Maple Springs Cleanup, Roadless Rule, and Map Prints
In this newsletter, we celebrate a successful Maple Springs cleanup, talk about an important issue affecting our roadless backcountry, and offer a one-time print run of our updated CNF trail map.
Maple Springs / Four Corners Cleanup Success
Thank you to the 17 volunteers who joined us Saturday for our Maple Springs / Four Corners cleanup and ride—the turnout was phenomenal, especially in the August heat! Together, we hauled out approximately 12 bags of trash, a tire, a melted carburetor, nails, and plenty of other crap from Four Corners and the surrounding area. After the cleanup, most of the crew continued on to summit Modjeska Peak before riding Buckthorn and Motorway together.
A huge thank you to everyone who pedaled, drove, hauled supplies, picked up trash, and helped make the event possible.Read the full event recap here, or check out the YouTube video recap and Instagram reel from the day.
Picking up other people’s trash may not be the most glamorous work, but it shows that we care about Maple Springs—and besides, it’s good training for the harder trail work coming this fall and winter.
The crew on Modjeska Peak’s summit after picking up trash earlier.
Protecting Our Roadless Backcountry
At the recent OCMTBA Trail Festival, I spoke about what makes the Santa Ana Mountains so special: while our beloved parks are islands, the Santa Ana Mountains are a vast, contiguous ocean of open space with a connected backcountry trail system. It is what makes an 85-mile route like the BOLT-candidate Santa Ana Mountains Traverse possible and gives us a true backcountry experience within pedaling distance of our backyards.
That experience could be affected by a proposal to rescind the Forest Service’s Roadless Rule, which currently limits new development in large portions of our National Forests. Here in the Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District, these roadless areas make up approximately 40% of the district’s non-wilderness federally owned land and include more than 38 miles of our trails. That is a substantial portion of our backcountry.
National Forests are the “Land of Many Uses.” Recreation, conservation, fire management, and even resource extraction can all have a place here. But do we really want to turn a corner deep in the Santa Anas—say, on the San Juan Trail—and find a new logging operation, mine, or road fragmenting the contiguous backcountry we enjoy today? More roads also mean more opportunities for fires—recall that the Airport Fire started from heavy equipment working alongside a road.
OCMTBA is advocating to keep the Roadless Rule in place. The federal government is accepting public comments on the proposal through September 21. Please learn more about the issue by reading this article and hearing from OCMTBA President David Browning in his LAist interview, then submit your comment.
Roadless Areas within Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District
Roadless Areas within Southern California National Forests
One-Time CNF Trail Map Print Run
For the Trail Festival, I created a 24” x 36” map of our Cleveland National Forest trail system showing the BOLT route, Airport Fire perimeter, and the restoration work ahead. After receiving interest in printed copies, I’ve created an improved version with additional trails, Forest Service roads, federal land-ownership shading, and other improvements.
If you want one for your wall, this is your chance. I’m doing a single print run of the improved map. A 24” x 36” paper print is available for a $60 donation, with all proceeds going directly to Warriors of the Santa Anas to support our work in the Santa Ana Mountains.
These are paper prints intended for display or framing—not maps for carrying on the trail—and they are local pickup only. I can meet you at one of our regular group rides or another convenient local location.
I’ll be placing the print order Monday, August 31, so please make your $60 donation now if you want one.
The original version is still available to download for free, and the latest improved digital version is available there as well.
