________________________________________
Inside This Issue

Trails Projects Update

Committee Reports
Trail Access
Trail Operations
Trail Awareness
Fundraising

2005 National Trails Day

Spring 2005 Flora Display in Faye-Luther Canyon

Faye-Luther News - Spring 2005

Committee Reports

Trail Access
By Mary Bennington, VP Trail Access

At the Douglas County Commissioners meeting April 21, 2005, the 10-year update process for the Douglas County Master Plan was discussed. It was during the last 5-year update in 2001, the efforts of the CVTA started the wheels turning on the Comprehensive Trails Plan. This plan was adopted in 2003, protecting access points to our public lands surrounding the Carson Valley. It is important for our Association to understand any proposed changes during this current review and how these may affect our ability to access public lands. Our committee will be keeping you posted on the 10-year update planning schedule and opportunities to help out if needed.

Trail Operations
By Phil Brisack, VP Trail Operations

Trail Building to start in June 2005!

The Job's Peak Ranch Trail will start construction in June this year. A 15-foot trail easement has been surveyed and we hope to finish the trail this Fall, but no later than spring 2006. Trail construction will include removing sage and other vegetation to create a 2-foot tread with a 4-foot clearance for pedestrian traffic only. There is one small stream crossing and a 50-foot riparian area to build through and the rest of the trail is clearing brush and defining the tread. The work schedule has not been set, but we expect to work 4 to 6 days each month and will include mid-week and weekend days. As soon as the schedule is determined it will be sent out via e-mail and published in the local paper. No experience is required to participate as CVTA and Tahoe Rim Trail crew leaders will supervise the work.

The County will construct the trail head and fencing along the trail. Signs indicating use, restrictions and property boundaries will be a joint effort.

Everyone is invited to join in helping build this long awaited trail. Call Phil Brisack at 265-7264 or e-mail at Brisack@charter.net for more information.

Trail Awareness
By Richard Morissette, VP Trail Awareness 

The Trail Awareness Committee (TAC) was approved by the CVTA Board of Directors earlier this year. The objectives of this committee (TAC) are to:

1. Raise the community awareness of current and potential future opportunities for walking, jogging, hiking, and non-motorized biking on established trails within Carson Valley and the surrounding regions.

2. Provide resources and opportunities that will encourage the community to take advantage of the trails available within Carson Valley and the surrounding regions.

Several approaches will be used to implement these objectives including publicity, public presentations, trail-related events, guided hikes, a quarterly newsletter, and a CVTA website. Actions are underway on some of these. How much we can do will depend on what support we can get from the membership. If you are interested in being part of this effort please contact me.

TAC is currently working on a trail-related event, National Trails Day, to be held on June 4, 2005. See 2005 National Trails Day for more information. TAC is also looking into liability insurance coverage for guided hikes. This will be required before CVTA sponsored hikes can be offered. In the meantime, you can contact Terri Sutor of the Carson Valley Hikers. Terri, a CVTA board member, offers hikes every Wednesday. She can be reached at 267-5366 or sutor@charter.net. TAC is putting together an author's list for input to our newsletter. We are looking for anyone who may want to write about trails, birds, wildlife, or other trail related topics. TAC is working with the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce on trail-related recreational opportunities. See their website at http://www.visitcarsonvalley.org/

It is my goal to make TAC an information source on trails in our vicinity. If you want a particular topic or area covered send me a note and we will attempt to include it as part of our information base, and post it on the website.

Call Richard Morissette 267-3924 or email at E-mail: RMorissette@charter.net for more information.

Fundraising
By Kerstin Wolle, VP Fundraising

CVTA deeply appreciates the generous contributions from business which made our annual meeting fundraiser a success. We raised about $1,500.

Special thanks to:

When doing business with any of these people, please thank them individually. And, if you have ideas for future fundraisers, please contact Kerstin Wolle at 775-783-0955. With so many exciting projects starting this spring/summer, there will be need for lots of fun and funds.

2005 NATIONAL TRAILS DAY

Event Date and Time
Saturday June 4, 2005, 11:00 am till 4:00 pm

Event Location
The National Trails Day (NTD) event will take place on the western edge of the River Fork Ranch near Foothill Road (Hwy NV-206). The event will be set up on the east side of Foothill Road and parking will be available on the west side of Foothill Road approximately 1.5 miles south of Genoa Lane and 1 mile north of Muller Lane near Walley's Resort. A temporary pedestrian crossing will be set up while the event is in progress.

Event Description
In celebration of National Trails Day, the Carson Valley Trails Association (CVTA) has partnered with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) to sponsor an informational event in Carson Valley where the public can get information on a number of ongoing projects and activities planned by both groups.

The public is invited to visit various information tables and meet with representatives from CVTA, TRTA, and the Audubon Society. CVRA and TRTA representatives will provide information of trail building plans and other activities for this summer. The Audubon Society representative will discuss the many varieties of birds found at the River Fork Ranch. Information will also be provided on The Nature Conservancy plans for the River Fork Ranch which includes trails to be built by CVTA.

