Chimney Rock trail, Tahoe National Forest, Downieville, Sierra County, California. Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardhsip project.

Background:
Many historic narrow gauge trails exist in the greater Downieville/Sierra City area and are enjoyed by a diverse array of user groups. These include mountain cyclists, off-road motorcyclists, hikers, equestrians, gold miners and fishermen. Often these trails were originally intended solely to provide the most direct access to key destinations without regard to sustainable design and mitigation of environmental impact. The original builders of these trails also had no way to anticipate the immense popularity these trails would see for purely recreational purposes and the sheer number of visitors these trails would host every year.

As a result, today many of the area trails are in need of work to bring them into a state where they can sustain the heavy use they now receive and the increased use anticipated for the area in the future.

Purposes:
1. To provide high quality and environmentally sensitive trail opportunities to the public through access to well-designed and properly maintained trails.
2. To protect the area’s natural resources and the economic benefit of the public’s enjoyment of these natural resources.
3. To improve safety on the trails

Methods:
The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship has been granted financial resources from Title II RAC funds in order to:
1. Install properly designed and constructed trail drainage systems including rolling dips, knicks, proper trail bed off-sloping, and removing accumulated debris, known as berms, from the outside edges of the trail beds.
2. Constructing Forest Service approved trail re-routes out of unsustainably over-grade or environmentally sensitive areas into more sustainable and less sensitive routes.
3. Reduce the possibility of injuries among trail users and enhance their recreational experiences by limbing-out, brushing-out, deadfall removal, rock removal and slough removal during spring and summer months.
4. Increase the safety of the trail by improving lines of sight, creating slower sections of trail prior to blind corners.
5. Widening, “banking” and armoring the trail beds of certain switchbacks and turns.

Resources:
Volunteers – SBTS Trail Work Volunteers
Paid Labor – Full time paid crew… Erik and Anders
Materials – Rebar, Pavers, Fuel….
Tools and Equipment – Wheelbarrow, Racks, Gloves, Sledge Hammer…
RAC – Grant Money
OHV Funds (Green Sticker Fees)

Projected Outcome:

Detailed Project Progress Report:

The project was broken into phases based on a pre-determined priority given the limited funds available and the unpredictability of the onset of adverse winter weather conditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Phases are as follows:
1. Switchback Augmentation
2. Storm/Meltwater runoff damage repair
3. Berm Removal and outsloping
4. Debris/Slough Removal
5. Re-routes of unsustainable trail segments

Switchback Augmentation:
The goal of this phase of the project is to create in-sloped turns that are wide enough and strong enough to withstand many years of heavy use by all user groups.

Switchback 1

Problem: As evident in the “Before” picture below the turn lacks clear definition of route, strong inside armoring, and proper in-sloping. Also even though reinforcing pavers have been placed, there was an inadequate number to properly protect the trail bed.

Solution:
1. Remove Existing inside armoring rocks
2. Install additional row of 16 paver blocks to outside edge of existing blocks
3. Extend upper limit of installed pavers four blocks in length beyond existing
4. Ensure proper “banking” or slope of pavers upon installation
5. Install 24 inch rebar pins to ensure pavers remain in their intended places
6. Fill and cover new pavers with appropriate Fill material
7. Armor inside and outside of turn with large rocks and logs to strongly encourage trail users to stay within the established bed.
8. 45 hours of paid, skilled labor

Progress toward above stated goals are highlighted in the picture below.

After:
1. The additional pavers, increased turn radius and in-sloped angle allow for smooth roll-through by wheeled user groups
2. Armoring the inside of the turn with logs and rocks prevents short-cutting of the corner
3. Addition of drains immediately above and below the turn allow water to exit the trail reducing erosion and sediment run-off into streams.
4. The redesigned corners resist wear and damage improving trail usability
5. Overall user experience is enhanced and more enjoyable for all user groups.

Switchback 2

Problems:
1. The lower section of the turn actually had a good radius and line. At the mid-point, however, the radius tightened sharply making it difficult to clear the turn.
2. Lack of proper in-sloping or banking
3. Heavily rutted from tires spinning up the hill or skidding down it

Solution:
1. Realign the trail to widen the radius. Two large trees complicated line selection for the route and the radius had to be made much larger than usual
2. Create large rock wall for anchoring the trail bed
3. Properly in-slope or “bank” the turn
4. Install two rows of paver blocks for a total of 38 pavers
5. Install 24 inch rebar pins to ensure pavers remain in their intended places
6. Fill and cover new pavers with appropriate Fill material
7. Armor inside and outside of turn with large rocks and logs to strongly encourage trail users to stay within the established bed.
8. 55 hours of paid, skilled labor

After:
1. Turn is now a wide-open sweeping corner easily navigated by all user groups
2. The installation of pavers, increased turn radius and in-sloped angle allow for smooth roll-through by wheeled user groups reducing wear and the need for maintenance
3. Armoring the inside of the turn with logs and rocks prevents short-cutting of the corner
4. Addition of drains immediately above and below the turn allow water to exit the trail reducing erosion and sediment run-off into streams

Switchback 3

Problem:
1. Turn radius too tight. Original line is shown by the tools placed on the ground near the tree
2. Corner rutted and eroded from use and water flow

Solution:
1. Realign the trail to widen the radius.
2. Create large rock wall for anchoring the trail bed
3. Properly in-slope or “bank” the turn
4. Install two rows of paver blocks for a total of 38 pavers
5. Install 24 inch rebar pins to ensure pavers remain in their intended places
6. Fill and cover new pavers with appropriate Fill material
7. Armor inside and outside of turn with large rocks and logs to strongly encourage trail users to stay within the established bed.
8. 50 hours of paid, skilled labor

After:
1. The installation of pavers, increased turn radius and in-sloped angle allow for smooth roll-through by wheeled user groups reducing wear and the need for maintenance
2. Armoring the inside of the turn with logs and rocks prevents short-cutting of the corner
3. Addition of drains immediately above and below the turn allow water to exit the trail reducing erosion and sediment run-off into streams

Switchback 4

Problems:
1. Turn radius far too short
2. Completely rutted and eroded
3. Littered with large rocks and debris
4. Nearly impossible for wheeled user groups to successfully navigate

Solutions:
1. Realign the trail to widen the radius. Required the removal of dozens of very large rocks
2. Rock walls for anchoring the trail bed and pavers
3. In-slope or “bank” the turn the best the conditions would allow
4.Install natural gravel trail bed for proper paver block installation
5.Install two rows of paver blocks for a total of 32 pavers
6.Fill and cover new pavers with appropriate fill material
7.Armor inside and outside of turn with large rocks to strongly encourage trail users to stay within the established bed
8.Install “escape” route in turn to allow exit and re-entry if needed
9. 60 hours of paid, skilled labor