Klamath Trails Alliance
Monthly steering committee meetings are held on the second Friday of each month, from 11:45-1:30 in the Klamath Lake room of the South Portal Bldg, 205 Riverside Dr.
Monthly emails to our email list prior to each meeting include a recap of activities during the past month – these are included below!
March 2014
We had another great meeting in March with twelve people present: Mike Boles (Forest Service), Ann Cavanaugh (Smith-Bates), Bill Wright (KTA/FOMP), Drew Honzel (KTA), Jerry Enman (KTA/BOG), Adam Burwell (KTA), Harry Vincett (Wingwatchers), Mark Goodman (KTA), John Bellon (City Parks), Dan Gailis (KTA), Terry Wagstaff, (KGF), Dennis Taugher (KTA).
We meet just off the hallway behind the front desk in a small room called The Klamath Lake Room. When that gets full, we move to the larger room across the hall. The purpose of our meeting is to hold an open forum to discuss ways to further our mission of promoting great trails in Klamath County. Come join us for all or part of the meeting. We encourage comments and participation.
Ann Cavanaugh led a lengthy discussion on branding. This is a long process of deciding who we are and how we might help unify the community. One result will be to decide on a logo that is simple and powerful and can show who we are. It will eventually go on stickers, trail signs, hats, tee shirts, posters, letterhead. There maybe grants that could help fund the expense.
We reviewed a trail loop through Conger Heights provided by Zach from Hutches. Decided to do a more complete inventory of existing trails to determine what trails should be decommissioned and what trails to keep in the system. Terry Wagstaff volunteered to map out the trails and asked KTA for help in the next step of trail planning.
We continued our discussion on the Great Klamath Circle. Mike Boles, Forest Service, had his GIS team produce several maps showing existing and decommissioned roads that could help in our route planning. The first step is to define the route then submit a proposal to the Forest Service. Several folks volunteered to help in the conceptual planning stage (Dan Gailis, Dennis Taugher, Adam Burwell, Bill Wright and Drew Honzel).
Upcoming KTA activities include a trail maintenance summit this Saturday at OIT from 9 am – noon and a presentation to Running Y homeowners on April 16th at 10:30 am.
February 2014
We hosted another overflow meeting with sixteen people present: Eric Andrews (Eco Solar), Mike Boles (Forest Service), Dan Gailis (KTA), Lauren Jespersen (Jespersen-Edgewood Ranch), Mike Smith (KF Parks Advisory Bd.), Jerry Enman (KTA), Sarah Holt, Bill Hunt (Klamath Outdoor Science School), Grant Weidenbach (KTA & BLM), Adam Burwell (KTA), Samantha Tipler (KTA), David Gallessich (KGF), Kay Heath (Basin Outdoor Group), Drew Honzel (KTA), Dennis Taugher (KTA).
We had a lengthy discussion of the vision trailcalled the Great Klamath Circle (GKC). We need to begin planning segments in more detail which requires discussion with the landowners. We are currently working with the Running Y Resort for a segment across their land. Mike Boles suggested forming a Conceptual Planning Committee to begin poring over maps, setting up possible routes and contacting landowners. The NEPA environmental process could take 2-4 years once trails are defined. One possible funding source for NEPA could be a RTP (Recreational Trail Program) Grant. Those who expressed interest to help on planning are, Dan Gailis, Adam Burwell, Grant Weidenbach and Dennis Taugher. Sarah Holt said she is willing to be a pioneer rider for the entire route. Go, Sarah!
Mike Smith made a pitch for a southern trailthat would start at Veteran’s Park and continue roughly along the Klamath River to Keno. Dennis Taugher will work with Mike on the conceptual trail plan. If agreed, it will be added to the GKC map.
There was some discussion that we need to reach out to the Klamath Tribes. It was suggested we contact Perry Chocktoot and possibly network with tribal health and/or their economic development group.
Our thanks to Dan Gailis, board member ofKTA. Dan has agreed to sharpen our trailtools with his new grinding wheel. This is a big step for the trail maintenance teams. Sharp tools will make the maintenance a bit easier.
To accomplish all of this we need to begin writing and submitting grants as well as general fundraising. A couple of names were mentioned for help KTA with grant writing. We will need to increase our volunteer base for trail building and maintenance. All of this will take community support. If you would like to volunteer for any of these activities, contact Dennis Taugher (dennistaugher@me.com).
January 2014
We had an excellent turnout at our Trail meeting last month.
John Bellon, Klamath Falls City Parks Superintendent, reported interest from the mountain bike community to run cyclocross races on the Eastside of Link River in an area called Conger Heights. They walked the route with Klamath Greenways and a representative from the Klamath Tribes. A short trail would need to be constructed to make an effective loop. There is concern from the tribes on cutting any new trail due to cultural issues. John also reported the City will construct a trail from Veterans Park boat launch to the wastewater treatment plan this summer. The construction cost will be close to $1 million dollars funded heavily by grant dollars!
Mike Boles, Recreational Coordinator for the Fremont/Winema Forest Service, has interest to collaborate with KTA. One thing the FS needs is more volunteers to help maintain some of the 1,100 miles of trail on Forest Service property. He also reported they will be doing family hikes this summer to Celebrate the Wilderness Act anniversary.
There was lengthy discussion on unsanctioned trails in and around Moore Park. We all need to keep working to clear approvals for public use.
Kirk Barhaum brought the new Collier State Park Manager, Todd Honeywell to the meeting. They discussed the Great Klamath Circle connector from Collier Park to Kimball Park. There is a maize of existing roads. Maybe we should try to decommission some of the roads for our trail? If we wanted to pursue decommissioning Mike Boles, FS recommended we talk with Mike Lawrence FS Chemult District.
