Things have been and are progressing with the project despite the rain and now, just as things have dried out completely, COVID-19. With regards to COVID-19, we are seeing a lot of new users looking to get out of their homes and get some exercise. We are reminding everyone to follow the latest guidelines on social distancing, and thus far it seems like compliance is good. If you are asked a question or help out what seem to be new users, please remind them to check Instagram or Facebook for trail status before venturing out the trails.
Because of COVID-19, we will be suspending most proactive fundraising until the virus has abated. Right now, charitable giving needs to be focused on those affected by COVID-19 and those nonprofits with fixed overhead who will be fighting for their continued existence in the months to come.
Looking at the Master Plan Map under “Trails”, segments 16, 15, and 14 are mostly complete (close to 3 miles). We had to reroute the first part of 16 because of the tornado, and environmental review is scheduled for the week of March 30th. This will allow the completion of the portion of section 16 closest to the parking lot in the weeks to come.
Segments 16, 15, and 14 are very quietly open as of this news update. These are intermediate trails and should be approached with caution. Until segment 13 is completed so that these segments may be ridden as a loop, we will ask
- cyclists to ride south on the gravel road to Hub P and return to the parking area on the trail, and
- hikers and runners to travel south on the trail and return to the parking area on the gravel road.
This will help abate the congestion associated with an “out-and-back” trail.
Work continues on segment 13 and soil conditions have allowed construction to resume on segment 8 as well. Segments 6 and 7 (about 1.5 miles) and segment 13 (about 4 miles) should all open in the coming months. Until they do, please stay off of them as using soft, newly-constructed trails before they are ready can create a lot of problems.
Once all of these segments are completed, we’ll have close to 15 miles. As of right now, we do not have funding for any additional mileage. Until the world starts to return to normal, our focus will be on maintaining the existing trails and encouraging people to use them responsibly.
