Blog Archives

Bear canisters/bear resistant containers now required at Lake Tahoe

8/31/2024

Aug. 29, 2024 - Hard-sided canisters required in Desolation Wilderness, and bear resistant containers required in all other areas

Two years ago, the USDA Forest Service’s Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) issued forest orders requiring the use of hard-sided bear canisters in Desolation Wilderness and in January 2024, the LTBMU issued another forest order requiring the use of bear-resistant containers in all other areas. The purpose of these forest orders is to protect the lives of visitors and to help keep Tahoe bears wild.

“Bear canisters work. These food storage requirements are a great step in the right direction for protecting hikers and bears in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) Trail Information Manager, Jack Haskel. “The PCTA encourages everyone, whether you’re on the PCT or not, to do their part by carrying canisters in Desolation Wilderness and bear-resistant containers is other areas throughout the Lake Tahoe Region.”

As a reminder, the 2022 forest order requires overnight visitors to use hard-sided bear canisters to secure all human food and garbage while in Desolation Wilderness, including when hiking the Pacific Crest and Tahoe Rim trails.

The 2024 forest order requires the proper storage of human food and garbage that is not personally attended within 100ft to be stored in bear-resistant containers. The forest order also requires the use of wildlife-resistant dumpsters and food lockers (bear boxes) provided at National Forest campgrounds.

In recent years, bears in Desolation Wilderness and other areas of the Tahoe Basin have become more aggressive in their search for food, relying on human food and garbage sources rather than their natural food sources leading to increased interactions between humans and bears.

Bears have an incredible sense of smell and are attracted to anything scented or edible. Improper storage and disposal of human food and garbage is the leading cause of human-bear conflicts at Lake Tahoe. Bears that become dependent on human food and garbage lose their natural fear of humans, which can lead to the injury of a person or euthanasia of the bear.

For more information on bear canisters including frequently asked questions (FAQs), visit the Desolation Wilderness News: Food Canisters Required for Backpackers webpage.
For helpful information and tips for keeping Tahoe bears wild, visit TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.

Press Release Date: Aug 29, 2024
Contact(s): Public Affairs, Lisa Herron 530-721-3898

For complete Press Release CLICK HERE.

West Nile Virus Activity in all of California

8/29/2024

"There have been 13 human cases of West Nile Virus and 3 deaths in California in 2024."

Important information for outdoor enthusiasts from Nevada County Health and Human Services:
"Neighboring Butte County has reported a death due to complications of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in an individual between the ages of 40-50 years The individual suffered from a severe, neuro-invasive WNV illness. There have been 13 human cases of West Nile Virus and 3 deaths in California in 2024. While Nevada County has not experienced any West Nile Virus activity this year, there have been many cases of infected mosquitos and birds in the past as well as a human case last year.

West Nile Virus is spread through mosquito bites and can infect birds, chickens and horses in addition to humans. Fortunately, most people who get infected with West Nile Virus have no symptoms. However, about 20% of infections lead to fever, headache, fatigue and body aches and less than 1% of infections can have severe neurologic effects like meningitis or paralysis. Severe illness is most likely to occur in people age 50 and older, and in individuals with chronic medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

Dr. Sherilynn Cooke, Nevada County Public Health Officer, reminds residents “to take reasonable precautions to avoid mosquito bites.” To reduce the risk of being infected with West Nile Virus residents are encouraged to practice the “Three Ds”:

DAWN and DUSK - Remain indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitos are most active, or wear long sleeve shirts and pants during dusk and dawn.

DEET - Use a mosquito repellant containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of eucalyptus, or IR3535 as active ingredients before going outdoors. Always use according to label instructions. DEET can be used safely on infants and children 2 months of age and older.
DRAIN - Remove water standing from bird baths, pet dishes, flowerpots, old tires, neglected swimming pools and any other source of standing water which is not fresh. Mosquitoes lay eggs on stagnant water. For standing water that cannot be eliminated consider adding “Mosquito Dunks” or mosquito fish which feed on mosquito larva.

