Creating More Trailheads in El Paso up against Bureaucratic Obstacles

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Over the last few years one of the greatest achievements for outdoor recreation in El Paso was the construction of the Lost Dog Trailhead. The Borderland Mountain Bike Association (BMBA) guided by the leadership of Rick Bonart, Brent Sanders and David Wilson created the trailhead with generous donations from Jobe Materials, the West Texas Urban Forestry Council, the El Paso Water Utilities and others. This private-public partnership created the trailhead faster and cheaper than what it would have cost had the City of El Paso alone constructed it.

Now BMBA is negotiating a contract with the City to build more trailheads. The problem is agreeing on which sites to use. 

An analysis was done on a list of sites produced by the City's Parks and Recreation Department and reviewed by the Open Space Advisory Board. Some of the money designated for trailheads was either on private property or state property. Of the 15 projects on the City's list, 12 are on property the City doesn't have permission to use. 

Unfortunately, the Director of Parks and Recreation, Tracy Novak, doesn't want to vary from the list because composing that list required lots of work to create. This is bureaucratic insanity. Process is valued over product.

In addition BMBA tried to get seed money from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation but the Foundation would not partner with them. Their strict requirements for proving the benefits of any project outweighed the demand for more trailheads.

Rick Bonart summed it up this way: "We all need to work together and make these Quality of Life projects move forward."

Trailblazers

Rep. Peter Svarzbein is the first City Council Representative to meet with the Borderland Mountain Bike Association.

The Borderland Mountain Bike Association (BMBA) met last night at the Angry Owl to discuss the creation of more facilites at trailheads. It was the first time that a member of City Council met with the group. Rep. Peter Svarzbein described BMBA as "efficient and responsible", a group that "gets things done." 

A full parking lot at the Lost Dog Trail. Trees in foreground were donated by the West Texas Urban Forestry Council.

BMBA was behind the creation of the very popular and beautiful amenities at the Lost Dog Trail. Now they want to repeat what they did there in parnership with the PSB and the City at other locales where hikers and mountain bikers begin their treks into the Franklin Mountains. By the way, BMBA has created and maintained many of the mountain trails.

Thirty people attended last evening's event including MPO Director, Michael Medina. Svarzbein gave a short talk in which he praised BMBA's efforts.

Dr. Rick Bonart, one of the chief architects of the Lost Dog Trail, described a public-private partnership with the City for trailheads as a "win win with the City of El Paso to get things done faster and cheaper." Bonart sees the community as the beneficiary. "Trailhead facilities will help with health and ecotourism goals," he explained. Recently Bonart had a good meeting with City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, to discuss trailheads.

BMBA has identified several trailheads where they would like to create amenities with the Palisades and the old Bowen Round House on the east side as signature projects.

By far the greatest excitement at the meeting and the greatest encouragement for BMBA was Svarzbein's presence and leadership.


COMING SOON: Elpasopolitically

Conservation Workshop Tomorrow Morning

The Frontera Land Alliance, the El Paso area’s only non-profit 501 c (3) land trust organization, is hosting a Conservation Workshop beginning tomorrow, Friday, November 2 beginning at 8 a.m. at the downtown El Paso Doubletree Hotel, 600 N. El Paso Street, just south of I-10.  This is a great opportunity for advisors, landowners and anyone else interested in getting up-to-the-minute information on various ways to conserve land. Please join their guest speakers—several attorneys from Braun and Gresham, PLLC and Robertson/Smith Attorneys at Law—to hear all about the many conservation tools that are available.  More information online here and here.

Here are a couple of other events of importance:

City Representative Carl L. Robinson is hosting Ed Drusina, the Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) at his monthly breakfast meeting tomorrow, Friday, November 2^nd, at the Denny’s Diner at 4690 Transmountain Road at 7:30 a.m.  The IBWC provides “binational solutions to issues that arise during the application of United States - Mexico treaties regarding boundary demarcation, national ownership of waters, sanitation, water quality, and flood control in the border region.” With the issues of drought, water scarcity and looming water “wars”, we should all become very familiar with the key players such as the IBWC and Mr. Drusina.