Sophie Nathenson, Professor at OIT, mentioned OIT students are willing to volunteer if we have projects that could use their help.
It was suggested KTA broaden its appeal to more groups as we are viewed as a mountain bike group. Possibly we need to work on our “brand”. As an example, one of Klamath’s best assets is birding which goes well with some of our trail projects.
Jennifer Gifford, Crater Lake Trails Supervisor, will also be looking for trail volunteers this summer. On another subject she is investigating a grant for $25K that is meant to partner with other organizations like KTA or FS. She will get more information.
December 2013
Thanks to Adam Burwell for organizing a group to participate in the Snowflake Parade! It was a cold night but 20+ enthusiastic KTA supporters showed up to brave the weather and spread holiday cheer!
A successful Membership Meeting was held on December 11th at The Creamery with 34 members/guests in attendance. Anna Laxague, Northwest Regional Director of IMBA, was our keynote speaker and talked about how to build a successful club. Lots of folks stayed after to chat and enjoy the food. KTA’s membership also ratified our new board members: Ed Beverly, Dan Gailis, Josh Nelson and Adam Burwell… welcome onboard!
We had an excellent trail maintenance season that began in May and ended with two days in November totaling over 270 volunteer hours! We groomed parts of the Klamath Ridge View Trail, Blueberry and helped finish Moore Park’s newest trail, Big Sky. Our thanks to Kevin Jones of KTA and Ken Hay of City Parks for another successful trail project in Moore Park!
Work continued on Spence Mountain late in the year with Marc Cross of Rhine-Cross Group completing initial survey work for the Howard Bay Trailhead. We appreciate Marc’s gift-in-kind! Trail flagging was also completed on the East Ridge of Spence thanks to Grant Weidenbach, Jennifer Gifford and Drew Honzel.
Jeremy Morris of Adkins Engineering volunteered his time to do the easement survey for the Buck Ridge portion of the KRVT. He finished the survey which will preserve public access to the trail in perpetuity. Our thanks go to Jeremy and Mark Ahalt, developer of Buck Ridge, for his strong support and advice on placement of the easement.
Finally, we would like to thank those who have renewed your KTA membership. If you haven’t yet renewed or if you are planning on joining, please take a moment to sign up on our website klamathtrails.org
October 2013
Those present at the October meeting were Dan Gailis (KTA member), Ed Beverly (KTA member), Josh Nelson (KTA member), Ken Hay, (City Parks), Jim Calvert (KTA member), Bob Williams (Rails-to-Trails) and Dennis Taugher (KTA member).
We again had excellent participation and a great discussion. Thanks to all who came.
We are very pleased to announce the appointment of three members to the KTA Board of Directors. They are Dan Gailis, a local dentist; Ed Beverly, former Amuchastegui construction executive and former owner of a downtown sports store; and Josh Nelson, owner of Asana Yoga and Sole. Please welcome them.
We have been working over several years to have the Buck Ridge portion of the Klamath Ridge View Trail surveyed so it can be granted a permanent easement, as is on the Ridgewater land. We think we have found a surveyor who is willing to help us. We will keep you posted.
Dan Gailis thinks he has found a grant writer. We will need grants to help with trail building costs. We will likely hire a professional trail crew to rough cut new trails, such as Integral Youth Services (IYS) or Northwest Youth Corps. Some of their work crews specialize in trail building.
September 2013:
Those present at the September meeting were Dan Gailis (KTA member), Bill Wright (FOMP member), Lillian Schiavo (FOMP/KTA member), Kate Marquez (Klamath County Tourism Grants), Bob Williams (Rails-to-Trails) and Dennis Taugher (KTA member).
We again had excellent participation at our September meeting and a great discussion. Thanks to all who came. A variety of ideas were discussed.
Lillian Schiavo suggested we apply for an IMBA grant. We need to do it now since they work a year in advance. IMBA is the International Mountain Biking Assn.
It was suggested that we locate the IMBA Trail Building book that Friends of Moore Park bought several years ago and donate it to the library so it can have wider use.
Kate Marquez gave a pitch for us to apply for a County Tourism Grant which are designed for projects that bring in visitors outside the county. There are two application periods: March 1st and September 1st. A booklet showing many of the county trails would be considered a project for a tourism grant. Dan Gailis expressed interest.
Lillian Schiavo is putting on her two annual cyclocross races on two Sundays: 9/29 and 10/13. She is looking for volunteers for those two days. Contact her at <lillypad0303@yahoo.com>
Dan Gailis has access to used T-bars which can be used to hold up logs or rocks for trail retaining walls. We could store some in the FOMP shed.
We discussed the new trail signs that city parks will purchase and install. We estimate they will be able to buy around 40 signs. For any remaining signs, we can offer them to the public for a donation of $50. The sign will have their name on it. Ken Hay is in charge of purchasing the first 40 or so signs with $1,000 of grant money. City parks has said they will install them.
We are excited that Kevin Jones, a KTA member, avid mountain biker and trail builder along with Ken Hay of city parks have flagged a new mountain bike trail in Moore Park. The city paid for a trail crew (Northwests Youth Corps) and tribal monitor to rough cut a trail. Hutch’s Bicycle Shop sponsored a Maintenance Day. We thank those who came to help groom the trail on 9/7: Kevin Jones, Grant Weidenbach, Brad and Alec Kramer. We understand the trail will be called Blue Sky. We will announce when the trail is open.
KTA is very pleased to announce that Dan Gailis has accepted a position as a board member. He is interested in helping with developing membership and exploring a potential trail system near Hagelstein County Park. Dan is a local dentist, a member of KTA and has attended many trail meetings over the past year. Welcome aboard, Dan!
