[MENTION=377116]shotwellian[/MENTION], that really is a good article; I just re-read it. Thanks for writing it; the bill is on the Governor's desk and rumor has it he's disinclined to sign it, so we need all the support and publicity we can get.

Here are a couple of useful links; The Great Redwood Trail website, and an interesting column about Early Routes out of Humboldt, which are actually rideable. If I was younger and fitter...

He's probably waiting to see if prop 6 passes. It would remove the gas tax recently passed and kill funding for many transportation programs. You get what you pay for...

He signed it!!!

It's a completely different bill now, but at least the right-of-way can be railbanked and the NCRA will finally die.

If you're up to the challenge, here's the final text of SB 1029, with all references to funding removed. sigh It's still a huge step forward.

Sounds like such a cool project. I wasn't optimistic about it after hearing that he vetoed the office of outdoor recreation.
On a related note, do you know what the status is on the funding for the missing gap of the Bay Trail?

[MENTION=144935]Nightdiver[/MENTION], funding has been applied for, but you know the speed of government; s l o w. Here's the website if you want to stay informed.

It's a section of the state where roadways and trails can be exceedingly difficult to maintain in good, operable condition. The primary, heavily-engineered highways themselves are tough to keep operating even from one year to the next, weather depending. Whole hillsides sliding off to the river valley below, and so forth.

Might take a lot to make it travel-worthy. Might take quite a bit, long term, just to cover all the repairs that such a trail is all but certain to entail.

Nice way to get north or south, though, off the main highway. If zero motorized vehicles, or at least zero passenger cars/trucks, it could be about the only safe way to get north or south aside from the main road.

Interesting project.

[MENTION=374984]Clyde1820[/MENTION], I agree about the difficult geology, mostly through the Eel River canyon. But this is what the Great Redwood Trail Act has become; a studies act, including where to put the trail. It's a step forward, at least.

Hunh. Somehow I entirely missed this post until just now. How was your summer tour?

https://activenorcal.com/governor-br...bhH2bNkjxAhBU0

Open in 2 years? Great to see the optimism, but if they break ground in 2 years, that's be unbelievably fast. The Napa vine trail has hit so many obstacles, and If they consider it part of the route, it'll be a long coming.

My son was involved with a group of kids in the late 80's trying to get the city to open a skate park. It got the ball rolling, but it took 20 years to open. So now their kids have a skate park. On a larger scale, the San Francisco bay trail has been a long term project. Thankful for those with foresight.

Sigh. This article is garbage. The (anonymous? bot?) author has simply pulled the "2 years" figure out of thin air. I researched my own article on this for several months and interviewed a number of folks involved. No one involved has ever suggested that any piece of the trail would even be under construction by 2020, let alone that the entire trail would be done by then.

Yeah, ignore the first paragraph, it's wrong. This project has a long way to go. KymKemp.com is the best place to go for local news, such as the bill passing. It gives a pretty thorough outline of the work ahead of us.

In fact, if anyone here lives in Virginia Bass's district, please contact her and tell her how much you are looking forward to the Great Redwood Trail. It's important. Thanks.

In other news, the Humboldt Bay Trail is one step closer to completion.

ETA: Here's another hiker's experience of the trail route.

The problem here is the land owners and a decent route. Bothe-Napa Valley SP (now run by the County) has an element in the General Plan for a Hike & Bike Camp and other venues do too. But no one will move on any of these build-outs until the trail becomes a reality. The vineyards are too valuable at $1,200~$1,800 a ton to give up much space. The Napa River volunteer eco-folks are adamant on a 250 ft setback (most likely w/o a trail ... No human disturbance) and the land owners have been trained by these approaches to just say NO !!

The Wine Train route was supposed to be an easy buy for Cal-Trans when the old RR went belly up. But others saw a business opportunity and jumped in. So Hwy 29 does not get widened, no bike route there. The City of St Helena finally put enough pressure on Cal-Trans to give up the Star Ave by-pass, etc. There are real curmudgeons here and they don't want change. Heck, they won't even allow the Wine Train to unload passengers in St Helena, so no high density people movers ... So we all put up with inundation of cars and no parking, etc.

All the LBS's are good at doing their best to shuttle touring riders around bad places to ride. Big events get the Silverado Trail closed for a day at a time. But casual riders on a day to day basis - forget it ...

However, saying all that - I'll bet the Usal Road is one of the best gravel biking opportunities in existence. Just don't do it alone. There is enough Narco grow traffic that it can be sketchy out there all by yourself ...

[MENTION=492741]BrocLuno[/MENTION], I saw your pics of Usal Road in another thread; it looks amazing.

I believe the GRT will be built. Yes, there will be resistance, there always is, but every time a big trail is put in, the naysayers become big supporters, especially once their property values start going up. It will happen if we make it happen. It won't be soon, and it won't be easy, but we will have the Great Redwood Trail.

I was listening to The Path Less Pedaled podcast today with two of the Dirty Kanza organizers, who discussed the benefits to the local community, and I started having fantasies of the Great Redwood Race. Or maybe Race to the Redwoods? Probably not in my lifetime, but a middle-aged woman can dream...

I had no idea about this - it would be unreal if it happens.

As it stands, being in the Bay Area I have to fly to another to Idaho or Kansas do a decent kid-friendly multi-day ride. There is some truly unparalleled scenery in the proposed location.

There, fixed it for you. A lot of people are working very hard to make sure this trail gets built. It's gonna be epic, and hopefully I'll get to ride some of it before I die.

Any news on this? I know these things progress slowly, but it's been over a year since anything appeared anywhere. Even the Trail's own website's last posts are about Town Halls in May and June of 2019.

If you've never been out along the Lost Coast area, it's well worth it. Rugged, gravel and hardpack mostly, certainly not very well maintained, and not maintained at all during the "winter" months. But it's an extraordinary route. Nice loop in a car, from Ferndale through Petrolia and back up the ridge to Avenue Of The Giants. On a bike, Ferndale to Usal Beach is a neat way to explore the Humboldt County wilds. Lots of elevation changes, so it can be a challenge.

CA - The Lost Coast Highway, Cliff Hugging from Ferndale to Usal Beach, California @ EatSleepRide.

Everything's on hold until the NCRA's audit is completed at the end of June. After that, I'm not sure. The NCRA will be officially dissolved on June 30, and a new agency will have to be created to oversee the trail. Many folks would like to see the NCRA be transitioned to the trail agency, as over the last year all the pro-rail members have been replaced with pro-trail members. Also the state will have to look in the couch cushions for the $12 mil or so to pay off NCRA's debts, but they've been trying to weasel out of it from the beginning, no one's sure why.

Hopefully we'll get some more current info at the (virtual) Trails Summit on June 6.

Thanks Clyde, that does look epic. Unfortunately our car is on its last legs, and we don't have the $$ for a new one. I am planning (on re-building my legs for) an exploratory ride to find out if Hammond Truck Road is a trail or a myth.

Cool, thanks for keeping an eye on it. Hopefully they can work out a straightforward path to the next steps.Hopefully.

There are a lot of organizations keeping a close eye on it, believe me. We're also utilizing the Rails to Trails Conservancy, who's been through this many times before. The state may try to wiggle out of paying the NCRA's debts, but we're not going to let them; state agency, state debt.

Directly after the audit, we're going to push hard for railbanking; once the application has been turned in, the rail corridor will be safe from any lawsuits that may come up.