If you are a dog lover and you are looking for a furry hiking buddy, mark your calendar now for Happy Tails and Happy Trails on Saturday, November 3^rd beginning at 9 a.m. at the Tom Mays Unit. I’ve posted the info for this on my neighborhood association blog. Be sure to click on the image to enlarge and read all of the information. We just have to find Lambert (and his buds) a home. This event is yet another great brain-child of Park Ranger Adrianna Weickhardt. Kudos, Adrianna!  Be sure to see the November schedule of events and hikes sponsored by the Franklin Mountains State Park.

Congratulations to the Borderland Mountain Bike Association for the completion of the Lost Dog Trailhead. I comment about it and the Palisades in a blog post.

Take note that the Sierra Club’s lawsuit against TxDOT over Transmountain has come to an end.

Finally, you read here or in the Times about Professor Phil and Kathy Goodell generously donating  a new Center of Entrepreneurial Geosciences at UTEP, a brainchild of Dr. Goodell.  Read the UTEP News story. It gives some fresh and interesting details.

Is There a Future for the Palisades Trailhead?

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This past Saturday, Lost Dog Trailhead (Redd Road Trail Head), was dedicated by the Borderland Mountain Bike Association. On hand were Martin Bartlett, representing the EPWU/PSB and Marci Tuck of the City's Parks and Recreation Department. Members of the West Texas Urban Forestry Council (Los Tree Amigos) presented a check from a grant that went to landscaping the trail head with Honey Mesquites.

BMBA officer and emcee for the dedication, Brent Sanders, shared the cost figures for the trailhead. The final cost of the project was $30,000. "The BMBA ponied up about $10,000 cash for permits, PSB fees to rent the land, fines (the City hit us with a whopping $600) and materials," according to Sanders. "The rest of the money came from donations of both materials and people's time." A big contributor was Jobe Materials that provided gravel and rock.

Now let's move to the Palisades - an uncompleted Open Space project because of an earlier failure to purchase enough land and the usual bureaucratic red tape - much of which is wrapped around the City's Engineering Department.

After the Palisades was purchased with Open Space money, plans for trail improvements including amenities were drawn by Huitt-Zollars and McGann and Associates. Here's one scenario:

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Here's another:

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There's a third scenario. It seems all 3 are now in the bowels of the City's Engineering Department - what is it - two, three years after the purchase and bids went out for designs. 

Unfortunately, the scenarios weren't ever vetted first by neighbors, hikers or mountain bikers. The failure to include neighbors in the planning led City Council Representative, Ann Lilly, not to specifically target bond funds for the Palisades entrance. The project still can be done with other bond money. The hope is that there will be more input first. Some neighbors fear that the improvements will only lead to more pedestrian and biking traffic behind their homes resulting in more noise and other nuisances. This picture shows the proximity of some homes to the main trail:

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It was an easy walk from the backyard of the home in the picture to the trail. 

I'm sure that much of the concern can be addressed by educating hikers and mountain bikers about respecting the privacy due residences in the area. Signage showing where the Palisades open space ends and private property begins could also help although boulders mark the boundary in this location:

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A simple sign can be created saying something such as "Please help keep the noise level down until the top (or bottom) of the hill and respect the privacy of neighboring homes. Thanks for your understanding and help." 

Simple improvements to the parking (which is now done on gravel at the bottom of the hill anyway) along with some signage and amenities can make this entrance to premier El Paso open space and, eventually, into the State Park very attractive. It's not just a matter of promoting natural open space and recreation but a way to show our civic pride. People will be good neighbors if asked.

Time to pick Zollars 1, 2 or 3 or follow BMBA's lead. It will be interesting at the November 7th OSAB meeting to see how Engineering has tweaked the plans - stalled them is more like it.

Great Hiking Weather

With great weather and the promise that our days will cool off even more beginning tomorrow, hiking events are in high gear. Again, just check out Celebration of Our Mountains,  El Paso Hiking Group, GeoBetty, Guadalupe Mountains National Park Meetup Group,  Las Cruces & El Paso Adventurists, Peak Fitness Challenge,  High Desert Hikers and Las Cruces Hiking Meetup.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is really popping with great events. Check them out. Public Information Officer Karl Pierce says, “I am trying to get all of our interpretive programs onto our Meetup page (www.meetup.com/Guadalupe-Mountains-National-Park-Meetup-Group/) , Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Guadalupe.Mountains/) and official web site (www.nps.gov/GUMO/).” Be sure also to visit Peak Fitness Challenge.

