President's Message:
Inside CCCMB: Past, Present, and Future
|
This letter is an open invitation to the next CCCMB president and future board of directors.
Although CCCMB has been maintaining trails for nearly 30 years, we have really matured as an organization in the last three years. We held the first elections for the nine positions on our board of directors in 2013. We have only recently become an incorporated 501C3 non-profit with bylaws and elected officers.
 |
|
Similar to our mission to design and build sustainable trails, we have been
putting in a considerable amount of volunteer hours with the intent of designing a sustainable organization. Last September,
20 volunteers got toget
her with a professional management consultant to build an infrastructure that encourage
s a broader, volunteer-driven decision-making base. We learned that a sustainable organization requires new volunteers to step forward, as veteran volunteers step back just a bit. In the last two years alone, the following talented new leaders have joined the ranks of d
edicated volunteers: Connor Culhane as vice-president, Blake Rowen as treasurer, Niels Grether as membership chair, Jennifer Best as e-newsletter editor, and Christie O'Hara as Facebook/communications chair.
I invite you to get more involved with the leadership of CCCMB. A new president and four director positions will be elected in December 2016. I look forward to supporting whoever leads CCCMB into the future. The best place to start getting more involved is by attending one of our monthly meetings, which are held the third Tuesday of every month from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the City of SLO Parks and Rec Office, 1341 Nipomo St.
It has been an honor to serve as CCCMB President,
- Kelli Schonher
|
|
Central Coast Trail Users Group unites
|
We have an amazing trails community in San Luis Obispo County! We also believe it can be improved. Our community advocates cooperatively for new trails, works jointly to maintain existing trails and shares Central Coast trails with minimal conflict, an experience not found in many areas of California. As we all know, having mountain bikers, equestrians, hikers and trail runners share trails is challenging. Although we are recognized widely for sharing both trails and trail goals we believe that all types of Central Coast trail users would benefit if the various user groups increased the level of communication and cooperation.
On September 1, we are having our first (hopefully of many) round table meeting including members of a variety of trail user groups including: CCCMB, Atascadero Horsemen's Club, Backcountry Horsemen of California - Los Padres Unit, SLO Trail Runners, Coast Mounted Assistance, Native Plants Society, ECOSLO and SLOPOST. Similar organizations exist in other counties including the Santa Barbara County Trails Council and the Sonoma County Trails Council, and CCCMB is excited to take the lead on creating a similar group locally. The goal is to increase communication and understanding, with the opportunity to evolve into a strong advocacy group that could be recognized by various agencies as a group that represents all trail users.
- Kathy Redden
|
Santa Margarita Lake:
Volunteers join forces to extend Sapwi Trail
The
big project at Santa Margarita Lake is the building of the Sapwi Trail Extension. The Sapwi Trail, located on
the north end of the lake and accessed f
rom the River Road Trailhead off of Poz
o Road is
currently a 1.2-mile, out-and-back trail which accesses the Khus and Sapwi campgrounds.
CCCMB is building an approximately 4-mile extension of the Sapwi Trail, which means we'll have a 5+ mile, single-track trail with two connections to the Blinn Ranch Trail (fire road). In effect, we'll have a loop trail of the Sapwi Trail and Blinn Ranch Trail, or for the truly adventurous, a loop of the Sapwi Trail and Falcon Trail.
The entire trail is flagged and rough brushed and approximately one-third of
the trail has tread. The big tasks are heavy brushing along two
-
thirds of the trail, cutting in the tread and/or widening the tread on the entire trail, along with a significant amount of rock work. There are four choke points that need small
teams whose focus will be rock work. These rock teams will work outside of the regularly scheduled trail work days.
To find out m
ore about the rock teams, or to join the crew that works on the trail on most Mondays, contact:
Check out the Fall-Winter Work Schedule and join us for the next workday at the lake.
- Kathy Redden
|
|
|
|
Pismo Preserve trail build completed
The Pismo Preserve trail building project was hugely successful and provided a very workable model for planning other large trail projects. Over the course of 15 weeks, 235 volunteers provided 6,524 hours of labor to help build 11 miles of new, sustainable, multi-use, single-track trail.
The effort was the result of a partnership between the Land Conservancy of SLO County, CCCMB, a private trail building contractor and SLOPOST. CCCMB was instrumental in the trail design and layout process, in finding a professional trail builder, and was
responsible for the recruitment, training and management of volunteers over the life of the project.
The building project was blessed with nearly ideal circumstances and resources, but it also should be said, "Luck favors the well prepared." The design, created in collaboration
with Land Conservancy staff, the Wallace Group and CCCMB, took 18 mo
nths, including six months and 300 hours establishing
the ground trail alignment with flagging completed by staff and CCCMB volunteers.
The build team was largely responsible for the success of the construction project. The team was composed of a small a
nd exceptional paid build crew, a full-time Land Conservancy employee with trail experience, CCCMB coordinators, and volunteers.
