Three years ago, when I wrote about cycling from the Crannell Road exit of U.S. Highway 101 to the end of the Humboldt Bay Trail (“Cycling Along the Water,” March 10, 2022), I was not optimistic about being able to ride past the “End of Trail” sign in the foreseeable future. It wasn’t because I […]
trails
Posted inLife + Outdoors
David’s Chair Blazes Accessible Trails in Prairie Creek Redwoods
Wheelchair access is hard enough to find in our paved world. A park trail threading its way through 1,000-year-old evergreen conifers presents countless obstacles that can keep those with mobility issues from fully enjoying Humboldt’s old growth forests. Fortunately, as time passes, more barriers fall by the wayside. And what better time than a centennial […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Down the Hikshari’ Trail
Robbie and I lock our bikes a couple of minutes before the Herrick Avenue Park and Ride off U.S. Highway 101, where the Hikshari’ Trail veers left. Then we walk ¼ mile over a wooden bridge and along the railroad track, turn right and stroll through grass to the closest thing to a beach this […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Around Mount Tamalpais
I grew up in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. I explored fire roads and trails, even sneaking onto the peak the night before high school graduation with friends and then toasting the sunrise with oranges and champagne before hiking down to the Mountain Theater for graduation. I also grew up in the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Trinidad Toil
Every day, locals and visitors wind up and down the trails to Trinidad State Beach. As I walked to the break in the red curb at the end of the parking lot off Stagecoach Road, I anticipated some killer views. It is Trinidad after all. What I did not expect was a close footpath that […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Van Duzen Venture
My spouse and I follow winding State Route 36 on a lovely July day. We, like many, have not been out in a long time and it feels good to be wandering, even with masks. We follow the bends and gentle curves that weave through Hydesville and Carlotta, the landscape changing from river bottom to […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Building Trails and Resilience
Humboldt County has come a long way from the days when railroads dominated the conversation about economic development and few local politicians saw trails as a community priority. It took trail pioneers working for many agonizing years to complete the Hammond Trail. And the Bay Trail seemed forever mired in a mountain of feasibility studies […]
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County: Stay Safe, Keep Others Safe While Outdoors Over the Holiday Weekend
As this three-day holiday won’t be like any other in recent memory, the county of Humboldt is reminding residents that COVID-19 precautions apply when they are out enjoying the region’s parks, beaches and trails. Those include social distancing practices, wearing facial coverings and refraining from gathering in groups. All parks and trails operated by Humboldt […]
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Upcoming Virtual Summit is All About Trails
A Virtual Humboldt Trails Summit is scheduled for June 6 to update residents about the progress being made on local trail projects, including the Humboldt Bay Trail, which will stretch from the southern edge of Eureka to Arcata. State Sen. Mike McGuire will also join in the summit to discuss the status of the Great […]
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Photos from Mad River Enduro
On Saturday, Sept. 7, mountain bikers came from all over the West Coast for Mad River Enduro. The race is a rare chance for mountain bikers to ride a trail system normally closed to the public as the trails are on Green Diamond land and are maintained by the Redwood Mountain Biking Association. This year’s race […]
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McGuire Calls to Dissolve North Coast Railroad Authority
State Sen. Mike McGuire introduced amendments to Senate Bill 1029 — the Great Redwood Trail Act — today that would effectively dismantle the North Coast Railroad Authority and transfer the northern portion of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad line, from Willits to Arcata, to the state Department of Transportation. The DOT will begin “railbanking” the property, […]
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Trail Lovers Invited to Chime In About Bay Trail Progress
It’s shaping up to be quite a month for trail advocates. If you’re a biker, a hiker, a dog walker or stroller-pusher, you’ve probably already gotten out and enjoyed the completed portions of the Waterfront Trail, which currently stretches (in Eureka) from the Hikshari’ Trail all the way along the waterfront to down behind Target, […]