There’s another Celebration of Our Mountains beginners hike tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. beginning in NW El Paso. Led by Master Naturalist Tommy Young, you will see some good fossils primarily of prehistoric cephalopods. More information here.

If you are a dog lover and you are looking for a furry hiking buddy, mark your calendar now for Happy Tails and Happy Trails on Saturday, November 3^rd beginning at 9 a.m. at the Tom Mays Unit. I’ve posted the info for this on my neighborhood association blog. Be sure to click on the image to enlarge and read all of the information. We just have to find Lambert (and his buds) a home. This event is yet another great brain-child of Park Ranger Adrianna Weickhardt. Kudos, Adrianna!

This Saturday if you aren’t out hiking anywhere else, come to the dedication of the Lost Dog Trail Head (also known as the Redd Road Trail Head). (Map) The Borderland Mountain Bike Association and benefactors have completed improving the trail head with gravel, parking spots and native Honey Mesquites donated by the West Texas Urban Forestry Council. Take time to hike or just be at the ribbon cutting ceremony from Noon to 12:30 p.m. Many of you know this trail head well. What you may not know is that it takes you into one of the very arroyos which many have fought to preserve in the Northwest Master Plan. Keeping that arroyo – that critical riparian corridor – natural is very important not just to environmentalists but to El Pasoans who love and take advantage of the recreational opportunities of our outdoors.  You can get a sense of the interconnectivity of these trails by viewing mountain bike maps and GeoBetty.com maps.

Remember that Scenic Sunday at  Scenic Drive has changed now to its fall/winter hours.  The Drive is closed to motorists from 7 until Noon each Sunday but open to runners, walkers, bicyclists, etc. This coming Sunday, follow Rosario Walton on a backwards walk beginning at 7 a.m. Details here. “The challenge,” according to Rosario “is to walk the length of Scenic Drive backwards (2miles about 45 minutes) and return to staring point in a normal walking fashion.” Backwards walking, a huge sport in Japan and a growing interest in many European countries, has physical and mental benefits. Do watch out for rampant, errant Chihuahuas!

Finally, the new High Desert Hikers of Las Cruces have some great hikes and field trips throughout the week – all based on level of ability. To learn more and see their schedule, you need to register. So visit the site and take a look.

Excelsior!

Jim H. Tolbert

Publisher, Elpasonaturally and the El Paso Hiker

Leading the way for sustainable living in the El Paso Southwest

jimhtolbert@elp.rr.com
www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com

Get your friends and family outdoors in this beautiful part of the Chihuahuan Desert. Forward this message to them and suggest that they subscribe.

This email message is written and published by Jim Tolbert who takes sole responsibility for the content of the letter. To subscribe or unsubscribe, just reply to jimhtolbert@elp.rr.com and say “Unsubscribe Hikers”.

"A million tax-free dollars would probably tempt me to divulge your email address.

However, know that your privacy is safe with me . . . Nobody has offered me the million yet.”

The El Paso Hiker E-Letter Volume 2, No. 30, October 24, 2012

Lost Dog Trail Head Ribbon Cutting this Saturday

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Hike the Lost Dog Trail into the Heart of the NW Master Plan

There are many great hikes and events this weekend and next.  Please check out Celebration of Our Mountains,  El Paso Hiking Group, GeoBetty, Guadalupe Mountains National Park Meetup Group,  Las Cruces & El Paso Adventurists, Peak Fitness Challenge,  High Desert Hikers and Las Cruces Hiking Meetup. For solid information about hiking bookmark  El Paso Ridgewalkers.

Click on image to enlarge.

