Trail riders pitch in

Next weekend, mountain bike, motorcycle and equestrian groups will grab shovels, rakes and loppers in a unified effort to re-route a segment of the popular Pioneer Trail to make a safer, more enjoyable ride.

The 25-mile trail was begun 20 years ago and extends from Harmony Ridge Market on Highway 20 to the Spalding Trail off Bowman Lake Road, where it connects with an extensive non-motorized network of trails in the Grouse Ridge Area.

Re-routing the trail will eliminate two dangerous highway crossings past the Omega Rest Stop and will add more desirable single track where for years mountain bikers and horse riders were forced to share wide, dusty backcountry roads with motorcycles and cars.

"It'll mean a better experience for bikers, hikers and horses," said Joe Chavez, recreation officer for the Yuba River Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest.

"What we're doing is putting the trail where it was originally suposed to go. It will be a non-motorized, single- track trail," said Willie Brusin, a member of the Gold Country Trails Council.

Joining the Gold Country Trails Council are Bicyclists of Nevada County (BONC), Nevada County Woods Riders, Forest City Trails Alliance, Nevada Union Mountain Bike Team and the Union Hill Junior High Mountain Bike Team.

While many of the groups have been working on a number of trail projects in the Burlington Road and Chalk Bluff area for a decade, the Pioneer Trail re-routing project is the first joint venture that will bring all competing interests together, said Fred Bergman, a member of BONC.

All the work is being done by volunteers, an important element at a time when the Forest Service budget is stretched thin.

"It is kind of unique to have that cooperation out there," Chavez said.

Sought after for its access and range of terrain for beginners to thrill-seekers, the trail follows some of the same pathways of early pioneers and features old wooden flumes that carried clear, cold water from the high country.

"We get a ton of people who come up from the Bay Area," Bergman said.

Once complete, probably by the end of next year, the entire new route will measure about 4 miles long, Chavez said.

Single-track trails mean a more intimate forest experience, Brusin said.

"For people who have horses, riding in the forest is their church. I call it recharging my battery," Brusin said.

Maintainance of trails within the Tahoe National Forest has come to rely on volunteers by as much as 80 percent in recent years as the agency struggles with a smaller budget.

"The Forest Service budget for recreation has definitely been on flatter downward trend for over a decade. We're sure stretching the dollars a whole lot," Chavez said.

With a lengthening shadow of tougher economic times on the horizon, it is expected the national forest will come to rely more heavily on volunteers in coming years, Chavez said.

"It's definitely going to become more common for the Forest Service everywhere, doing more with less," Chavez said.

Besides the financial advantage of partnering with volunteers, the Forest Service gains many more sets of eyes in the woods.

"Users become more invested with the resources. They guard it. That's another huge thing," Chavez said.

To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.

Know and go

What: Join the Tahoe National Forest to re-route a section of the Pioneer Trail.



When: From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday (free lunch at 1:30 p.m.).

And from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Sunday (bring your own lunch).

Where: Meet at Excelsior Road off Highway 20, located 18.2 miles from Nevada City. Look for signs.



Supplies: Bring your own gloves, hat, sunscreen, snacks and water. Wear long pants and hiking shoes.



More information: Call Fred Berg-man at 277-6446. For an online map, visit tinyurl.com/63yoey