August 2013:
Those present at the August meeting were Ed Beverly (KTA member), Kirk Barham (Ore State Parks), Justin Rodriguez (KTA member), Daniel Galis (KTA member), Drew Honzel (KTA member) and Dennis Taugher (KTA member).
We had a good discussion about trail maintenance. It was suggested we use “T” posts to hold up shoring logs for trail blow-outs. See if ODF has any used tools they can give us. Daniel Galis has a commercial style weed whacker and Justin Rodriguez has a chain saw. By the way, Dan brought his whacker to the August Maint. Day and trimmed both sides of the Buck Ridge trail, for which we are grateful.
We have been in contact with one of the surveyors from Rhine-Cross to survey both the proposed trailhead at Spence Mtn and the Buck Ridge portion of the Klamath Ridge View Trail.
We had an excellent volunteer turnout for the August 10th Trail Maint. Day–13 which is in stark contrast with the previous month of only three. Our thanks to Jim Calvert, Bill Wood, Daniel and Glenn Galis, Ed Beverly and Cheryl, Brad Kramer, Drew Honzel, Lillian Schiavo, Jerry Enman, Barry West, Grant Weidenbach and Dennis Taugher.
July 2013:
Those present at the July meeting were Ed Beverly (KTA member), Kirk Barham (Ore State Parks), Grant Weidenbach, (BLM and KTA member), Justin Rodriguez (KTA member), Bob Williams (Rails-to-Trails) and Dennis Taugher (KTA member).
We had excellent participation at our July meeting and a great discussion. Thanks to all who came. The following is a discussion of the trailhead at the proposed Spence Mtn. trail network.
Justin Rodriguez is assisting with the engineering/surveying phase. He will put together an action plan with dates that give us some leeway. We will need to satisfy David Steiner of ODOT that we will make each of the dates. We hope to have the surveys and engineering drawings completed and ODF land cleared by next spring, when we would start construction.
The very pleasant surprise was that Marc Cross of Rhine-Cross has volunteered to do both the survey and the engineering drawings. Marc will need to be paid a modest sum of money so he can be covered by his company’s insurance. He has pledged to donate this sum back to KTA.
Marc indicated that he does not have time to do the actual property survey but that we should be able to hire one of his field surveyors for roughly $25/hr. Marc estimated that $500 would cover the surveyor’s time. Three of those at the meeting (Dennis, Ed and Justin) pledged roughly $450 for the surveyor.
There was a discussion of having OIT students do the survey work. But it was felt that it might take time to get the project approved and that it’s possible that ODOT might not accept a survey from student surveyors. It was felt to be quicker to fund it privately.
Justin will set up the schedule that can be sent by letter to ODOT. Justin emphasized that we leave a paper trailwith ODOT so if for any reason, someone else becomes the permit supervisor, that the replacement can’t arbitrarily dismiss our project.
Rhine-Cross will provide the boundary and topographical surveys.
Justin lead a lengthy discussion of how and when to do the various pieces of the plan.
It was felt that ODF’s temporary road entrance and culvert could be used by KTA as the final entrance. We should allow enough trailhead room for maybe 10-15 cars.
ODF can clear and define the rough trailhead area.
Justin felt that we should set a meeting soon with ODF to discuss their thinning operation before winter sets in.
Once we have a written plan and possibly rough drawings, we will approach potential donors to fund as much as possible privately.
June 2013:
Those present at the June meeting were Ken Hay, Drew Honzel and Dennis Taugher.
At Friday’s meeting, we will discuss details needed to start building the Spence Mtn. trailhead, which is just off Hwy 140 and across from Doak Mtn. ODOT sent KTA a letter dated 6/24/13 which stated they approved our Application for State Highway Approach. This exit from Hwy 140 will be onto a parcel of land owned by Oregon Dept. of Forestry, who has said they will do some tree clearing which will include our proposed trailhead. We need to find a surveyor, design engineer and money to begin work. Justin Rodriguez, of our committee, has drawn up a list of what needs to be done.
Bob Williams has said he will stop by the meeting to tell us about the proposed Basin Recreation District that will be placed on the ballot. We will be asked to both sign the petition and help gather signatures. This proposed ballot measure deserves our close attention and support.
Ken Hay confirmed that his last day as Klamath Falls Park Superintendent will be February 1, 2014. Ken is likely to split his time between family in the state of Washington and Klamath Falls. He will probably leave the job sometime mid January and his position will not be filled. It is our understanding that John Bellon will remain as Superintendent, Operations and Maintenance. Both Ken and John have been strong supporters of the Moore Park trail systems and of KTA. We also understand that Joe Slaughter, city planner, has left and gone to work in Medford. All of this is a result of the new city manager’s projection of a ten year operating deficit. This is not good news for city parks and the trail systems. Control of parks might shift to Public Works. It remains to be seen if they will be supportive of our goals as Ken and John have been. John Bellon is likely to have to do even more with less.
KTA was formed to design, build and maintain trails in Klamath County. Our efforts will become even more important now that various governmental agencies are forced to cut back due to lack of funds. Recreation can become a bigger part of revenue for Klamath County, which benefits all residents. The proposed Basin Recreation District is part of this effort. But many more of us will have to step up to help out with time and membership and money.
May 2013:
Those present at the May meeting were Ken Hay, Mark Ahalt, Justin Rodriguez, Seth Anthony, Bob Williams and Dennis Taugher.
Ken and Mark had a good discussion about the easement through Buck Ridge for the Klamath Ridge View Trail. Here is a summary of the discussion:
(1) 3/4 Acre pocket park at the former fire staging area (THANKS AHALT FAMILY FOR THE PARTITION & DONATION TO CITY PARKS!)