The County Environmental Health Department’s Vector Control department can assist with assessing your site for potential breeding locations for mosquitoes and can provide mosquito fish for stand-alone ponds and animal watering basins. Please contact the Environmental Health Department at (530) 265-1500.

For further information on West Nile Virus please see these resources:
Nevada County West Nile Virus and Mosquito Prevention - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/2291/West-Nile-Virus-Mosquito-Prevention
California Department of Health - http://www.westnile.ca.gov/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html

Hidden Falls Regional Park update and proposed trail connection

8/29/2024

This is a shortened version from Lisa Carnahan, Parks Senior Planner, Placer County Department of Parks and Open Space:
---------------------------------
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to update you on the continuing work occurring at 5345 Bell Road for Phase 1 of the Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails Expansion Project. The last culvert has been placed, the irrigation for landscaping is nearly complete, and we expect delivery of the restroom in the next few weeks. The contractor is also working on the electrical trenching and septic areas.

Additionally, we will be taking a request to the Board of Supervisors on September 10th for the proposed Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails Expansion Project - Phase 2 - Connectivity Trail Construction 2024 project. The proposed Trail Construction Project includes a trail connection from the Bell Road parking area to the existing River Otter Loop Trail within HFRP.

Parks staff has prepared a request for Board approval of the Plans and Specifications, authorization of the solicitation of bids, and authorization of the execution of a trail construction contract. If approved, we anticipate opening this second phase of the project in conjunction with Phase 1 so there will be connectivity between Hidden Falls Regional Park and the Bell Road entrance upon opening of the new parking and trailhead area on Bell Road.

Thank you,

Lisa Carnahan
Parks Senior Planner
Placer County Department of Parks and Open Space
C (530) 308-2755 | O (530) 889-6837 |
[email protected]

Mt. bicyclist pronounced dead from accident on the Connector Trail in Auburn SRA

8/24/2024

CAL FIRE/Placer County Fire Department firefighters responded to a medical emergency this morning reported as a bicycle accident on the Connector Trail in the Auburn State Recreation Area in Placer County. The Connector Trail is heavily traveled and is a designed as single track for avid downhill bike enthusiasts. While enroute responders were updated that CPR was in progress.

Initial engine companies split the search and found patient care with CPR in progress on a 45 year old male victim. A UAS was deployed to find a closer extraction point. Placer Crew 1 was tasked with cutting a path to the intersection, where the victim would be transferred to a rope system for rapid extraction, saving over a mile of travel distance with CPR in progress.

Sadly the victim was pronounced at 11:17. At this point the incident transitioned to recovery, where members of the Technical Rescue Team set up a low angle system to extract the body to a waiting coroner. All members of the party involved were escorted back to a PCSO Chaplin and then assisted to their vehicles.

CLICK HERE for the original posting from Cal Fire Nue Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=827526276221367&set=a.244273131213354

If approved, 100 miles of e-bike access in Lake Tahoe basin

8/15/2024

Article From Singletracks:
E-bike access isn’t a new conversation in the Lake Tahoe area. Earlier this spring, we reported on the Pines to Mines trail, giving eMTB riders 72 miles of trail in the Tahoe National Forest. Before that, Tahoe has seen some back and forth with allowing e-bikes, eventually resulting in a lawsuit from different user groups.

Now, more trails in the Tahoe area may soon allow e-bikes, according to a proposal from the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU). If passed, e-bikes would gain over 100 miles of trail in the Lake Tahoe basin.

While e-bike trail access may seem to be 2024’s hot topic, the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project (BWTA) has been in the works for several years. Scoping for the project began in February 2021, and although the estimated decision date of August 1, 2024, has now passed, the USFS says a decision will be made any day now.

