Local bike club works with city to keep bike trails clear
By Ken Magri
Steven Clipperton stands in the parking lot of the Chico Community Observatory in Upper Bidwell Park, pointing eastward towards the burn scar of this summer’s devastating Park Fire.
“It burned uphill and we thought we were in the clear,” Clipperton recalled. “Then the wind shifted and it came back, and as you know it burned 400,000 acres.”
In the end, the damage to Upper Bidwell Park was light. But the fire and subsequent storm runoffs wreaked havoc on park trails used by both pedestrians and cyclists. That’s when local volunteers went into action.
For the last seven years Clipperton has been the Trailworks Coordinator for the Chico Velo Bicycle Club, a local non-profit organization centered on community activism and cycling.
Chico Velo’s mission is “to promote bicycling for transportation, recreation and health through public education, advocacy, and community stewardship,” according to the group’s website. Since 1980 the non-profit has built a reputation for working with local government, businesses, schools, and the public to promote safe cycling throughout the Chico area.
Clipperton said that Trailworks “did kind of start as its own separate thing,” and was eventually absorbed by Chico Velo to give it non-profit status. Trailworks helps to create, maintain and monitor sustainable trails in the region and especially in Upper Bidwell Park. Volunteers who are avid cyclists regularly ride the trails looking for sections where work is needed.
There are 68 miles of bike trails in the park, according to Trailforks.com, an online data base of national trails for cyclists. The two longest trails are 17 miles each and rise to an elevation of up to 2,300 feet.
Clipperton closely coordinates Trailworks volunteer efforts with Shane Romain, Assistant Parks and Natural Resources Manager for the City of Chico.
“All of our workdays are submitted through him, and we regularly have meetings with him,” said Clipperton, who also coordinates with Linda Herman, Chico’s Administrative Manager. He added, “Both Shane and Linda are a huge help and awesome partners. They appreciate what we do and know that we have the parks best interest in mind, so they trust us.”
Part of Trailworks’ maintenance efforts involve the seasonal cutting back of vegetation that encroaches into the trails. Using hand saws, the volunteers keep lines of sight open so that, when using the trail, cyclists coming from either direction can see one another.
“Tread work” involves using hand tools to restore certain well traveled surfaces where the soil is thin; building them up into ridges that will better withstand storm runoffs and control erosion.
“Working together with Chico Velo, Trailworks has allowed for much needed maintenance and care for the trails in Upper Bidwell Park,” said Romain. “They bring together dedicated volunteers who are eager to collaborate with the parks division to reward the trails for the benefit of all users.”
Cleaning up after the Park Fire
While all bike trails need maintenance from time to time, this summer’s Park Fire became a more urgent challenge for Trailworks volunteers.
“This is where it all started,” remembered Clipperton, standing along the gravel section of Upper Park Road and pointing down at the burned out ravine.
The fire began in the north-eastern section of Upper Bidwell Park, near the Alligator Hole parking lot. A blue marker pinpoints where the alleged arsonist’s burning car stopped rolling.
The temperature in which a tree will burst into flames is 570 degrees, according to the US Geological Survey. But in extreme conditions, they can reach a temperature as high as 2,200 degrees. Some tree trunks continue to smolder underground at high temperatures for days after a fire has burned through.
“In a few spots the tree roots burned out and created a void where the trail can collapse,” Clipperton explained.
Obscured by Autumn leaves and fire ash, falling into one of these holes can send cyclists over their handlebars.
Fire fighters also downed trees to battle the Park Fire, leaving trunks and branches in the trail which prompted some immediate closures. There is a problem with “snags” along the trails. These are trees that died in the fire, but still stand upright. Some snag trees look fine on top, but a burned section at ground level or on the back side means they could fall at any time.
By working with the city, Trailworks was able to put up “trail-closed” signs while restoring smaller bike trail loops in areas that didn’t burn so badly. That allowed one trail loop to reopen while volunteers worked to clear larger loops.
“It was a step by step reopening of the park,” Clipperton reflected. “If you get to a trail closure sign, it’s because the city feels that potential hazards could catch someone off guard.”
He specifically mentioned Ten Mile House Road which is lined with snags right now. Trailworks cleared the corridor, but the city still needs to remove the dead trees before declaring the trail safe.
Monitoring the recent rainstorms
During the fall and winter, water damage is a main concern. “Within the burn scar there is the additional issue of exposed soil being more susceptible to splash-erosion from the rain.” said Clipperton. “That soil can flow onto and along the trail, potentially causing more problems.
Early season rain storms give Trailworks volunteers an opportunity to get out onto the trails and look for areas that need attention before future storms create additional damage.
Currently, all Upper Bidwell Park trails are open to pedestrians, but not cyclists. Regular trail reports or closures are posted at the trailhead kiosks. Updated reports can also be found with the City of Chico here.
To volunteer for any of the upcoming Trailworks clean-up activities, fill out the form here. Chico Velo Trailworks also operates a Facebook page where it regularly posts updates and previous clean-up event photos.
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