(2) Easement legally described before mid or late June, Mark Ahalt contacting Rhine-Cross for a cost estimate, which will be provided to Seth; Seth will discuss at next Friends of Moore Park Board Meeting to fund the survey
(3) Mark Ahalt will use the Ridgewater Easement document as a template for Buck Ridge
(4) Mark has offered to include an additional small easement connecting to Klamath Ridge View Trail and a future easement across Oliver’s property (makes trail eligible for transportation funds by eliminating 400 ft elevation change)
Ken Hay and Dennis Taugher had several emails regarding early development of the KRVT. Here are their comments for the record:
From Dennis to Ken dated May 10, 2013: “Mark had one of the original visions. I remember visiting Buck Ridge late 2007 and seeing signs that pointed east saying, “Future trail to Moore Park.” Ken also had an early vision seeing the possibility of
connecting city center with Running Y.
“Now, thanks to city parks, city staff, Mark and former Ridgewater owners, we are close to realizing the full potential of the Klamath Ridge View Trail, which I predict will become one of the premier trails in Klamath County. All we need is a signed easement for the Buck Ridge portion of the KRVT to complete this legacy project. This was a true community effort.
“Special thanks to Mark for donating land to the city for pocket parks.”
This is from Ken to Dennis dated May 13, 2013:
“Thanks Dennis for the kind words about City Parks and the Community Development Department. We are also grateful for the efforts of the City Senior Planner, Joe Slaughter. Joe was the one who worked on the original easement document, getting City Engineering on-site for preliminary site plan, created the original mapping for presentations, provided briefings for the Moore Park neighbors, acquiring the Winema Hot Shot Crew, etc., etc.!
There definitely has been quite a team effort here, many thanks to the KTA, FOMP, Mark Ahalt, OIT Faculty/Students, neighbors, County Bicycle Advisory Committee, Cyclo Cross organizers, Linkville Lopers, Rhine-Cross, and all the others who have brought us this far!!”
Bob Williams provided us with an update on his activities on behalf of recreation. He is working with various governmental agencies including ODOT to include consideration of our trail efforts in long range plans.
KTA held two Trail Maint. Days of the 2013 season The first was on Saturday, May 11th. The five of us worked about a mile of Blueberry and Klamath Ridge View Trails, mostly cutting new drain chutes. Our thanks to Grant Weidenbach, Helene Mussuto, Seth Anthony, Marin Palmer and Dennis Taugher. Both Grant and Don Hoffheins have done
great work in doing the first ever detailed trail survey of the KRVT.
The second maintenance day was on Saturday, June 8th where we widened 100 yards of the trail just above the green gate on the KRVT. Our thanks to Drew Honzel, Brian Norton, Dennis Taugher, Barry West, Ron Johnson, Brad and Alec Kramer and Lillian Schiavo-Gilmore.
KTA has purchased a banner that was used for the first time at the Link River Festival on Saturday, June 1st. We shared a booth with Friends of Moore Park and had a very successful day of talking to folks interested in trails.
Grant Weidenbach, Drew Honzel, King Burgett and Mike Dwyer went out again to Spence Mtn and continued to flag the proposed route. We expect to have final word from ODOT by the end of the month on access to our proposed trailhead off Hwy 140.
April 2013:
Those present at the April meeting were Ed Beverly, Kyra Eberle, Heidi Biggs and Bob Kingzett of the Klamath Basin Community Foundation, Drew Honzel, Bob Williams, Don Hoffheins, Seth Anthony and Dennis Taugher.
We are hoping that Mark Ahalt will join us for this meeting to discuss his Buck Ridge development. As you know, the Klamath Ridge View Trail goes through his property. City Parks has been most anxious to have the easement signed for this portion of the KRVT.
I’m please to report that we are making good progress in many areas.
When dealing with volunteers and governmental agencies, the pace can seem slow at times. We have had excellent cooperation from all the major players regarding our Spence Mtn project: JWTR, ODOT and ODF. Some parts of the process have been done at lightning speed. We have preliminary approval from all three parties. The permit process for the trailhead off Hwy 140 has been started and might take six months.
In the meantime, a trail survey party has gone out several Saturdays to flag a route. We are fortunate to have several experienced trail hands: Don Hoffheins and Grant Weidenbach, both of BLM and Charlie Erdman of the Nature Conservancy. Drew Honzel, a board member, has gone out with his GPS iPhone application to help plot the route. Mike Dwyer, formerly with the Klamath office of ODF, and now living in Washington, took a weekend off to join the survey crew. I believe roughly 1.5 miles have been flagged.
KTA has begun using VerticalResponse, an email management tool. This will allow us to have a central email data list. A small but important step forward for our club.
Smith-Bates Printing has printed some newsletters and brochures that will allow us to get out the word on KTA. We plan to distribute them to downtown businesses. Our thanks to Ann Cavanaugh for doing this pro-bono work for us.
KTA held its first annual Trail Maintenance Conference to plan the season’s maintenance work. Our thanks to those who attended and gave us six hours over two days: Grant Weidenbach, Don Hoffheins, Marin Palmer, Bob Williams, Drew Honzel, Ed Beverly, Seth Anthony, Kyra Eberly, and Dennis Taugher.
The first topic was Attracting and Retaining Volunteers: We need to consider all methods of advertising: our website and Facebook pages, flyers, posters. We settled on continuing to hold maintenance days in Moore Park on the second Saturday of each month through December. We will also approach groups such as mountain bikers, runners and hikers to help us. We have talked to Hutch’s and Josh Nelson at Asana Yoga and will be talking to Mike Angeli at The Ledge. We hope they will supply crew members and we’ll supply tools and crew leaders, if needed.
