkula declined a request for an interview. In 2016 he told the Wall Street Journal that he and his wife, Linda, bought the property as a second home and possible place to retire. The previous owners, the Marble family, had owned it for generations as a cattle ranch.
“We were the first ones to look at it, and we bought it on the spot,” Markkula told the newspaper. “We wanted some place where there would be enough land around us that it would be private and quiet.”
The couple paid $8 million in 1982 for 9,000 acres, he said. They later purchased other properties around it, and built a conference center, half-mile long airstrip, and other amenities on a parcel adjacent to Carmel Valley Road. The overall property — about half the size of San Francisco — has remained as a cattle ranch, where Markkula and his family spent time, and he held meetings.
Haney said the Wildlands Conservancy plans to use the facilities to operate a regional conference center for environmental and open space groups, and as an education center for school children.
The Esselen Tribe also will play an important role in the land’s next chapter.
The tribe, whose members were removed from their lands and taken by Spanish settlers to the Carmel, Soledad and San Antonio missions in the late 1700s, plans to purchase about 1,800 acres from the Wildlands Conservancy.

Tribal members will work with the conservancy to help manage the wider landscape, including with controlled burns to reduce fire risk — a traditional native practice that dates back centuries. They also plan to recreate the original village, called Cappany, said Tom Little Bear Nason, chairman of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County.

“We were taken from these lands, taken to the mission, and now we are able to go back,” said Nason. “Many members of our tribe are direct descendants of this land.”
Nason grew up nearby and has a personal connection to the property. His father, Brad Nason, who died in 2017, worked there as a cowboy from the 1940s until the 1980s.
“After school I would go there with my dad and build fences, and brand cattle,” he said. “It’s like a second home.”

For the past 15 years, California’s state parks department has acquired almost no new land, opening only one new park, Dos Rios Ranch, near Modesto, since 2009. Former governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to close dozens of state parks to balance their budgets.
The Wildlands Conservancy has acquired 200,000 acres for its public preserves since 1995, using private donations, funding from foundations and government grants.

As a result, the conservancy’s public lands system is now growing faster than the state park system. Over the past five years, the conservancy has purchased the 29,000-acre Eel Canyon Preserve in Mendocino County from the family of financier Dean Witter; the Santa Margarita River Trails Preserve along five miles of oak-shaded trails next to the Santa Margarita River in San Diego County; a mile of coastline and redwood forest at Seawood Cape Preserve on the Humboldt County coast; and a mile of the West Walker River at Aspen Glen Reserve in Mono County.

“This is an amazing opportunity,” said State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, who advocated for the public funding for the Carmel Valley deal. “I would always love for state parks to be out there and lead but the important thing is the preservation.”

Had the property been purchased by a private buyer, its zoning would have allowed for at least 60 ranchettes and luxury home sites.
Markkula has a history of helping fund conservation groups, including the Nature Conservancy and the Alaska Raptor Center. He also has donated to conservative political groups like the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, and Bay Area nonprofits including the Computer History Museum, Tech Museum in San Jose, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. He provided initial funding to create the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

“He loves the ranch and his family loves the ranch. He raised his kids there,” Clark said. “But they all moved on to other interests and he wants others to enjoy it now.”

Click here to see complete article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper

Do not put your kid on an electric motorized bike

6/19/2023

Motorized vehicles are not for children.
Article from Wired Magazine CLICK HERE.
ON MEMORIAL DAY weekend, my family pulled into a busy campground for a long weekend of outdoor fun. Like many campgrounds, this one was in an idyllic spot between a bunch of exciting outdoor activities like rock climbing, floating on the river, mountain biking, hiking, and running on scenic trails.
At 6 and 8, my kids are still pretty small. I took all the usual precautions—lifted a rock and showed them a scorpion; told them to keep their shoes on because of goatheads, also called puncturevine, an invasive prickly plant that can stab itself into your foot and really ruin your day. I put on their hats and smeared sunscreen on their tiny faces. But as they stood by the car, a few slightly older kids—maybe around 8 or 10—whizzed by on what looked like folding Lectric XP bikes.
They looked like they were having a lot of fun. They were wearing big downhill mountain biking helmets and were zooming at impossible speeds around and around the campground, dodging cars and people with abandon. My kids stared at them wistfully but said nothing. Although we have several ebikes in our garage at any given time, they’re not allowed to ride them until they’re at least 16. If you’re a parent, I strongly suggest you give your kids the same rule.

A Heavy Load
The death of 12-year-old Molly Steinsapir rocked the (admittedly somewhat insular) electric bike world. In 2021, Steinsapir was riding on the back of a Rad Power Bike piloted by her friend, 11-year-old Eme Green. As the pair came down an incline, Green could not stop. The girls crashed at high speed. Steinsapir, who was wearing her helmet, hit her head hard, lost consciousness, and never woke up.

Steinsapir’s parents sued Rad Power Bikes, claiming that the bike manufacturer was to blame. The electric bike industry has boomed incredibly fast, and reasonable safety regulations have not kept pace. For example, it took dozens of dangerous ebike fires for New York City to push for standard UL certification.

However, as with any new technology, it’s important that parents understand what the new technology is and make their own decisions about what their children are allowed to do. I want to emphasize here that I do not blame Steinsapir’s parents. I can’t imagine the pain of losing your child. Also, you can't know what you don’t know until it’s shoved in your face. Plenty of parents, including me, have made worse mistakes than letting their child ride an electric bike and have not had to face such terrible consequences.

In their complaint, the Steinsapirs explicitly said they did not know that children riding an electric bike was dangerous. So I'm telling you now, as someone who has ridden dozens of electric bikes over the years, including the RadRunner, which is the bike that Green and Steinsapir were riding when they died: Do not put young children on an electric bike.