Overview of the LTBMU’s trails proposal
Lake Tahoe is massive — 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, with 72 miles of shoreline. It holds 37 trillion gallons of water — enough to cover the entire state of California 14 inches deep. Lake Tahoe’s known depth is 1,645 feet.

Due to its immense size, three national forests extend up to the lake’s basin — the Tahoe, Eldorado, and Toiyabe. Each forest has unique needs that could vary from those of the Tahoe basin, so a separate entity known as the LTBMU was formed in 1973 as a single management unit for the basin.
“The way that you could look at it is if you look at the basin and the way it’s laid out, there’s a ring of mountains that kind of run around the lake,” Lisa Herron, Public Affairs Specialist for the LTBMU, told Singletracks. “Then that’s where the boundary runs for the LTBMU — around the ridge line of Lake Tahoe.”

tLike nearly all USFS proposals, the Tahoe Basin Project is multifaceted, with many moving parts. While this project includes adding new trails, the main emphasis is the allowance of e-bikes on existing non-motorized trails. Like we’ve seen in other areas looking to add e-bikes to non-motorized trails, the trails will be reclassified as “motorized trails open to class 1 e-bikes only,” a special USFS redesignation.

Here are some quick points from the proposal:

Reclassify 87 miles of current non-motorized trail to motorized, e-bikes only
Build 23 miles of multi-use trail that will allow e-bikes
Reclassify 1 mile of existing motorized trail to e-bikes only
Construct 3 new trailheads

The proposal also calls for decommissioning roughly 3 miles of singletrack that have planned reroutes. One mile of the trails being proposed will be open to non-motorized uses, while 5 miles of new trail will be open for seasonal motorcycle use only. Seasonal motorcycle use could get an additional 4 miles of trail currently classified as non-motorized.

The initial proposal was adjusted after the environmental assessment (EA). The number of non-motorized trails reclassified as motorized for e-bikes went from 87 miles to 106. The 23 miles of new trail in the initial proposal was also bumped to 45 miles post-EA adjustment.

“Electric bikes or e-bikes are growing in popularity and offer increased potential for recreational experiences on our National Forest-managed lands in the basin,” LTBMU writes in the proposal. All told, the proposal will open 114 trails (a list of the trails can be found here), both existing and to-be-built, to class 1 e-bikes.

Some popular Tahoe trails that could be allowing eMTBs soon are: Powerline Trail, Angora Ridge, and Saxon’s Connector. The Saxon Creek Trail, also known as Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, does not yet allow e-bikes, although LTBMU is working with advocacy groups to find alternative access to such trails. The Tahoe Rim Trail will remain non-motorized.

They’re looking at all the trails, trying to figure out what makes sense and what doesn’t,” Herron told us, referring to the trails opening to e-bikes. “We are just trying to look at the trails and get the best use out of them.”

“Currently, some eMTB users are riding trails they are not technically allowed on, and this can lead to user conflict. No agency currently has the resources to consistently enforce these policies, the BWTA seeks to update the regulations to include current users, equipment, and recreation trends on trails.”

E-bikes may not start hitting proposed trails until 2025. USFS Project Milestones tend to be more of a rough guide. The estimated decision date was August 1, 2024, with implementation estimated by September 1, 2024. With things getting pushed back, Herron told us a decision isn’t likely until mid-to-late August. If the proposal passes, commenters will have a period to object, which adds another 45 days. By then, they could be looking at November.

“If the final decision does come in November, implementation probably won’t happen until after winter’s over,” Herron said. If everything does pass, Herron told us that signage and education will be the most pressing task since building new trail will still be a bit further out.

