The City of Walnut Creek posted the Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration Notice of Intent to adopt and completed a comment period that was extended two weeks to October 16, 2023.  Comments received are being addressed.  All comments are anticipated to be addressed in the next few months.  At that point the project is expected to move forward into detailed planning and construction.  Stay tuned and check in with BTCEB.org or Mountain Bikers of Mount Diablo for updates when they become available.  

For previous background check out these earlier articles:

https://btceb.org/2023/10/lime-ridge-flow-trail-project-moves-forward/

https://btceb.org/2022/12/lime-ridge-flow-trail-get-involved/

Also there’s the MBOMD Lime Ridge Timeline

Mountain Bikers of Mount Diablo, particularly Barry Mendelson and Caedmon Bear continue to be the leads on advocating with Walnut Creek Staff and BTCEB is monitoring and providing a supporting role to them.

TWENTY-SIX volunteers hit the dirt at Crockett Hills on November 5th and worked on drainage on Soaring Eagle along with some Sugar City repairs to a rough slide area and rebuilding some rollers. We smoothed out a slide area at the bottom of Sugar City and worked on re-establishing outslope and grade reversals on the northern end of Soaring Eagle.

This work day was coordinated with Scouting Troop 284 from Lafayette and a half dozen or so general volunteers via Meetup for a total 80 volunteer hours. This is the first fall workday at Crockett Hills. Generally soil conditions are much drier than we’d like but it did allow us to remove outside displacement berms and move loose soil off back slopes to smooth rough sections or rebuild rollers. Park staff had tilled the north end of Soaring Eagle so the work there was aimed at shaping that into grade reversals and outsloping. Even though the compaction is poor when dry, the work gets soil into the right places for moisture we should be getting soon.

Thank you to partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District and Crockett Hills Supervisor Travis Vincent who helped provide water supply and several sprayers to help with compaction on rollers and tread repairs. Travis and his staff provide mechanized support for mowing vegetation and chainsaw work to clear downed trees among other things at Crockett Hills. Thank you also to Dave Sturgis and Dan Levy for crew leading and BTCEB Director Rebecca Lewington for photography and making the sandwich run pickup for the group.

Larger work days are noticed on the BTCEB page on Meetup.com. You can also get on our trail work mailing list by visiting our Trails page, scrolling down to the Get Trailwork Notifications button.

Volunteer lunch and tool funding are provided by a generous grant from Athletic Brewing’s Two for Trails Grant program. Tool funding is also provided by a generous donation from Trail One’s Trail Treasury. We thank both of these sponsors for supporting our sustainable trails work.

Storms!

It’s been a busy and interesting year in Joaquin Miller Park (JMP).  Significant changes came to JMP due to the 2023 winter storms.  Two storm systems dumped massive amounts of rain on the Oakland Hills and beyond and brought 70 mph plus winds to the region.  BTCEB responded.

First, BTCEB volunteers John and Morgan rode and hiked every trail in JMP and documented the location of over 70 trail blockages.  Although the mapped data was shared with the City of Oakland park managers, the City’s tree crews were busy taking care of trees that had fallen on public streets and were not available to help with clearing trails

Throughout the spring, an ad-hoc team of local stewards gradually cleared trails even as more trees continued to fall.  In some cases, such as on south Big Trees Trail, the base of a fallen tree was so large that the trail was simply moved to go around the obstacle rather than cut through it.  Typically, smaller tree branches are cleared using a simple folding hand saw (which some riders started carrying on their bikes).  In other cases, larger saws were needed including a two-person cross-cut saw, also known as a “misery whip”.

Most of the trees in the park were planted or are invasive species. One study by a UC Berkeley scientist estimated that the tree has something like five times the amount of tree cover as it did before development, The big pines are the Monterey species and are at the end of their lifespans. During the second storm system, several of these “lollypop” trees topped over at the lower parking area crushing picnic benches. JMP is also home to the invasive acacia tree which seems to fall over if you just look at it funny. The trails were blocked by these two types of trees as well as bay laurels which are native to the area; they seem to have no trouble re-sprouting after they get knocked sideways. We now have a new appreciation for how many trees will come down in a big storm!

