Working with local 4x4 clubs, the Clean Trail Program helps to protect our favorite trails

ExtremeTerrain’s Clean Trail Initiative Program is ramping up and is looking to improve the trails near you. The Clean Trail Program was founded by ExtremeTerrain in 2015 and setup to fund trail improvement projects that can include anything from trail clean-up, trail restoration, trail expansion, and more. ExtremeTerrain has worked with numerous Wrangler and 4x4 clubs/groups as well as many privately and publicly owned off-road trails to enact changes for the betterment of trail conditions for the communities being served.

The Eastern Sierra Four Wheel Drive Club has been awarded a grant from Tread Lightly! to participate in the Quadratec Cares Stewardship Program. The program is designed to promote land conservation and responsible outdoor recreation.

The grant will be utilized to reinforce Tread Lightly!’s message to only “RIDE ON DESIGNATED ROUTES”. Tread Lightly decals with this message will be used with carsonite posts and kiosks at important locations within the Inyo National Forest and the Bishop Bureau of Land Management areas. Support from both these agencies was crucial in obtaining this grant. Forest Supervisor, Ed Armenta, said ”I believe that all our combined efforts will help protect resources and provide a quality experience for users of the motorized trail system in this area”. BLM Field Manager, Steve Nelson, stated this “would complement our ongoing efforts to promote responsible riding”. Volunteers from the Four Wheel Drive Club will provide the manpower to get the signs installed.

Good to see that OPEN sign and the Forest Order pulled!! Good job Sierra National Forest (SNF) and all Volunteers who made this happen!! For those who may not know.. This is a map that will show you the North Entrance to Dusy-Ershim at Kaiser Pass via White Bark Vista trail 7S32: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fs.usda.gov%2FInternet%2FFSE_DOCUMENTS%2Ffseprd510023.pdf. Here is the map that will show you the South Entrance at Voyager Campground: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fs.usda.gov%2FInternet%2FFSE_DOCUMENTS%2Ffseprd510024.pdf

Campsite litter

Cleaning up the scattered trash

The trash can also had to be hauled away

Our Visalia-based club, Lock and Low 4x4, went to Mirror Lake for our anniversary run. When we got to Sand Flats this is the garbage we encountered that people had left. They had even left a trash can. There is no trash pick up at Sand Flats. We collected all the garbage that critters had scattered everywhere.

On our way out several day later the trash was again scattered about, but in addition, someone had come in and left their McDonald's trash. Again we collected up all the garbage and packed it all out... including the Rubbermaid trash can. People need to be responsible for packing it in and out. Thanks to the club for packing out other people's garbage.

The Hi-Landers 4WD Club wrote to say thanks for a grant from the C4WDA Conservation and Education Foundation. The funds were used to purchase meals at two chainsaw classes that they conducted in April.

For more information about the foundation, see this link

The 2016 Sierra Trek: Come for the trail, stay for the party!

Back in 1964, a small group of Jeepers got the idea of creating a fundraising event for the newly formed California Association of 4WD Clubs (CA4WDC). It would need to be a first-rate event similar to the then-famous Jeepers Jamboree on the Rubicon. Sacramento Jeepers member Ed Dunkley, an encyclopedia of knowledge on Sierra Nevada history and old mining routes, gathered a few folks and began searching for a suitable trail. The chosen route was a long-abandoned wagon road from Cisco Grove, California (near Truckee), to the shores of Meadow Lake and the 1860’s mining camp of Summit City. It had been decades since the “road” had been used, and Mother Nature had played her hand at reclaiming the land.