Making Beacon Hill bike friendly
Someday – hopefully sooner, not later – mountain bikers in Spokane may have one of the best areas in the northwest to enjoy their hobby in a proposed trail system winding through Beacon Hill.
The Beacon Hill area, a notable landmark north of the Spokane Valley that has a forest of utility poles growing from its summit, has been a magnet for cyclists and other outdoor lovers for better than 10 years, according to Penny Schwyn, one of the driving forces of the Beacon Hill Trail Network.
A walk through the lower reaches of the proposed trail system gave Schwyn time to touch on the vision for the area. Schwyn and her group want to see it used and developed correctly.
How did Schwyn get the lead in this effort? Schwyn’s husband, Craig, an avid whitewater boater, first got his wife involved in mountain biking. Once drawn away from paddling and into peddling, Schwyn found another recreational calling.
Concerned about trash dumping and disrespect for the land, Schwyn said “nobody was taking the lead and having a relationship with the land managers.” Without an advocate for the biking trails, there was a good chance trails could close.
“A lot of communities in the nation have lost mountain biking opportunities because managers have just gotten annoyed and closed the area off,” Schwyn said. “Relationships just weren’t maintained.” That is what a more organized trail system will bring to the area in Schwyn’s estimation.
A developed area would include a formal trailhead, parking, security and info kiosks, much like those see along the Centennial Trail. It would also help better connect the Centennial Trail, Camp Sekani, Shields Park, Minnehaha Park and Esmerelda area trails.
So the group is moving slowly and carefully. The wooded area is a mixed bag of private, Spokane Parks and Avista property.
And with residential development encroaching from both the north and east, Schwyn’s group, the Fat Tire Trail Riders Club ( www.FTTRC.org), are attempting to work with all those involved.
“We’re working with Pete Rayner,” Schwyn said. Rayner has holdings that include the Esmerelda Trail, a very popular switch-back pathway. “He contacted us,” Schwyn said. “He recognizes the value of that trail.
As for the private property owners, “we’re still putting that (list) together,” Schwyn noted. Her Beacon Hill group wants to contact different property owners who have trails going through, or adjacent to their property. “The goal is to get the public, utilities and private landowners talking together.”
“We want to emphasize that we’re tying to be respectful of the private property owners,” Schwyn said. “We understand that trail use is a privilege, not a right,” she added.
“We have support from some property owners who think it’s a great idea for promoting legitimate use of the area,” Schwyn said of initial efforts. More public presence can help keep the nuisance level – dumping, vandalism, illegal vehicle use, drinking, drugs – tolerable.
From the Upriver Drive entrance at the 240 acre Camp Sekani, the Spokane Park Department’s largest holding, a walk of less than a quarter-mile brings you to what Schywnn hopes will be the focal point of the project.
Like the spokes of a bicycle wheel this is a staging area for the bottom of the downhill. Trails, mostly uphill, branch out from there.
Schwyn hopes to educate people that Camp Sekani, “is a park and not an abandoned piece of property. If we take care of it, the city will hang onto it. We’ve really got the support of the parks department.” Schwyn said.
The idea is with more TLC, so it is not a drain on the budget; the area can actually turn into plus on the ledger.
The group’s vision statement states that “the Beacon Hill Trail network is a premiere regional destination for non-motorized trail users.” Schwyn thinks Beacon can rival similar parks in Hood River and Salem, Oregon.
By bringing in events such as the Bicycle Butler Beacon Blow-out on May 20, “the destination aspect of mountain biking can be developed,” in Schwyn’s estimation. Past Beacon Hill races have attracted upward of 300 riders with 200 expected this year.
Depending on how you calculate there are between 25 and 40 miles of trails, according to Schwyn. “Trails come up from Minehaha; you have old Jeep roads; utility access roads and different things like that,” she said.
“The Beacon” has been “unofficially” used by mountain bikers and other recreationalists for at least 10 or more years.
“Most people don’t know that they are on city land, Avista land or private property,” Schwyn said. “The big issue is educating people who the land belongs to and (about) legal trail building.”
While bicycle use been tolerated for years, use by various motorized vehicles – 4 X 4s, ATVs and motorcycles and the damage they produce – is not.
Another piece of the puzzle is building – and rebuilding – trails to “sustainable standards, as compared to going up and doing whatever you want,” Schwyn said. “We see stuff that’s been hacked into the hill, old pallets, rotten lumber. Things that are just kind of scary.”
Avista recently made a huge contribution to the rebuilding effort by delivering a logging truckload of retired cedar power poles. “The ideal wood to use is cedar because of it’s natural preservatives. “We’ve got a lot of support from Avista,” Schwyn said.
The project is still truly in its infancy, so when asked what the budget would be to bring it all together, Schwyn admits, “I really have no idea.”
Smaller funding sources keep the chains greased for now. A mentorship grant is providing a person who can research grant availability. One such funding source might be a Kona Free Ride Grant to help rebuild trails. A grant from REI bought equipment to help maintain and repair trails.
“We’re starting to get a lot of good support in the community for what we want to do,” Schwyn said. “If we can pull this off it will be a real gift to the community.”