In addition to the falling trees, pipes under the historic stone bridge became clogged with debris causing part of the bridge to collapse into the creek.  Volunteers rescued the bridge from further damage by clearing the pipes.  We hope to restore the bridge soon.

DRAINAGE!

In March, middle and high school mountain bike teams assembled in the lower part of the park to improve trail drainage, such as the middle portion of the Sinawik trail. Conditions were still “soupy” but at least and we could see where the water was coming and [not!] going. 

This brings up an interesting point and a big challenge of trail work in our sunny State:  in most cases the soil needs to be nearly saturated with water to make it soft enough to dig and compact but not so wet as to have the consistency of clam chowder.  That leaves only a few months to get stuff done: December through April — though every year is different.  Scheduling in those months means that events will likely be cancelled at the last minute due to the weather.  In JMP, the weather scheduling is further complicated by wind.  We don’t want to be under all those old pines and eucalyptus when the wind starts whipping them around!

WEEDS!

Record rains brought record weeds.  The upper north section of the Castle Park Trail was overrun with thistle and fennel.  The City of Oakland normally has goats graze that hillside to reduce the fire risk, but in 2023 the City’s efforts were far behind schedule.  Riding Castle Park was becoming a painful experience–literally.

Jumping into action, BTCEB’s Vice President Jamuel Starkey swiftly got on the weeds and returned the trail to passable condition using only his trusty weed-eater under the watchful eye of his faithful trail companion, Ms. MollyMo McDoggo of course!

RING A DING-DING!

Friends of JMP worked with an Eagle Scout to install two bike bell stations in the park.  These stations are bulletin boards, located at the top of the meadow and at the Sequoia-Bayview trailhead,  with bike bells available for loan or gifting. 

The bells are supplied by the BTCEB and Friends volunteers. The bells help avoid hiker-cyclist conflicts and to promote both organizations (logos are on the bells).  The bike bell stations have been met with praise by many users and will be restocked going into 2024.

Clearing Lower Palos!

Later in early June, a few intrepid volunteers from BTCEB and Oakland Park Patrol worked to clear the lower segment of the Palos Colorados Trail which was blocked by trees and erosion.  This section of trail runs from the trail junction and wooden bridge down to Joaquin Miller Court (where the creek then passes under Highway 13).  The trail is not open to bicycles due to the very narrow tread and steep slopes.  Storm damage rendered it nearly impassible to even the hardiest hiker.  This trail is one of the prettiest in the park and will need constant maintenance.     

At the bottom of the trail near its terminus at Joaquin Miller Court, the creek decided to change course and bypass the wooden crossing.  Rather than try to put the creek “back where it belongs” or build a new crossing, strong-backed volunteers Gary, Brian and Gary’s friend, who happened be hiking the trail, literally picked up and moved the bridge over! We are anything if not resourceful!  Will the creek go another direction this winter?  We shall see…   

Fun fact:  the Sinawik trail is Kiwanis spelled backwards.  The local chapter of the Kiwanis Club made improvements to the park decades ago including building the former Sinawik Cabin which was located where that trail meets up with Palos Colorados at that nice wooden bridge over Palos Seco Creek.   Which leads me to…that wooden bridge.

WOODEN BRIDGE!

In July it was reported that the railings on the bridge (photo) that joins Palos Colorado and Sinawik Trail had rotted off and fallen into the creek.  This bridge is a critical bit of trail infrastructure linking several heavily-used trails together and getting hikers and cyclists safely across Palo Seco Creek. 

While the railings had rotted off, the massive timbers that made up the frame of the bridge were still in good shape. Emeritus BTCEB trail builder Henry Mitchell stepped up to reconstruct the railings using high-grade redwood and hardware.  BTCEB funded the materials and a few Park Patrol volunteers assisted Henry on this great project.  Result: a nice bridge that should last another 20 years. 

Fixing Cinderella!

A favorite of those seeking a fast and challenging downhill route is the Cinderella Trail, which has seen better days.  The steep sections have been very badly eroded and even the flatter sections have ruts and “breaking bumps”. Clearly the trail needs some TLC. One question for this and the other two “downhill trails” (Chapparal and Castle Park), is whether to repair the steep parts (which means hardening) or reroute a portion of the trail all together to create a mellower and more sustainable section.  Or both?  To that end, BTCEB has engaged Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship for some additional eyes on the problem.  SCMTS will be helping guide a strategy forward with an assessment and recommendations by early 2024.  