Volunteers Needed
If you would like to help with this event contact Richard Morissette at 265-3924 or send an e-mail to RMorissette@charter.net.

Spring 2005 Flora Display in Faye-Luther Canyon
By CHARLES CAMPBELL, CVTA Botanist 

May 1st - A fine day for a walk up the trail to check out this year’s flora display. Faye-Luther Canyon has a larger range of bio-diversity than any of the other Sierra canyons that end in Douglas County. From the parking lot, a first glance catches only sage brush, pine trees, and granite. Look again!  

At this time of the year, the Desert Peach (Pumus andersoa) is in full bloom. Fragrant flowers range from deep to pale pink. Beware of the well hidden but very sharp spines on this member of the rose family. Although the fruit which is about the size of a nickel looks a bit like a peach is edible, and the small animals love them, the problem is that there is very little to eat, just a skin, a thin layer of fruit, and a very large seed.  

Also blooming now are the Gooseberries (Ribes) and Bitter brush (Purshia tridentata). Both have a small yellow flower. Bitter brush is easy to spot. It towers over everything in the sagebrush community. The leaves are small dark green and end in three lobes like sagebrush. Go ahead and bite off a very small piece of leaf and figure out why the bush got it's name, but don't say I didn't warm you. A very small piece!  

The Gooseberry has small spines or prickles on the branches. It is a nice dark green and dense appearing shrub. It also has fruit that is edible but save your sampling for the Golden Currants that grow near the stream up the canyon. They are much better tasting and no sharp spines.  

The first bush that blooms in the canyon is the Greenleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula). The blossoms are a pretty pink set of bells hanging all over the plant. Look closely at each flower. Most of them will have a small hole near the base. A wasp cuts the hole and lays an egg inside the flower. The berries can be eaten raw, cooked or dried.  

What else is blooming right now? Well, I saw Lupine, Daisies, and my favorites, belly flowers. Belly flowers are everywhere once you start to see them. They are best appreciated when you are close to the ground on your belly, hence the name. Use a magnifying glass. The best is one of those sets that the watch repair guys use. They look funny but give you binocular vision. Besides you're crawling around on your belly out in the sage brush. Who cares about looking a little funny?

Faye-Luther News - Spring 2005
By Joyce Richardson

Well, spring has certainly sprung on the Faye-Luther Trail. The desert peach has given us an awesome display, and the bitter bush is right behind bursting with its tiny aromatic yellow flowers. I truly love this time of year with the green of the Valley contrasting against the snowy white peaks.

Many of us who walk the trail were puzzled about a tent, that was pitched adjacent to the lower portion of the trail for several days the first part of May. When the single tent became two, a watchful citizen called BLM. An investigation of the site revealed a couple of errant campers, and the tents were subsequently removed. We thank the concerned party for once again making our trail safe and sound.

All of us are so grateful for the trail and the beauty around us that sometimes we forget some of the hazards of the wild and the fact that we are treading where nonhuman creatures have lived for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years.

The black bear that wanders the Sierras is really not to be feared but respected. They are a gentle group of the ursus species and frighten easily. Their act of "charging" at something or someone strange is merely a brief fear reaction; never has any bear harmed a human in this area. If a hiker merely keeps his distance and goes on about his business, the bear will retreat into the forest. The presence of this magnificent creature is a sign that we are in a wondrous place.

Oftentimes the existence of peaceful creatures in nature brings some that are not so peaceful. Our primary threat, although quite minimal, is the mountain lion. Yes, they are "up there," and one must be wary of their presence. For me, I try not to walk at the hours the "critters" come out, i.e., dawn and dusk. When it's convenient, I also try not to walk alone.

For the most part, mountain lions avoid areas that are heavy with human scent, and the availability of water this year is greater than in the past few years, resulting in their staying higher in the back country where the deer are more plentiful. Nonetheless, a hiker recently came upon a fresh kill, so caution is advised when going into their country.

You are also reminded that as the weather becomes warmer, heat-loving creatures become more visible. The desert rattlesnake is a regular inhabitant of the trail area, so walk with him in mind. When I mentioned rattlesnakes to my veterinarian, he told me to keep Benedryl (or its generic) on hand, and if I or my dogs are bitten, administer two 25 mg tablets, "walk sedately" back to my car and then drive immediately to the Emergency Room or the nearest vet. Nice hint, huh?

Speaking of dogs, I have noticed there has been an unusually large amount of doggy doo-doo on the trail. Now, folks, really! I know it's unpleasant, but it is your responsibility to see that we all have as pleasant an environment as possible in which to walk. It is really getting annoying out there. If you walk with a dog, please pick up after it and encourage others to do the same. The poop bag box is kept well stocked, and if you pick up, you can leave your bag at the poop site for the duration of your hike; then pack it out with you when you leave the trail. DO NOT THROW IT OUT INTO THE BUSHES! Exposed doggy poop is unclean!

Wishing you all a healthy and happy summer hiking on the Faye-Luther Trail.