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Sequoia Trails Newsletter January 2025

Massive Effort To Prevent Sequoia Trails From Rutting and Eroding

Stewards have not been allowed to perform any trail maintenance on Sequoia National Forest trails for the past three years. The Forest Service lacks the resources to work on most remote trails that Stewards previously maintained. This means most trails have received little or no maintenance for three years.

When Stewards was reinstated in November, there was very little time before wet weather could drench the trails causing massive rutting, making them no fun to ride and possibly closing the trails. Stewards immediately went into action rebuilding 293 water bars on 80 miles of trail and clearing 20 downed trees over two months. This was a record breaking massive effort.

We found about half of our water bars had failed and most of the other half were about to fail. Fortunately, the trails were still in pretty good shape due there not having been any major water events directly on the trails over the past three years. If there had been significant rain, the trails would have been badly rutted with no water bars to save them. The Sequoia Forest service are extremely pleased that Stewards was able to get on this just in time to prevent trail rutting from this winters runoff in the spring.

End of Keyesville Primitive Trails

It cannot be denied that Off Road Races such as Hare Scrambles or Enduros tear up trails. AMA West Hare Scrambles is seeking to run a Hare Scrambles next month with 200 racers devastating our Keyesville single-track trails, which Stewards members have spent tens of thousands of hours building and maintaining to keep them primitive and pristine over the past 20 years

A motocross race like this with hundreds of riders would destroy Keyesville recreation trails creating ruts, whoops, braking bumps, blow out trail tread, overshoot turns, create shortcuts, go-arounds, passing lines and widen single track trails into roads. We think this is not in keeping with management of Keyesville primitive trails as a "Recreation Area". These trails are shared with mountain bikers, hikers and horse. It would likely make the trails no longer enjoyable for all forms of recreation including motorized recreation. Being fairly open terrain there is an immense risk of rampant cross country travel as well as safety risk of hurting people in the area on race weekend. It seems this would violate environmental and other regulations.

Running the race will cause immense harm to pristine Keyesville single track trails leaving them hammered for decades to come. There are still large whoops on Woolstalf Trail and others in the Sequoia National Forest from race events in 1980's making them no fun to ride today. We cannot see how the trail damage from this race could be repaired to bring the trails back to their current pristine primitive condition. Today Stewards of the Sequoia has drafted a substantive objection urging the BLM not  to allow a motorized race event to hammer the rare pristine Keyesville trails.

I just spoke with Meg the AMA West Hare Scramble organizer who told me they just want to enjoy our trails respectfully and responsibly, just like we do. I informed her that 200 dirt bikes racing on pristine multiple use single track is not respectful or responsible. It will destroy the trails and cause massive resource damage.

Please contact us if your organization would like to submit a letter to the BLM urging them to deny the motorized race permit in Keyesville.

Off Trail Damage

Every year during the holidays, one or two groups of dirt bike riders come to Sequoia riding irresponsibly. They short-cut the trails big time, as well as make go-arounds for each challenge section. When the trail goes high, they cut low, when the trail goes low, they cut high. It seems they just revel in riding off trail. We assume they must know the trails very well because the riders often ride off trail to connect to nearby trails and also make hill climbs to short cut switchbacks. They are causing a lot of damage which could get these trails closed down. Stewards have spent hundreds of hours repairing the trails blocking shortcuts and go-arounds.

We are incredibly fortunate to have so many legal single track trails in Sequoia. Most other places have little or no OHV trails. Why put the legal Sequoia trails in jeopardy by riding off them? We should be savoring our motorized trails, riding them with respect and treading lightly, so they continue to remain in pristine condition and enjoyable for decades to come.

If you know these riders, please urge them to stay on the trail. If they dislike Sequoia trails so much that they want  to ride off them, then perhaps they should ride somewhere else. We challenge them to join Stewards to fix the trail damage they have caused and keep Sequoia trails from being closed. While repairing trails they could also learn why cutting switchbacks, making hillclimbs and riding off trail causes a great deal of harm to Sequoia trails. Together we can keep our trails open.

Additionally last weekend, a large group of side by sides absolutely hammered Freeway Ridge by riding irresponsibly with the pedal to the metal. Wake up people and ride responsibly. Treat your Sequoia trails like you love them.

Meet Stewards Mascot Long time Stewards members may remember our Mascot Luka the Wonderdog. It seems Luka has been reincarnated in a new dog that showed up at our shop about a year ago. Koda also loves to run. He is good for 20 miles and 6000 feet of elevation and still wants more. He has gone out on most Stewards trail projects this fall spurring us on with his energy and wanton joy to run trails. Your Help Is Needed - Trail Appreciation Events Your trails are calling. We need your help maintaining Sequoia trails. Consider putting in one day in to help keep your trails in great condition.      It is fun and rewarding These projects will be on motorized trails and we will be using dirt bikes to access the project areas CLICK HERE TO REGISTER  4/12/25  Project Location to be determined based on weather  4/26/25  Project Location to be determined based on weather  5/10/25  Project Location to be determined based on weather  5/24/25  Project Location to be determined based on weather  6/14/25  Kennedy Meadows weather dependent  6/21/25  Kennedy Meadows weather dependent  6/28/25  Kennedy Meadows weather dependent

Stewards Mascot Koda Fixing Ruts