Meanwhile on Cindy . . . BTCEB members quickly got after a small problem that developed after apparently somebody decided to alter the flow of a perennial stream and have it run down the trail instead of across it. What were they thinking?  The result was a muddy bog that was going to destabilize the trail even further once the heavy rains come.  Gary and Tom spent a few hours putting the water back where it belongs and hope that those who want to get their hands dirty join us for an upcoming dig day.

The last thing we did in 2023 was to get Cincderella in shape for the coming rains. We had a good turn out of voluteers for a mid December work day.  Many hands make light work . . .

See you in 2024!

Trail stewardship at Crockett Hills in 2023 finished up with a surge despite a rough start to the year.  Sugar City saw two work days focused on rebuilding and re-shaping rollers, repair and extension of several berms along with drain improvements in those areas.  

The rebuilding and reshaping of the rollers was aimed at making them flow better and more pumpable.  They’re definitely riding differently and you may need to adjust your riding from what you’ve been used to with the flattened out beat down shaping.  There are a few spots that lend themselves to more pop but in most cases it’s pump that’s available.  Thus far we’ve just reached the first eastbound pass of rollers and the turns entering and exiting that stretch.  A slide was cleared and tread reshaped back to the original line.   Thank you to Ian Massey for lending his experience and eye on shaping the rollers.  Let us know what you think of the reshaped rollers.  As always it’s a work in progress.

Drainage issues are first and foremost the top trail stewardship work priority.  Functioning drains allow a trail to be usable as soon as possible after rain, minimize wetspots, rutting, and erosion and therefore impact on the landscape and watersheds.   A good drain is invisible to most users as it should be and appreciated by just a few dirt nerds.  They aren’t sexy or cool but they are the trail workhouse behind good initial design.  Our focus for years has been on drainage at Crockett Hills so it’s been nice to have drainage in good shape such that we could dedicate some time to riding features.

Several of the bermed turns are challenging since the original build has the low point in the turn instead of beyond the turn.  This requires draining to the inside of the turn and then across the trail toward the exit of the turn before it has completely finished.  We do our best to drain across as late in the turn as possible and minimize impact on the turn.

The start of 2023 was challenged by the dozen atmospheric rivers which saw 3 of our 4 large work days canceled due wet conditions.  These historically have accounted for over half of our annual volunteer hours.  Additionally the Briones Dig Days and increased advocacy efforts drew resources away from Crockett Hills .  A November large work day was added and 3 weekday work sessions in November and December brought 2023 in at 532 volunteer hours, the second largest annual contribution at Crockett Hills.  We’re looking forward to a productive 2024 and aiming to create more volunteer opportunities and better trail conditions.

Stay tuned to our Meetup for the larger trail work events and be sure to subscribe to our trail work email list if you want to hear about all of the other opportunities that are available.

You may have seen our pleas the last few months but we are STILL looking for passionate individuals interested in mountain biking that want to give back to the sport, community, and lands that that we all love. Does that sound like you?  Would you like to be part of advocacy, trail work, and expanding access for mountain bikers in the East Bay?  We may have the right volunteer position for you!  

The Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay (BTCEB) will be holding elections for several Board of Director positions at our May 2024 meeting.  We encourage all interested members to consider applying for one of our openings. We are specifically recruiting for a new Trails Director, Membership Director, and Communications Director, along with openings for Board Members at Large.

We are looking for self-motivated, creative individuals who have fresh ideas about what mountain biking in the East Bay could be.  Interested? Fill out THIS FORM. Interested in more than one position?  No problem – you can apply for more than one.  Want more information about a position?  Shoot us an email at info@btceb.org 

BTCEB is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1987 by a dedicated group of volunteers who successfully fought the planned closure of almost all bike trails in the East Bay! We are the oldest mountain bike advocacy group in the United States and one of the founding clubs of IMBA. Our mission is to educate cyclists in responsible mountain biking, to advocate for appropriate access and to promote community among trail users so all may fully enjoy and preserve the natural spaces of the East Bay.