We are hoping to get as many crew members and potential leaders trained as possible. The Pacific Crest Trail Assn. has a two day Skills College on June 21st and 22nd, at the Hyatt Reservoir on Hwy 66 at Greensprings. But there are other maint. schools in Oregon and Northern Calif you can attend. Email Dennis Taugher for more info at dennistaugher@me.com.
As part of our maint. action plan, both Don Hoffheins and Grant Weidenbach have gone out and done a trail survey of the KRVT. We met and walked half the KRVT on Wed. 5/9 with Ken Hay to get his thoughts.
March 2013:
The first issue of the KTA newsletter is getting close to being released.
Drew Honzel and Dennis Taugher made a presentation to a local chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO). This is part of an outreach effort to make the Basin community aware of our efforts.
We are holding two meetings this week on Friday and Saturday to discuss how to better organize our trail maintenance efforts. The key to our success will be how well we attract volunteers to help maintain our trails. We can’t build new trails unless we have a way to maintain them.
We have plans to attend the Third Thursdays in downtown Klamath Falls to spread the word about KTA and engage members of the community.
JoAnn Clifton and Kyra Eberle, with help from Leslie Lowe, put up an exhibit of Basin trails in the lobby of DiscoverKlamath. Stop by and check it out.
Here is the latest on the Spence Mtn project from Drew Honzel:
“We had a very productive site visit to the Howard Bay Trailhead on March 21st. In attendance were ODOT (Dave Steiner, Jarod Johnson), ODF (John Pellissier) and KTA (Dennis, Seth, Drew & Ed Beverly).
David checked the JWTR/ODF property line issue by using a sighting instrument to measure the distance between the two right-of-way survey markers. Based on his measurement the property line agrees with David’s adjusted line which cuts through the existing parking lot. This means we will have to put the trailhead parking area just East of the existing lot so we are on ODF’s property. David also felt we should conduct an official property survey.
Next, David used his sighting instrument to check oncoming cars for the 775′ minimum sight distance. After two measurements he was satisfied the proposed exit on to highway 140 met the minimum distance. I believe the measurements came in at 800-900′.
The other good news is John mentioned ODF would like to thin some of the overgrowth timber which will make it easier to establish a trailhead parking area. As far as timing he will have to work around Eagle nesting restrictions so the thinning operation could come later this year. John also mentioned he would set up the landing (for the thinning operation) where our trailhead parking will be to minimize our grading costs.
David offered to start a preliminary “approach permit” for ODF/KTA which will be very helpful. After he completes the draft application he will send to me then I will refine with John before submission.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Ed Beverly for showing up and helping us on this project as his expertise in construction added significant value to our discussions.”
Comments from Dennis: Our thanks to Drew for leading this important project. We continue to have excellent cooperation from JWTR, ODOT and ODF. I believe the draft access permit is close to being completed and will be returned to ODOT for their review and hopeful acceptance, which could take up to six month.
In the meantime, assuming JWTR gives their permission, we plan to flag a loop and fine tune it for possible rough cutting later this year. I am hopeful that we can obtain corporate and private donations to hire a youth crew to do the rough cut. We can then use volunteers to do the finishing work.
Spence Mtn is a superb recreational area with views of Upper Klamath Lake and mountains in the distance. This will be a real asset to the community and should be a draw for those who live here as well as others in Oregon and California.
February 2013:
We have two trail projects going at once: OIT and Spence Mtn. Seth Anthony has approached Chris Maples, president of OIT, for permission to consider building a series of sustainable trails for hiking and mtn biking on OIT lands. Justin Rodriguez, a trail committee member, has been researching land ownership in the area of Skylakes and OIT. He has made an initial contact with Skylakes Hospital and has had a favorable response.
We continue to make progress with our Spence Mtn project. Drew Honzel has drafted a partnership agreement with JWTR. We are awaiting their comments. Drew and Mike Dwyer have both talked to ODF Manager, John Pellissier, who expressed support for the project.
The following, an email from Drew Honzel dated 2/15/2013, is the latest on the permit process for the Spence Mtn trailhead:
“We had good news at KTA’s Trail Meeting today from David Steiner, Permit Manager with ODOT. Oregon’s Department of Justice ruled that KTA’s “recreational use” of ODF’s property for trailhead purposes does not conflict with other rules that would restrict access for a future development on JWTR’s property. This means we have cleared all the preliminary hurdles other than the sight distance requirement of 775′ which David doesn’t think will be an issue.
The next step is to meet with someone from ODF and ODOT to talk over the “approach permit” and do a site visit. Another positive that came out of the meeting is the possibility that a culvert would not be required if the trailhead was located on a flatter section of the highway (closer to were the guardrail ends). The culvert is required when the approach has enough slope that causes water damage to the embankment. We would be required to asphalt the driveway off the highway to protect the embankment. Also, ODF could designate KTA as an agent in the process so we could handle the detail related to the permitting process if ODF prefers. I will contact ODF in the next week or so to discuss the process and set a tentative meeting date with ODF, ODOT and KTA.
David said he could help us with the permitting process and it would take approximately 100-120 days for approval. He said they can offer conditional approval (sooner than the 100 days) so we would know what the approach requirements in order to line up contractors prior to receiving ODOT’s final approval.”
January 2013:
Ken Hay announced that they would use a $1,000 grant from Ford Family Foundation to purchase permanent Carsonite trail signs for Moore Park trails. Kevin Jones and Seth Anthony will oversee this project with City Parks. The signs are pounded into the trail bed making them less susceptible to theft. We are grateful to the city for their generosity.
We have been working with ODOT for permission to place a trailhead on the west side of Hwy 140 for our Spence Mtn trail project. Our first two trailhead proposals were denied. We proposed a third, which is about one half mile up from the lake. It turns out that ODFW owns the land where we want to place a small parking area. Plus it appears that ODF is grandfathered in and not technically required to obtain an Access Permit. ODOT is nervous if KTA was allowed access that a developer could later request access also. ODOT feels that developer access should only be through Eagle Ridge Rd, near Rock Creek Ranch. ODOT is requesting an opinion for the ODF site from the Oregon State Dept. of Justice.