CLICK HERE to see original article and photos in Singletracks:
https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/e-bike-access-near-lake-tahoe-has-long-been-controversial-but-the-issue-will-soon-be-settled-once-and-for-all/

UPDATE: Twilight Ride project and Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails Expansion Project - Phase 2

8/1/2024

Update from Placer County Department of Parks and Open Space:
From: Lisa Carnahan, Parks Senior Planner
"I wanted to update you on activity that will be occurring this next few weeks at the County project located at 5345 Bell Road. Starting tomorrow, and continuing into early next week, we will be receiving soil at the site. Large trucks will be traveling along Bell Road, and there will be multiple truckloads each day. After the soil has been placed on site, work will commence to install the last culvert required for the project. Upon arrival of the septic tank and parts, work will begin on the construction of the septic system.

Additionally, we will be taking an informational item to the North Auburn MAC next Tuesday evening, August 6th, regarding the Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails Expansion Project - Phase 2 - Connectivity Trail Construction 2024 in North Auburn. The proposed Trail Construction Project includes a trail connection from the Bell Road parking area to the existing River Otter Loop Trail within HFRP. In order to proceed with the Trail Construction Project, Parks staff is currently preparing a request for Board approval of the Plans and Specifications, authorization of the solicitation of bids, and authorization of the execution of a trail construction contract. The request will also seek $275,000 in Park Dedication Fees from Recreation Area # 5, Auburn/Meadow Vista Area, and $200,000 from Recreation Area #6, Lincoln Area, to help fund the Trail Construction Project.

This request is anticipated to go to the Board in the near future.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thank you,

Lisa Carnahan
Parks Senior Planner
Placer County Department of Parks and Open Space
[email protected]

============================
Past Post - July 20, 2023 - Phase 1
Placer approves first construction phase for Hidden Falls Expansion Project
Project work will consist of development of Twilight Ride trailhead and parking lot
Stacey Adams - Auburn Journal
The Placer County Board of Supervisors on July 11 unanimously approved a construction contract for the first phase of the Hidden Falls Regional Park expansion project.
The project, which was approved by the board on March 8, 2021, in a 3-2 vote, proposes to expand the regional park to nearly 4,000 acres, including doubling the trail network from 30 to 60 miles and adding vehicle, ADA and equestrian parking. Construction of supportive facilities such as viewing platforms, benches, stream crossing and fire suppression facilities are also included in the project.
Phase 1 consists of the development of the Twilight Ride trailhead and parking lot, located at 5346 Bell Road in North Auburn, which the board approved the construction plans and specifications for on April 4. According to the staff report, development will include 54 vehicle and 20 equestrian parking stalls and amenities such as a restroom with a drinking fountain, equestrian watering stations, hitching posts, a picnic area with tables, signage and a ranger station.
The staff report also notes the new parking area will provide access to eight miles of existing trails on the adjacent 481-acre Big Hill Properties (Taylor Ranch and Kotoyan Preserves).
“This ambitious project would not be possible without our invaluable partnership with the Placer Land Trust,” Placer County Parks & Open Space Administrator Andy Fisher said. “We cannot wait for park visitors to experience what will be one of the largest parks in the region. The new property will offer great views from the Sierra snowcaps all the way to the coast range.”
According to Fisher, the lowest bid for construction, received from All Phase Construction & Engineering, Inc. of Citrus Heights for $4.4 million, was $1.5 million over county engineer’s estimate of construction costs.
Fisher advised a majority of the funding for the project comes from a $3 million grant provided by the Proposition 68 Trails & Greenways grant program, which has a performance end period of December 2024. According to Fisher, it is anticipated the project will require a two-construction season (this year and next) to complete the performance period of the grant.
According to the staff report, $2.9 million in county general funds and local park dedication fees will also be utilized to support the project.
The board received 18 comments noting support of moving forward with the project to provide the Placer community with more recreational opportunities, concern of where the funding for the project and any potential further increases will come from and concerns about fire suppression.
According to a Placer County news release, the Twilight Ride trailhead is expected to be open to the public in late 2024 or early 2025 and parking reservations will be required at the Bell Road entrance seven days a week.
More information about the Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails and Open Space Expansion Project can be found at placer.ca.gov/2537/Hidden-Falls-Regional-Park-Trail-Network.