Applicants for board positions must be current dues paying BTCEB members (you may join now if your membership is not current). Terms of office will be two years and BOD members need to be available to attend our monthly board meetings currently held via Google Hangout on the first Wednesday of each month. There will also be opportunities to contribute to our monthly rides, advocate for increased access to singletrack, and develop and maintain trails in East Bay parks through our board committees. 

Some of our priorities for the 2024 year currently include:

Our first ever Strategic Planning session in January to support the organization with clear initiatives & goals from 2023-member survey results.

Working with the City of Oakland to continue trail maintenance and general upkeep of MTB trails in Joaquin Miller Park 

Continuing EBMUD discussions, working towards the master plan for future increased access/opening and connecting trails.

East Bay Regional Park District – continuing the work with EBRPD and Stewards of Briones to support efforts in the Briones Pilot Project area, and to support efforts with possible additional pilot programs in the park district.

Continuing the work with EBRPD in the Wildcat canyon flow trail project and maintenance and development of the trail system at Crockett Hills Regional Park

Working with the Walnut Creek Open Space District to support Lime Ridge and Shell Ridge access.

Continuing our relationships with East Bay youth and middle school and high school MTB teams to support NICA Teen Trail Corp and advocacy programming.

If you would like to be a part of the movement to free the singletrack, please let us know of your interest by completing our Google Form ASAP. After your application is reviewed, you’ll be invited to attend our BOD meeting by google hangout on Wednesday, May 31st from 7:00 – 9:00 PM to meet us, introduce yourself, and talk about why you’d like to participate in the Bicycle Trails Council Board of Directors.

Upcoming Trailwork Days

Are you interested in giving back to area trails through trail stewardship?  Sign up for email notifications for trail work opportunities is always available on our Trails page. Join the BTCEB group on Meetup for another good way to hear about larger trail work events in addition to the other happenings at BTCEB. These are the primary means of announcing trail work sessions.  You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 

Are you interested in becoming a trail Crew Leader?  Send us a message at trails@btceb.org and we’ll start working with you on that.  If you’ve got experience that’s great but if you don’t but you’re motivated and willing to learn we’ll work with you.  Crew Leaders are critical to supporting trail stewardship workdays and the supply of qualified people is a limiting factor. 

Also if you report trail issues while out riding via the Trailforks app and we’ll get a notification it if it’s an East Bay park and follow up as possible.  JMP, Crockett Hills, and JMLT properties response times are pretty good.

Cattle have been moved out of the top and middle fields at Crockett Hills so barring a fence failure or a gate being left open we’ve got a good chance of avoiding cattle damage this wet season.  The biggest thing YOU can do is make sure that gates are closed after you pass through them.  This includes both the gates on fences where the cattle are currently at and between other fields.  These other gates will limit the spread of damage if cattle happen to get loose.  Sugar City and Tree Frog sustained damage last year when cattle got into the top pasture and then secondarily into the middle field with Sugar City and Tree Frog.  If the gate at the Big Valley / Kestrel / Two Peaks junction had been closed damage would have been limited to Soaring Eagle and Sky. 

The park district and the grazer continue to invest in infrastructure that will increase the capability to prevent cattle damage to trails.  A new well was drilled near Soaring Eagle trail in the top field.  A solar panel, pump, tank, piping, and a trough are being installed.  This new water source will allow effective grazing of the top field where Soaring Eagle trail is during the dry months.  Prior to this a failed well was drilled and water was trucked in to poly tanks to water cattle.  The middle field (Sugar City & Tree Frog) was supplied with well water over a year ago.  The cattle pond along Soaring Eagle was renovated last year to improve it’s capacity and reduce the risk to cattle last year.  These improvements are key to providing a means to graze the fields with trails of value during the dry months and move cattle to the two adjacent fields, the front field & the Stewart property during wet months. 

Cattle issues remain the top advocacy item for BTCEB at Crockett Hills.  The improvements over the last couple of years should make for significant improvements in trail quality over the foreseeable future/.  Trails are nearing the good condition they were in prior to a week of damage last year and a full season of wet grazing the year before.

So, make sure those gates are closed.  If you see a gate that needs repair or cattle out in the middle or top fields notify park supervision at the phone number posted at the trailhead or send a message to trails@btceb.org and we’ll follow up with park staff.  Happier trails we hope.