To complicate things, the plot site lines drawn by ODF and ODOT don’t match, requiring a survey. In addition, if we are lucky enough to gain access to the ODF parcel, we would be required to put in a 12″ culvert and some paving, plus possibly cut down trees and grade a site with an estimated cost of $5-$10,000. At this point, it looks like a much bigger challenge than any of us had thought. We will continue to work with the various agencies until we have an answer. It seems hard to believe that state law would not allow us to put in a limited use trail for recreational purposes.
We have a fall back position of using the chain up area, along the lake’s edge for parking. People would have to park and hike or bike the 1/2 mile to a trail path. This is not a good solution since we think that users would find unauthorized spots to park off the highway.
Should Spence Mtn get delayed, we do have other trail projects we can work on, such as the OIT lands, Jackson-Kimball to Collier (which was set up by JR Collier before he left) and the eastern side of JWTR property off Hwy 140. There are potential trail routes south along the Klamath River which we will be exploring this summer. The beauty of our trail vision is if one site gets denied or delayed, we always have others to work on. In the meantime, we gain experience working with a variety of public and private landowners.
December 2012:
The past month has been quiet with many of our volunteers off on holidays. But we have made some small steps with the Spence Mtn trail project. For those not familiar with where Spence is, it’s directly across from Doak Mtn, on the eastern side of Hwy 140. It’s mostly timberland owned by JWTR with a small patch owned by the county and managed by Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF). It has drop-dead gorgeous views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
A group from KTA met with ODOT to seek permission to access a possible trailhead. We have explored various ideas on where bikers/hikers can park and access the proposed trails. Charlie Erdman and Mike Dwyer have mapped possible trail routes. We will need to provide a 300′ buffer for the numerous bald eagle nest sites.
If all goes well, we plan to flag the trails this spring and then obtain permission from JWTR, ODF and if necessary, the county and ODOT. This will be quite a challenge for our trail club.
We are planning a Trail Maintenance meeting in a month and will invite anyone interested in this subject. We will brainstorm ideas on how to motivate the community to help us manage and maintain our growing list of trails.
November 2012:
We continue to make small but important steps. The IRS filing for our trail club, Klamath Trails Alliance (KTA), has been completed by Todd Yee of Isler of Klamath Falls. We thank Todd for his expert help in filling out a complex form. The form will be mailed in the next week and hopefully will be accepted by the IRS.
We have formed a board of directors for the KTA: Dennis Taugher, President, Seth Anthony, Vice President, JoAnn Clifton, Treasurer, Drew Honzel, Secretary plus Board Members, Alicia Jones and Charlie Erdman. Our bylaws authorize a total of nine Board positions.
We have sent out membership solicitations. If you receive one, we hope you will help our effort by becoming a member. Individual memberships are only $20; families are $30. You can sign up and pay online by going to our website — klamathtrails.org — and click on Get Involved. Or you can mail us a check.
It is very important for our trail building effort to have a large number of contributing members. We will be applying for grants, and the grantors always want to see a revenue source and the extent of community support. So, help us and the community by becoming a member or corporate sponsor.
We will soon announce our first annual membership meeting, with a guest speaker. We will elect the proposed slate of the board of directors and will formally adopt the bylaws.
The mountain bike community has been active in helping city parks close unauthorized trails in Moore Park and cutting new ones. Our thanks to them for their support and efforts.
We have fielded a trail maintenance crew in June, July, August, Sept. and Oct. We have another maint. day this coming Saturday and if weather permits, we’ll have one more in December. Come help us.
We are in preliminary discussions with JWTR, who owns and manages timberlands along Hwys 140 and 66, to develop a mtn bike and hiking trail system on Spence Mtn. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.
September 2012:
We have decided to cancel our September meeting that was going to be held this Friday. Most members of the trail club will be at our booth in Moore Park for Cycle Oregon. Stop by and see us on Friday, noon to 8:00 p.m.
The next meeting will be Friday, October 12th.
We have been working hard to establish our new trail club, Klamath Trails Alliance. We have a provisional Board who has approved Articles of Incorporation and are close to finalizing our bylaws. Todd Yee, a local CPA has filed the paperwork with the State of Oregon and will file the IRS forms for us to become a 501c3 non-profit corporation. This will allow us to apply for certain grants and will allow members and corporate donors to deduct donations from income tax returns.
As soon as we hear the non-profit status has been approved, we will begin asking people and businesses to join the club. Let us know if you or your business would be interested in joining. We will need community wide support. If you don’t help, it won’t get done. Don’t wait for the other person to join because he or she might not.
We have a Post Office box address and are in the process of applying for a checking account.
KTA has decided to help Friends of Moore Park with their mission of improving and maintaining the Klamath Ridge View Trail. This is our second year of maintenance. We have fielded volunteer trail crews in June, July, August and Sept so far. The Friends have provided pizza and drinks after. We have three more potential trail maintenance days (second Sat of each month). A group of mtn bikers with help of city parks have been re-routing some trails in Moore Park and the Northwest Youth Corps have cut a new trail. Signs have been made and installed. Four kiosks in Moore Park are in and being used.
Our latest project is a trail network on Spence Mountain, which is across the highway from Doak Mtn. A draft proposal by Charlie Erdman will be submitted to JWTR, owner of the property. A small group has met with Bob Broadhead, chief forester of JWTR. We envision this as a first class series of trails available to mtn bikers and hikers. If approved in time, we might be able to flag the route before winter. This will be easy access for those in the general region with a major refueling station at the Running Y Ranch Resort, just a few miles down Hwy 140.
