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It was a special day for Valley County Pathways (VCP) today. Everyone loves hiking and biking trails, right? We certainly do.
Well, we just signed a new access agreement with Judd and Diane DeBoer and McCall River Ranch Co. that will extend a public walking and biking path 1.8 miles from the end of the existing River Ranch pathway and continue south past the Activity Barn, a winter venue for tubing and cross-country skiing, to the existing VCP trail.
Linked with the city of McCall’s existing bike path that currently ends by the McCall Airport, the newly created North Valley Rail-Trail will provide a 5-mile continuous public trail corridor from McCall City Hall to Heinrich Lane, one mile short of Lake Fork.
Now, the most important aspect of this news: Valley County Pathways is organizing a volunteer trail day on Saturday, May 8, to clean up, brush out and sign the North Valley Rail-Trail for the 2010 summer season. We’re going to meet at 9 a.m. at the construction entrance to River Ranch, 1/4-mile south of the main entrance.
If you’d like to help out with the trail work day on Saturday, May 8, please contact Andy Olavarria at 208-315-4991 or [email protected]. We’re going to meet at 9 a.m. at the construction entrance of River Ranch, a 1/4-mile mile south of the main entrance.
So we had a little press conference today at the River Ranch clubhouse to let the DeBoer family know that we really appreciate their generosity. Judd and Diane were there along with their daughter Tamara and son-in-law Brian O’Morrow.
“We’re thrilled to be getting official public access to these pathway segments from River Ranch and the DeBoers,” said Steve Stuebner of Valley County Pathways. “This trail is going to become a favorite place to walk, bike or cross-country ski. It’s a pretty flat trail so it’s easy to use for just about anyone, particularly kids and families.”
The North Valley Rail-Trail will be managed as a non-motorized trail, as stipulated by the access agreement with River Ranch and the DeBoers as well as Idaho Power and other parties with which Valley County Pathways has access agreements along the old railroad right of way. That means it will be open to walking, running, biking and cross-country skiing. Horseback riding will be allowed to the south of River Ranch.
“We’re excited to extend our pathway in River Ranch along the old railroad right of way and on our ranch to connect to the North Valley Rail-Trail managed by Valley County Pathways,” DeBoer said. “Diane and I and our kids have been involved in the recreation business for our whole lives, so we’re happy to be a part of expanding public pathways in the McCall area.”
The DeBoers have been involved in Brundage Mountain since the beginning and have directed its expansions for the past 25 years. The family also owns the McCall Activity Barn and developed River Ranch in partnership with the Dennis Hart family.
The trail segments on DeBoer and River Ranch property will link to existing trail segments to the south that Valley County Pathways manages through access agreements with Lake Irrigation District and Idaho Power Co. Last year, Marvin and Carol Whiteman donated a key piece of property just southwest of the Activity Barn near Nisula and Moonridge.
“Slowly but surely, we’re putting the pieces together to fulfill our mission of creating a public trail along the railroad road of way,” Stuebner said.
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