I want to call to your attention one extraordinary event next Saturday, October 27^th, at the Lost Dog Trail Head (also known as the Redd Road Trail Head). (Map) The Borderland Mountain Bike Association and benefactors have completed improving the trail head with gravel, parking spots and native Honey Mesquites donated by the West Texas Urban Forestry Council from a grant from the Koontz Fund. Many of you know this trail head well. What you may not know is that it takes you into one of the very arroyos which many have fought to preserve in the Northwest Master Plan. Keeping that arroyo – that critical riparian corridor – natural is very important not just to environmentalists but to El Pasoans who love and take advantage of the recreational opportunities of our outdoors.  You can get a sense of the interconnectivity of these trails by viewing mountain bike maps and GeoBetty.com maps.

If one of the other great hikes next Saturday does not entice you, then plan to hike the Lost Dog Trail from 10 to Noon and then join the dedication ceremony of the trail head concluding with some good eats.

I also suggest that you plan to attend Coffee Time with Archaeologists this Saturday evening, October 20^th, from 7 to 9 p.m. in McKelligon Canyon.  This is a Franklin Mountains State Park/Celebration of Our Mountains event not to be missed. Ranger Adrianna Weickhardt says,

“We have a great panel of Archaeologists all from different organizations lined up for a Fun and Free event this Saturday night at McKelligon Canyon!  Check out the posting for the event if you haven't already.  It'll be from 7 to 9 p.m. with free coffee, cocoa and pastries.  Learn a little more about this important field of science, how it affects you, and come loaded with questions for the Q&A session of the program! We have plenty of room for more reservations,  We hope to see you there.  (If you don't want to sit on a metal chair, bring a nice comfy one with you as well as your jacket and blanket in case it gets a little chilly).”

Reservations are required so contact Adrianna Weickhardt at 915-566-6441 or Adrianna.Weickhardt@tpwd.state.tx.us or just RSVP at El Paso Hiking.

Know that Scenic Drive is closed every Sunday morning now through March from 7 to Noon.   This is a change in hours for this 4.1 mile hike from one side of the drive to the other and back. This walk takes in a dazzling panorama of El Paso and Juarez and a display of 500 million year old fossils! It’s a good recreational walk and can be done in an hour and a half.

If you are on Facebook, check out and like Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks.

Finally, multi-kudos for the Guru of Geology, Dr. Phil Goodell, Professor at UTEP since 1975. He and his lovely wife, Kathy, just donated $1million to the University for a new Center of Entrepreneurial Geosciences at UTEP.  The Executive Summary reads in part: “Exploration for natural resources, oil/gas and minerals, is a unique activity. Success means discovery.”  

Excelsior!

Borderland Mountain Bike Association President, David Wilson has written an open letter encouraging that more money be spent on trails, trail improvements, trail heads and signage. He's right that there are great mountain bike trails throughout the Franklins which are also great for hikers. The City of El Paso owes a debt of gratitude to BMBA for creating most of these trails. Now they have actually funded the creation of trail head parking for Redd Road - an unprecedented action. 

For more information about mountain biking and bike trails in this region, go to GeoBetty.com. 

Here is Dave's letter:

It has come to my attention that the funds set aside for the acquisition of open space might be used to improve green spaces around the city.  Last year there was a pretty heated debate about using these funds to build trail heads and trail head parking at some of the newly acquired open space and it was finally determined that they could not be used for those purposes.....ONLY for the acquisition of new lands to be preserved as open space.  To hear that board members are considering the use of this funding to improve green spaces seems to be pretty contradictory to what was determined sometime last year.

I don't think you'll find many people who would have a problem using this money to improve green space, but it would only be fair to use this money to improve our open spaces as well.  The Convention and Visitors Bureau is spending a large amount of city money to promote our city as a mountain biking destination.  Mountain biking will be featured on the cover of the spring Visitors' Guide, Texas Monthly magazine, and Southwest Magazine (the one in every seat of every Southwest plane).  At present, our city is not ready to play host to mountain bikers who are unfamiliar with our trails and their access points.  At present, we have NO mountain bike trail heads and NO mountain bike trail head signage except in the Tom May's unit of the State Park.  We have some great trails, but few of them are signed.  Without a gps unit that has a track file for the trail being ridden or a guide, it's sheer luck if a visitor has a good mountain biking experience.

