Guided Nature Hikes starting on Sunday April 24th!
We are back in 2022 with a full schedule of activites including wonderful guided nature hikes, guided sunset hikes to Cougar Rock, trail work days, and a new Bike Event. Please mark your calendars.
• Guided Nature Hikes starting on Sunday April 24th!
Apr 24, May 15, & Jun 4by Mary Anne Carlton, “Get to Know Your Conifers”
Apr 30 & May 21 by Nancy Muleady-Mecham, “Arnold Rim Trail Natural History”
See details below.
• First Guided Cougar Rock Sunset HikeSaturday, May 14th.
See details below.
• First Annual High Sierra Bikeapalooza, Saturday May 14th.
See details below.
• First Volunteer Trail Building Morning Saturday, May 21st.
See details below.
Guided Nature Walks: Sunday April 24th, Saturday April 30th, Sunday May 15th, Saturday May 21st, and Saturday June 4th
Join retired National Park Service Rangers Mary Anne Carlton and Nancy Muleady-Mecham as they share their extensive knowledge of the ecology and history of the Arnold Rim Trail and its environs. These gentlly paced walks meet at the Sierra Nevada Logging Museum in White Pines at 9 am, follow the paved ADA trail, and are about 2 miles round trip on easy terrain. Walks proceed rain or shine!
Mary Anne and Nancy are knowledgable, engaging, humerous, and love to teach!
“Get to Know Your Conifers” this delightful tree identifier walk with Mary Anne is on Sunday April 24th, Sunday May 15th, and Saturday June 4th. Learn everything you need to know about identifying trees in the Arnold area. 9 am start; 2 miles, 2 hours.
“Arnold Rim Trail Natural History” join Nancy on Saturday April 30th and Saturday May 21st. Nancy has a wealth of knowledge about the natural history of the flora and fauna of our forest community. 9 am start; 2 miles, 2 hours.
High Sierra Bikeapalooza: May 14th
Sponsored by the Arnold Rim Trail Association
Saturday May 14, 2022
10:00AM – 2:00PM
Entry fee: $10 per rider
Registration information to follow soon.
Come join our first ever High Sierra Bikepalooza featuring:
Kids fun zone
Mechanic station
Guided mountain bike rides along the Arnold Rim Trail – route options available for a variety of ability and speed!
Local representatives from the Arnold Rim Trail Association and Bear Valley Trail Stewardship – find out how you can contribute to these great organizations
Lucky Door Prizes
Hosted at The Bistro Espresso, their backyard BBQ will be open to serve our hungry riders in the afternoon.
This family-friendly event is a great opportunity to explore our backyard with the guidance of local ride leaders and businesses invested in the outdoor community! Bring your bike (and helmet) and join the growing mountain biking nation!
2022 Guided Sunset Hikes to Cougar Rock: Saturday May 14, Saturday June 11, Saturday July 9, Saturday Aug 6, Saturday Sept 10, Friday Oct 7
Watch the sunset from the top of Cougar Rock on this intermediate hike led by members of the Arnold Rim Trail Association. Distance is about 4 miles total, with 730 feet of elevation gain. If you haven’t done one of these hikes, you owe it to yourself to join the fun. They are scheduled on weekends near or on the day of the full moon each month, and they are special!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1) This is an intermediate level hike with 730 feet of elevation gain, the equivalent of a seventy-three story building. We take plenty of time with frequent stops. That said, it is not a hike for beginners. Please assess your level of conditioning. If you would struggle with a seventy-three story building, even with stops, please take a few weeks of regular training to make yourself ready. It’ll be worth the investment!
2) If this is your first time driving to the parking area, please do not approach on Valley View Drive from Avery Sheep Ranch Road. Instead approach by starting in Arnold and turning off Highway 4 onto Lakemont Drive, followed by a quick left turn onto Valley View Drive. More travel instructions are below.
3) Bring a headlamp or flashlight, bug repellent, a snack, water, and layers.
No sign-up needed, hike proceeds even if cloudy, but rain cancels. (And if the weather has been wet, please see caution below about road condition on the half mile dirt portion of Valley View Drive.) Again, please bring layers, snack, water, bug repellant and flashlight as return hike is in the dark.
Please arrive at the parking lot at least fifteen minutes before departure time for introductions and a brief orientation by the hike leader, as departure times are prompt:
May 14, Saturday, arrive by 6:15pm, hike departs promptly at 6:30pm
June 11th, Saturday, arrive by 6:35pm, hike departs promptly at 6:50pm
July 9th, Saturday, arrive by 6:35pm, hike departs promptly at 6:50pm
Aug 6th, Saturday, arrive by 6:15pm, hike departs promptly at 6:30pm
Sept 10th, Saturday, arrive by 5:25pm, hike departs promptly at 5:40pm
Oct 7th, Friday, arrive by 4:45pm, hike departs promptly at 5:00pm
(Return to vehicles about two and a half hours after departing.)
The trailhead is at the intersection of Valley View Drive and Forest Rte 5N95Y.
Here’s a link to Google Maps of this intersection.
Drive 1.50 miles on Valley View Drive from the intersection of Lakemont Drive and Valley View Drive in Arnold. The first mile of Valley View Drive is paved, and the last 0.45 miles is dirt. There is no sign at the intersection of Valley View Drive with Forest Rte 5N95Y, but you will see a parking area on the right with a picnic table at that location. Here’s a link to Google Maps that shows the drive from the intersection of Lakemont Drive and Valley View Drive in Arnold to the intersection of Valley View Drive and Forest Rte 5N95Y.
Caution about wet weather driving: Please note that in wet weather, the half mile dirt portion of Valley View Drive can be very slippery. Two wheel drive vehicles have difficulty driving back up the hill after the hike. All-wheel drive vehicles highly recommended in wet-weather.
The GPS coordinates of the trailhead:
North 38 degrees 13.171, West 120 degrees 22.707
2022 Volunteer Trail Building Mornings: May 21, June 18, July 9, Aug 20, Sept 17, and Oct 8.
All trail buildling mornings follow this pattern: Please meet at the Forest Service Ranger Station in Hathaway Pines at 8:30 am. After a brief safety orientation by Chief Trail Officer Greg, we will car pool to the section of trail we will work that day. Since it often gets warm as the morning progresses, please bring layers, gloves, hat, sunscreen, bug repellant, and water. Long pants are suggested as we encounter poison oak occasionally. If you have a favorite garden tool like loppers, bring those, but we will have tools for everyone. Folks from eight to eighty-eight are invited; children should have adult supervision. We wrap up by 11:30am, sometimes a little earlier. If you have another obligation that day, feel free to depart sooner as needed.
Trail building mornings are usually the third Saturday of each month from May through October but this year work mornings will be the second Saturday in July and October.
Srouce: Arnold Rim Trail Association Featured Image, Sunset Hike to Cougar Rock provided by Arnold Rim Trail Association
