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Bees - May 2 2009

Trails, Disney Barns & Berm: A rider reported today that while riding near bee activity (which is normal in this valley), the bees swarmed and attacked her and her horse. She reports they were bitten many times and ran for at least a couple hundred yards before the bees gave up the chase. The location is 50 yards east of the old, green, dilapidated Disney barns, just south of Cathedral and Vireo trail intersection. County Parks has been notified.

Trails Conditions April 15

County, Federal, State Parks TRV: Nearly all trails open and in good condition. Flowers just peaked and fade hereout. Navy land trails just cleared by TRVEA. (See maps under Travel and Map section) Special Conditions:
–Cathedral Trail: impassable - trash & erosion;
–Lower Wycliff: portions passable, but all through not known;
–Amsod Farm Trail: temporary close for crop harvest; detour to Beach Trail;
–Border Field State Park & Monument Mesa: closed for sewage flow out of Yogurt Canyon;
–Marsh Trail Bog: tire track through bog, but no horse track. Unknown footing;
–Border & Mesas: generally open, stay off border fence road, watch for large equipment at work.

January 2009 Trail Conditions

January 19, 2009: During the flood of December 17th, most canopy trails along the Tijuana River were submerged. Nearly all trails on the north and south sides of the river are in fair to excellent condition. (Reference the NEW DRAFT map - see Travel and Maps.)

Effie May Crossing - impassable
Cathedral - impassable
Saturn Link - impassable (update 5Feb–good footing)
Lower Wycliffe - likely closed until mid-summer
Sherwood Forest South - impassable
PERL Trail N of Four Corners - impassable (update 5Feb–good footing)
Marsh Trail - good until mud bog, but bog is impassable
Beach Trail between Monument Rd and Hollister St - deeply flooded in section north of Southwest Feed
Vireo and Brians Bridle Path canopy trails - passable for some horses, shoeless is advantage (update 5Feb–good footing)

Nearly all other trails and roads are in fair to excellent condition. Do not cross water unless there is clear evidence that someone else has sucessfully crossed–sink holes might have formed in the flood, so be wary if you are putting down the first tracks across any ground. See other articles on this website for information on the mesa trails (good footing, but some closures due to border fence construction).

Partial Beach & Trail Close

October 31, 2008. Border Field State Park Beach: During weekdays, contractor’s trucks are moving sand from Goat Canyon to the beach. This closes some beach and trails. Alternate Route signs are posted at the park entry gate to guide riders around this activity. Equipment drivers must yield to hikers, bikers, and equestrians, and are instructed on horse behavior. Monument Road west from the park gate and along the dirt road (Horse Trail) leading directly to the beach are closed. Flagmen aid crossing of Monument Road. Recreational users must ride south on Monument Road, then west into Monument Mesa for entry to the beach. The beach is open from the Mexico border going north up to the Horse Trail. It is closed from the Horse Trail northward to the estuary. On weekends and holidays the closed trails and beach are reopened as normal, unless otherwise posted. (See more in: Important TRVEA News: Beach Trail Closure Fall 2008 & Winter 2009.)

Lower Wycliffe Ride Enchanted

September 13, 2008, Lower Wycliffe Trail: Lower Wycliffe Trail is cleared for riding, and the trail tunnels under heavy canopy. Watch for the hole near the east entrance (path is clear around it). Clearing is courtesy of TRVEA members Jan, Connie, Connie’s granddaughter, Julie, Paula, Maryanne, Don, and John. Don’t miss this awesome trail–after the rain starts the trail closes until next summer.

Border Riding Affected

Giant Equipment on the Border Spooners Mesa, September 1, 2008: There are giant earthmovers working on the border fence. There are hundreds of large trucks moving on the valley’s roads supporting fence construction. Border roads, Smuggler’s Gulch, Goat Canyon, all mesa tops, along the fence, and roads to construction sites are closed to horses and hikers. Border Patrol will ask you to leave. However, there are some narrow trail/roads on the north faces of First Mesa and Spooners Mesa that do not have any construction traffic. DO NOT RIDE ON MARKED CONSTRUCTION ROADS - the giant equipment works all day and a road temporarily appearing clear is not safe. Equipment is coming. ALSO - Hollister St, Monument Rd, and Dairy Mart Rd have heavy construction traffic. Their drivers do not understand a horse’s nature. Stay away from these roads as much as possible during the weekdays. Stop Mesa tops and border fence are closed to riders at all times including weekends and holidays.

Border Fence Affects Estuary

August 25, 2008, Union Tribune Regional Section: The border fence construction is well underway burying Smuggler’s Canyon. Many experienced local people believe the final land configuration will irreparably damage the sensitive estuary. The fence will remove hundreds of acres of hiking and riding area, and the trail experience will be diminished for generations to come. In this article, environmentalist McCoy discusses expected damage to our parkland. The Supreme Court refused to hear his suit to stop the construction.

Many Groups Ride to the Beach

August 16, 2008, Trail Staging Area, Hollister St: Over 70 riders from Bonita Valley Trails Association, Pine Valley Trail Riders, Ramona Trail Riders, Back Country Horsemen, and TRVEA gathered in the valley for a group ride to the beach, and food and cameraderie at trail’s end. Trailer rigs completely filled the staging area and the entire road to the Butterfly Gardens, and riders of all experience levels and with so many varieties of horses (and an equal number of tall tales) spent the morning riding the beach and trails. This is an annual event for most groups to “beat the heat” during the doldrums of high summer. (click on photo to enlarge)

More photos at http://sdcpvp.com/PAGES/Tijuana_River_Valley/tijuana_river_valley.htm

Massive Canopy Trail Cleanout

Effie May Crossing, Trail Staging Area, National Trails Day, June 7, 2008: 200 volunteers from TRVEA, WildCoast, REI, and the Tijuana River Citizens’ Council gathered to clean out the river valley’s canopy trails. Hundreds of trash-sackfuls, over 100 tires, and vegetation overgrowth were cleared from Cathedral, Mitigation, Bridle Path, and Saturn Ave trails. Another hardy group met at the Duck Loop trail to clear the vegetation. Supervisor Greg Cox and Councilman Ben Hueso worked alongside the volunteers. This was a historic gathering of people sharing a common interest in the environmental health of the Tijuana River Valley. Ride these trails now–they are pristine!

Effie May Crossing Passable May 10

Effie May Crossing, Cathedral Trailhead: The County Parks cleared nearly all trash and you can ride over the riverbed on horseback. There are buried tires and other hazards so stick to the narrow trail. Within a few yards off-path, there is deep underlying mud too soft to ride on. Cathedral Trail is in massive nasturtium blossom. (UPDATE: June 7: See article Massive Trail Cleanup–Effie May is clean and clear. Do not wander off the main trail, there is quicksand in the collection area. Follow the well worn path.)

trvea.org

Bees - May 2 2009

Trails Conditions April 15

January 2009 Trail Conditions

Partial Beach & Trail Close

Lower Wycliffe Ride Enchanted

Border Riding Affected

Border Fence Affects Estuary

Many Groups Ride to the Beach

Massive Canopy Trail Cleanout

Effie May Crossing Passable May 10

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