Trail News - January '97

Trail Construction Class / Work Day - January 11th
State Parks and FATRAC are cosponsoring another training seminar and work day on the new loop trail. The class will meet on January 11th at 10:00 at the parking area off Upper Lake Clementine Road (not where we worked before). The training will include trail construction and more emphasis on repair and rehab of existing trails. Then we will work on the new trail for a couple of hours and try to out do our performance from last March. Some progress has been made on the trail, with the help of some CDF crews, almost two miles have been brushed out. The trail will be close to 10 miles in length at completion, and it has semi-officially been named the Foresthill Divide Loop Trail.
If it is raining, we will reschedule the training to the first Saturday of March (3/2).

Cool Mountain Bike Race - February 16th
The fifth annual Cool Mountain Bike Race is coming up. Interested racers should apply early because this race fills up fast. It is also a great event for spectators. For more information regarding the race, contact Auburn Bike and Hike Shop at 885-3861.

New Years Day Run Report - by Suzi Thibeault
The tradition of running the California Street section of Western States actually predates the race using that section on race day. The run from Foresthill to the Ruck-a-chuck river crossing has been a New Years day event of sorts since before 1980. Always word of mouth, never an entry, awards or stats. This year with the advent of Email though, we saw an increase in the number of runners.
Considering the "Pineapple Express" storm that blew our way, it is amazing any of us went outdoors New Years day. But, Gene and I figure the count was 29 runners in various outfits of plastic bags, shorts, tights, and everybody was soaked entirely. The rain was constant from the time we gathered, and carpooled to Foresthill from Driver's Flat. Charlie and Nanci Gabri, Russ and Diane Melanson, Laurette and Kurt Fox were the working couples. They shuttled runners, and provided our safety net for the mass bail out that was inevitable.
We all figured there would be a point on the trail that would have a creek crossing too high to wade, it was just a question of which creek. Bets were on the area that gets closest to the River, between Cal 3 and Cal 4. Hey, we never got that far guys! A creek we call FERN GROTTO for it's lovely peaceful plants and quiet beauty (Peachstone) was the end of the line for this run. The water was muddy brown and roaring down the hillside creating standing walls of water midstream that were probably waist deep. Even Tweet is too short to wade this one!
Everybody turned around and returned up the switchbacks to Cal 2 where we used the access road as an escape hatch. Even the last creek we has crossed before Cal 2 was now running to deep to get back across!
With everyone out, and soaked, and happy, we went our merry ways. Gene and I went into Sacramento to see a presentation of CATS at the Community Center, and found the outdoor temp at midnight was 67 degrees! Still raining, so the next morning we walked down to see Highway 49 bridge which has been closed since the previous night due to the rise in the American River. It was an amazing sight! The river is raging just barely under the bridge and we saw logs come down and smack the underside of the metal portion creating a loud BANG. NO HANDS bridge just below the 49 bridge is taller by about 20 feet, and was still standing tall, "keep out" signs, chainlink fences, and all.
AR 50 trail is basically underwater right now as our valley river levees do what they were built to do. These trails have been flooded before, and will be again. Very exciting to see though.
Happy New Years to all -- Suzi T

Foresthill Trails Alliance                      PO Box 468, Foresthill, CA 95631
http://foothill.net/fta/                        email: fta@foothill.net