August 2012:
JoAnn Clifton has updated original draft copies of our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. We will discuss them at Friday’s meeting. Let us know if you wish to see these documents.
Pete Mongan, the CPA who originally agreed to help us with the filing process will be leaving within the month for a job in Thailand. We have contacted another local CPA who has shown interest in helping.
We have made progress towards forming a Board of Directors who will then elect the Officers. When this is done, we will approach selected members of our community to serve as Associate Board members. This non-voting Board will be an important source of advice and fund raising.
Drew Honzel, a Lynnewood resident, has joined our steering committee and has agreed to be the membership chair. Drew has drafted a membership form and a corporate sponsorship form. We have circulated it among ourselves and Drew will be adding some suggested changes. We hope to have this for distribution at the September trail meeting.
Our KTA logo has received some final tweaks. We will distribute copies at the September meeting. Our club color is International Orange, same color as the Golden Gate Bridge.
We are working towards setting up a meeting with the chief forester of JWTR to get his reaction to Mike Dwyer’s proposed two mtn bike trail loops at Spence Mtn, across from Doak Mtn near Hwy 140.
July 2012:
We will be holding our trail meeting next Friday, July 13, 11:45-1:30 at the South Portal Bldg, 205 Riverside Dr., just up the street and around the corner from the Favell Museum. It is in the same building as DiscoverKlamath. We meet behind the front desk in a small room called The Klamath Lake Room. Come join us.
The following meeting will be Friday, August 10th, same time and place. The meetings are set up to allow you to come and leave when convenient. If you have business to conduct and need to leave early, let us know.
Our main focus has been on the formation of a 501c3 non-profit trail club named Klamath Trails Alliance. We have made good progress and will discuss it this meeting. JoAnn Clifton of the steering committee has agreed to spearhead the formation by setting up the bylaws and Articles of Incorporation and working with our CPA.
Pete Mongan, a local CPA and a member of our trail maintenance group, has graciously agreed to handle the state and federal filings for the 501c3. This is a big and somewhat complex task. Pete’s help is most welcome. The filing fee will be around $500 minimum.
We need to do a variety of tasks before the filings can be made, such as electing a Board of Directors, Officers, postal address, mission statement plus ways to raise funds. We will be asking all of you to consider contributing to help get us started. We have total contributions of $75 so far but will need much more.
We found a college student who is majoring in graphics arts to help design a logo. We have chosen orange as our club color.
Our webpage is up and running, thanks to Seth Anthony. Check us out at klamathtrails.org. You can also find us on Facebook at Klamath Trails Alliance. Thanks to the mtn bike riders, the Facebook page is very active.
Kevin Jones and Dennis Taugher have spent 6-8 hours painting 26 trail signs for the new trail in Moore Park. The base sign is a dark green. We have added white paint to the lettering to make it stand out. Bart Petrini bought the lumber (10′ lengths of 2x4s), cut them in half and delivered them to Kevin’s house. We plan to install them on the July Trail Maintenance Day.
Seth Anthony has been working with several individuals to gps and map trail routes in Spence Mtn and the Barnes-Agency land areas. JR Collier, mgr.of Collier State Park, has given us a potential route through Jackson-Kimball Recreation Area to Collier. These will be welcome additions to the trail system. Progress is being made, but we still have a lot of work to do
June 2012:
As always, our monthly trail meeting will be held this Friday, June 8th, 11:45-1:30 at South Portal Bldg, 205 Riverside Dr., around the corner and up the street from the Favell Museum–same bldg as DiscoverKlamath. We meet behind the front desk in a small room called The Klamath Lake Room. Come join us.Our next meeting will be Friday, July 13th. Same time and place.
We continue to make slow but steady progress.
Arrangements have been made to install the fourth and last kiosk at the Buck Ridge end. City Parks will deliver the kiosk and Buck Ridge will dig holes and install it.
Thanks to Seth Anthony and Bart Petrini, maps and plexiglass will be installed on the other three kiosks.
Our first maintenance day will be held this Saturday, June 9th, 7:45 at the Gingerbread House. We’ll work on the narrow parts of the trail to widen and clear them of debris.
We have decided to start our own trail club called Klamath Trails Alliance. We are fortunate to find someone to help us with the 501c3 filings. JoAnn Clifton will head up the effort for our committee. As mentioned in last month’s minutes, we already have our own website and Facebook page, thanks to Seth Anthony and Kevin Jones. Good job, guys!
Our thanks to all who have helped so far.
We have formed a working partnership with the Pacific Crest Trail Association. They will provide training and loan us some tools and hardhats and we will help them maintain a trail section.
May 2012:
Our monthly trail meeting will be held this Friday, May 11, 11:45-1:30 at South Portal Bldg, 205 Riverside Dr, around the corner and up the street from the Favell Museum. It’s in same building as DiscoverKlamath. We meet behind the front desk in a small room called The Klamath Lake Room. Come join us.
- Should we join forces with another local group or should we start our own club with 501c3 non-profit status?
- Assign leaders to trail segments
- Find and work with volunteers who are willing to assume leadership of trail segments and ride, gps and describe proposedtrail routes
- Discuss mission statement and values of group
April 2012:
Even though it’s Friday the 13th, we will hold our monthly trail meeting this Friday, April 13, 11:45–1:30, at the South Portal Bldg, 205 Riverside Dr, just around the corner and up the street from the Favell Museum. It is in the same building as DiscoverKlamath. We meet behind the Discover Klamath desk in a small room called The Klamath Lake Room.
As always, we meet the second Friday of each month. Next month’s meeting will be Friday, May 11th. Please join us for any part of the meeting. We continue to make small but steady progress.