Volunteers, including approximately 50 cyclists, 15 equestrians and 170 hikers/outdoors enthusiasts, played a huge part in the success of the build. They tackled the very time-consuming jobs of preparing the corridor ahead of the machine and finishing the trail after the machine crew had built it. Because there were consistently volunteers to keep busy, the build team was constantly planning and working to keep the machine cutting trail so that the volunteers could be used productively.
The project, which benefited from unprecedented public awareness and support, was primarily funded by the Land Conservancy but backed financially by a variety of sources including: $16,000 from the San Luis Open Space and Trails Foundation; $6,500 in equipment from SLOPOST; and $10,000 from CCCMB.
Aside from a new system of trails for the community to use, the most important take-away from this project has to do with how the partners worked together, the resources they brought to the project and how each followed through with their respective responsibilities. The project demonstrated that the four-component model (land manager, paid trail builder, CCCMB, and volunteers) used at the Preserve is the best way to undertake a big trail project.
See the complete Report HERE
-
Greg Bettencourt
|
FASTA Plans Phase 3:
Skilled help needed to build Skinnies in The Eucs
This fall, FASTA will embark on a plan to complete Phase Three of the Eucs Skills Park located on San Luis Obispo Open Space between Stenner Creek and TV Tower Road.
Due to the technical nature of building a skills park, FASTA is in need of high
|
|
|
The Eucs could soon be home
to obstacles like this one
|
ly skilled volunteers to complete this phase which will consist of elevated wooden structures and balance features.
Several FASTA board members, including President Will King, have recently completed a chainsaw sawyer class required by the city to use chain saws on site. FASTA purchased a new chain saw and upgraded chains for cutting into the felled Eucalyptus trees that will become the foundation for several of the new features.
FASTA members invite 3CMB members who have construction backgrounds to assist in construction of Phase 3 which demands a higher level of safety than our ordinary trail builds require. FASTA also welcomes input from
|
|
|
|
Another idea for the Skinnies build
|
|
local riders as to which features would be popular and how to construct them.
FASTA is a subcommittee of 3CMB and represents gravity and free-ride style riders who are also members of IMBA/3CMB with direction from SLO City Parks and Recreation. Creation of dedicated gravity-style MTB trails is our passion. Please join us.
- Jim Aaron
|
CCCMB Bell Program:
NICE MATTERS
|
|
The CCCMB Bell Program has been a feature of the local trails since 2010. Through generous donations, the bells are made available free to trail users at Montana de Oro State Park and San Luis Obispo Open Spaces to help cyclists better alert other trail users of their approach. The bells attach easily and quickly to the bikes, and may be kept or returned to the bell boxes for others to use. CCCMB has filled the bell boxes with about 2,000 bells each year.
Thank you to our Bell Program sponsors: Art's Cyclery, Baywood Cyclery, Cambria Bicycle Outfitters, Foothill Cyclery, Pedal Power, Quality Suites, Riding Warehouse, Running Warehouse, Trinity Cyclery, Race SLO (new this year) and Wally's Bicycle Works.
NOW would be a good time to check your back pack, work bench and trunk to see if you have more bells than you have bikes. Please return extra bells to any bell box.
For more information about the CCCMB Bell Program or to donate, go to bells4bikes.org.
|
PG&E Diablo Lands Update:
Trail users step up to save Wild Cherry Canyon
|
In July and August, concerned citizens spoke out at PG&E public comment meetings, the SLO County Board of Supervisors meetings and other opportunities about the proposed usage of more than 12,000 acres PG&E lands surrounding Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant once the plant has ceased operation.
Per Friends of Wild Cherry Canyon:
- Conservation is consistent with the voter-approved 2000 Measure A/Dream Initiat
ive that urged PG&E to conserve this land and make it publicly accessible;
- Conservation (not development) is consistent with PG&E's own vision for the property as articulated in recent years; and
- Most importantly, PG&E should be urged to NOT SELL its underlying fee title on Wild Cherry Canyon to HomeFed. This would facilitate the property's development, and undermine any real conservation outcome.
The Dream Resolution calls for the conservation of the entire property, including Wild Cherry Canyon.
To submit your comments directly to PG&E, email
diablocanyon@pge.com
|
|
Morro Bay Bike Park 8/20/16 - The park can always use volunteers to water, sweep and help out on scheduled work days.
Video courtesy Anthony Harris
|
|
VOLUNTEER NEEDED: Insurance Advisor
|
|
*Willing to investigate insurance options for CCCMB. then explain to directors
*Familiarity with insurance language and practices
*CCCMB can provide contacts for insurance information and policies
*No need to attend more than one meeting a year
Position requires only periodic time commitments that can be coordinated around volunteer's schedule. If you'd like to help, please email volunteer@cccmb.org.
|
|