I encourage the City (Council, the PSB, the Open Space Advisory Board, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the State Park) to work together in completing the mountain biking infrastructure needed to truly make El Paso a mountain biking destination as well as mitigating user conflicts and impacts that are currently happening at common access points.  The BMBA is committed to finishing the trail head parking lot on Redd Rd, but after this project, our coffers will be empty.  The Redd Road location needs extensive signage on trails found on city land and State Park land.  The park has begun the process for signage on their portion.  The BMBA will continue to advise the bureaucracies free of charge.

Please don't divert Open Space Acquisition funds for green space unless you are willing to do the same for current open space.
David Wilson, President of Borderland Mountain Bike Association

Win Some/Lose Some

The best news from the City Council this past Tuesday was their decision to find a solution for preserving the 26 acres near Scenic and the 623 acres near Hondo Pass. Apparently a short term lease will be worked out at this point while the City finds a buyer who will preserve these portions of the Franklin Mountains as open space. The ideal will be to see that it all becomes part of the Franklin Mountains State Park.

Dave Wilson of the Borderland Mountain Bike Association already see possibilities for developing good hike and bike trails in the area near Hondo Pass. In an email to Association members, Wilson wrote:

"This area is at the top of Hondo Pass and already has some gnarly jeep roads. Jen and I have been eyeballing some routes through the area but have been hesitant to put in the effort since it is private land. This area would allow access into another stash of future trails which would be very close to town."

City Council did fail to downzone PSB land to Rural-Farm designation from R-3. In effect, the decision was tabled for a joint decision by the PSB and City Council.

Council also unanimously agreed to send a letter to Representative Joe Moody for his meeting with the General Land Office. Moody contacted City lobbyist, Sylvia Firth. She recommended that a letter coming from City Council similar to the letter drafted by Open Space Board members would make a better impression with the GLO. We shall see how close their letter will be to the original drafted by Charlie Wakeem and others on the OSAB.

Volunteer Bike Patrol Program

Our good friend, Judy Ackerman, sent me a message along with a forwarded email from Dave at Borderland Mountain Bike Association, El Paso's official mountain bike community. Judy wrote: "Here is another way you can help the Franklin Mountains State Park: join the volunteer bike patrol program, jointly sponsored by the Park and the Borderland Mountain Bike Association."

Here is the other way from Dave:

I apologize for the long delay on making any solid decisions on getting training for bike patrol members, but finding a location AND a trainer for a weekend that more than a couple of people could attend was impossible.

Here is what YOU need to do:

Step 1: Attend volunteer training at the State Park June 7 in the morning. It will take about 4 hours and we don't have a definite start time yet, but I'm guessing around 8 am. This is a service the park will provide to us for free and it is necessary to be an official IMBA/BMBA Bike Patrol member.

Step 2: Get your own cpr/first aid training and pay for it yourself.

Step 3: Log on to the IMBA website and follow all steps for the IMBA patrol training. This includes taking a test, sending them your first aid and land manager (state park) credentials, and paying the minimum $50 fee.

Step 4: Upon approval, contact me here bmbaelpaso@hotmail.com so I can get you the things listed below.

Step 5: Start volunteering and logging your volunteer hours on the IMBA web page.

WHAT THE CLUB WILL DO FOR YOU:

1. Reimburse you $25 of the patrol fee or waive your club membership fee for the year.

2. Give you a laminated personalized # plate.

3. Provide you with an extra pair of club socks.

Other benefits:

National Bike Patrol Members get pro-deal (that's the price unsponsored pro and expert riders pay on equipment direct from a manufacturer) from several different bike companies and industry sponsors . Patrol members receive lots of other cool deals from IMBA (though the pricing on their patrol jerseys and other swag isn't that great).

You earn volunteer hours while riding your bike! Very cool if you ask me. All you need to do is be courteous to other riders by stopping and asking how their day is going, educate them on any mistakes they might be making (no helmet, no water), and give a hand to riders in need. Carry a cell phone with park personnel #'s, small first aid kit, essential tools, extra tube, chain quick links, and the maximum amount of water you are comfortable carrying.

If you have any other questions, please ask me.

Dave