The first kiosk in Moore Park is scheduled to be installed soon. Update from Bart Petrini.
The Moore Park Trails map continues to be refined. Update from Seth Anthony.
The Trail Committee held its first strategy meeting on March 30th at Collier Logging Museum. The main topic of discussion was trail segments in Jackson-Kimball and Fremont-Winema national forests. JR Collier has a proposed route from Jackson-Kimball to Hwy 97. Update from Dennis Taugher.
The Trail Committee is in discussions with Friends of Moore Park to expand the group County-wide and include a separatetrail club called Klamath Trails Alliance. If this proposal is not approved by the Board of FOMP then the trail committee will form its own 501c3 trail club.
March 2012:
This month’s trail committee meeting is this Friday, March 9th, 11:45-1:30, a the South Portal Bldg, 205 Riverside Dr., just around the corner from the Favell Museum. It’s in the same building as DiscoverKlamath. We meet in the small back Klamath Lake Room.
We meet the second Friday of each month, same time and place. Next month’s meeting will be Friday, April 12th.
Here is what has been happening with our trail effort:
We are nearing two big projects, both of which are community efforts. The first is designing, building and installing four kiosks in Moore Park for the Klamath Ridge View trailheads. Friends of Moore Park is paying for the materials. Bart Petrini, of our trail committee, is overseeing this project. Bart is purchasing the materials from Diamond Hardware. Michael Metz, a teacher and program head at KCC and a local contractor, Teddy Williams, have designed the kiosks and their class will build the four kiosks. The design has been approved by J. R. Collier of Collier State Parks and Klamath city parks. We plan to use this design for other trail heads on the Great Klamath Circle. City Parks will site and install the kiosks along with help from Friends of Moore Park.
The second big project is gps-ing and mapping our trail system. A new member of our trail committee, Seth Anthony, has agreed to head up this project. Seth is a chemistry teacher at OIT. He has recruited two students, Stephen Randall and Austin Amort, who did the trail work and map which is attached below. This is a first draft. The final will include more information. We will send the final draft out to all for comments.
Our goal is to have a kiosk at key points along the trail system. It will have a map of suggested routes to hike or ride. We will also describe each trail route along with points of interest and flora and fauna. We will be asking the various government agencies for help with this section of the project.
The next section of the trail we’ll tackle will probably be the route from Jackson-Kimball to Collier State Park. We will be working with JR Collier on this trail segment.
Another big step forward is the probable merger of our trail effort with Friends of Moore Park. We are in preliminary discussions with them for a name change and a broadening of the scope of the non-profit FOMP.
We have had a preliminary meeting with the Board of the Running Y HOA and gave them details on how the Great Klamath Circle trail would cross the resort’s property and link with the Running Y Ranch. We meet this Friday with Jon Barkee, the HOA’s general manager to discuss the next step.
Our committee also plans to meet later this month to discuss projects and priorities for the coming year.
We continue to make progress. We hope that a large part of the Great Klamath Circle will be in place within two years. This is like a giant jigsaw puzzle. We will need your help and support to put the pieces in place.
February 2012:
This month’s trail committee meeting is this Friday, February 10th, 11:45-1:30 p.m., at the South Portal Building, 205 Riverside Dr. This is the same building as DiscoverKlamath and is just around the corner from the Favell Museum. We meet behind the DiscoverKlamath desk in a small conference room called The Klamath Lake Room.
As always, we meet the second Friday of each month. Next month’s meeting will be Friday, March 9th.This month’s meeting will feature a guest, Ian Nelson, Regional Director, for the Pacific Crest Trail.We have adopted a five mile section of the PCT. In return, we are hoping to have some help from Ian, perhaps with training on trail maintenance. So, come join the discussion. If time remains, we’ll update you on our efforts to build and install four kiosks in Moore Park. Bart Petrini is our leader for this project.
We are also preparing for a strategy session to set goals for the year. Let Dennis Taugher know if you would like to be involved in this meeting. The day and time has not been set.
January 2012:
This month’s trail committee meeting is this Friday, January 13th, 11:45-1:30, at the South Portal Building, 205 Riverside Dr., just around the corner from the Favell Museum. It’s the same building as DiscoverKlamath. We meet in the small back Klamath Lake Room.
We meet the second Friday of each month. same time and place. You might want to pencil them in your calendar. Next month’s meeting is Friday, February 10th.
Here are some events from the past month or two:
Bob Williams attended a meeting with the County Planning Dept. Bob will give us a report on this meeting.
We have two new members who have taken on responsibilities. Bart Petrini has agreed to help with three kiosks for the Moore Park trailheads for the Klamath Ridge View Trail. He is also trying to contact two owners whose property is adjacent to Moore Park. There are several trails through these lands. We are working with the city to get permission from these landowners to allow formal public access.
Another new member is Seth Anthony, a professor at OIT, who joins us from North Carolina, where he was active with another trail committee. Seth will be a valuable link with the OIT community and plans to help with a website and mapping trails, among other things.
We are exploring ways to join forces with other local trail groups. Todd Kepple will talk to us to see if there would be a match with Klamath Greenways.
Seth Anthony and Dennis Taugher spent an hour on the phone with Jeff Brewer of the North Carolina trail group, Mountains to Sea Trail, a 1,000 trail system. Jeff gave us a number of good ideas that we plan to use.
And we continue to think about a variety of issues: how to convince private landowners to allow access to their property; getting trails gps’d and mapped and described; how to best promote our new trail system and encourage people to use it. We hope to use the new social media to get the word out to younger people.
We look forward to working with the Pacific Crest Trail Assn this year and meeting with them in February. We can help them maintain a section of their trail in return for training in trail maintenance. We are putting together a list of tools that can be added to the ones we have.