In the review of the RadRunner, I noted that it was massive. An 80-pound child should not be riding a 60-pound motorized vehicle, no matter how fun it looks, no matter if you see other children doing it. They can't. I pack a full 115 pounds of pure coordinated power, and even I have had close calls. Please don't put your children at risk like this.

Too Hot to Handle
It’s true that children need to learn confidence and independence. My kids roller skate, scoot, skateboard, snowboard, and ride analog pedal bikes. They have fallen down, gotten injured, and will continue to do so. I’m teaching them how to do so, how to pull tricks, and how to navigate safely around cars and in our neighborhood by themselves.

But the injuries sustained from electric bikes are more likely to be more severe, with a higher chance of internal organ damage (like those that you might get from riding a motorcycle). Not only that, but younger riders on electric bikes are also more likely to injure other people, like pedestrians.

The link is pretty obvious. In Israel, electric bikes are limited to people 16 and older. In California and in many other states, you must be at least 16 to operate a class three electric bike—one that goes over 28 miles per hour. But as anyone who has ridden any kind of vehicle knows, 20 mph is pretty fast.

I reached out to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the gold standard when it comes to childhood safety recommendations. The organization would not go on the record, citing a lack of data concerning electric bikes and children, specifically. However, you can find that the organization's record on motorized vehicles for children under age 16 has stayed pretty much the same since the 1970s. Motorized vehicles, especially adult-sized ones, just aren’t safe for children younger than 16 to operate. They simply do not have the physical, mental, or cognitive maturity to safely operate high-speed motor vehicles.

Slower Is Better
Itake my children's safety seriously. And electric bikes are useful and powerful, but they’re not toys. And for the love of God, don’t put your small children in a large motorized vehicle they can’t properly control.

https://www.wired.com/story/do-not-put-kids-on-electric-bikes/

Dru Barner trail alert June 16-17

6/17/2023

TRAIL ALERT - The Mother Lode Epic mountain bike race is today, Saturday, June 17, starting at the Magnolia Trailhead at Cronan Ranch.
To find out more about the race, CLICK HERE for the Mother Lode Epic website.

The website has the full schedule. If you are not racing today or part of the crews, for safety, PLEASE use other trails.

NEVADA COUNTY RECREATION SURVEY NOW THRU JULY 7, 2023

6/8/2023

Share Your Project Ideas for Improving Recreation in Nevada County
Share your recreation Project Ideas - What do you want from parks, trails, open spaces, lakes, rec?

Nevada County invites residents and visitors countywide to share project ideas to improve recreation.

*****Take the survey online or at community events and locations now through July 7th.****
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=6754

Nevada County and its partners are asking for input on recreation projects, programs, policies, or solutions that may enhance recreation access, support health and safety, preserve natural resources, and increase economic vitality.

This survey is the second opportunity for the public to participate in the development of the Nevada County Recreation and Resiliency Master Plan, led by the Nevada County Community Development Agency and consultants Design Workshop.

The Master Plan, once complete, will identify recreation needs and articulate a long-term vision for managing OPEN SPACES and recreation resources that range from local PARKS, playgrounds, sports fields, and facilities to rivers, TRAILS, and outdoor access. Additionally, the plan will address environmental and human-related impacts including, but not limited to, wildfires, natural disasters, drought, a changing climate, and increased visitation.

Submit your project ideas via the survey at www.NevadaCountyRecreation.com/projectideas
or visit a kiosk at any Nevada County library branch, various recreation facilities, or community spaces and events.

To receive notifications on ways to participate and the latest information, please sign up at www.NevadaCountyCA.gov/Recreation.

SURVEY HERE
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=6754

Nevada County Launches Trail Finder App, proclaims June as "Celebration of Trails" month

6/1/2023

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors proclaimed June 2023 as “Celebration of Trails Month” in Nevada County, which recognizes the incredible benefits trails provide local residents and visitors. To celebrate, the County is launching the new Nevada County Trail Finder App to help users discover public access trails throughout Nevada County.

The Nevada County Trail Finder App serves as a recreational resource for connecting people with the outdoors and vast network of trails in Nevada County. The mobile-responsive app utilizes GIS datasets that identify managing agencies, surface types, and permitted uses – like hiking, biking, equestrian and off-highway vehicles. Agencies and organizations that own and manage these trails include the County of Nevada, City of Grass Valley, City of Nevada City, Town of Truckee, California State Parks, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Tahoe National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Pacific Gas & Electric and Bear Yuba Land Trust with direct links provided for more detailed information about each trail.

Last month, Nevada County Staff organized the annual Adopt-a-Trail cleanup on Hirschman Trail to get ready for this month’s “Celebration of Trails” activities hosted by Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT) to include the 1st Annual Summer Star Hike Challenge, Art in Nature installations at Hirschman and Cascade Canal Trails, and Street Party in downtown Nevada City on June 24th. The non-profit organization has built and maintains over 45 miles of trails in Western Nevada County. Their goal is to connect people to nature and provide connectivity of trail systems to make non-motorized transportation options a reality. BYLT has partnered with state, federal, and local agencies and works with private landowners to secure trail easements to allow public access across these properties. For more details, visit BYLT.org
And make sure to thank trail ambassadors from BYLT and the non-profit Truckee Trails Foundation, in eastern Nevada County, who educate users about trail etiquette and recreating responsibly. Both are supported by the Nevada County Outdoor Visitor Safety Fund, to promote public health and safety during peak visitation periods.
To sign up for Nevada County Recreation News and access the new Trail Finder App, please visit www.NevadaCountyCA.gov/Recreation.