A section of illegally built single-track trail that begins in Bullion Gulch west of Hailey will soon be rehabilitated by volunteers with Big Wood Backcountry Trails, a local trails advocacy group.
During a meeting of the group on Tuesday night, members agreed to take over the project to put to bed the half- to three-quarter-mile unauthorized trail, which ties into a longer section of trail connecting Bullion Gulch to Democrat Gulch, the next drainage to the northeast. The group is seeking volunteers to help with the all-day work project, which they've scheduled for Saturday, July 12.
The illegally-built trail—which crosses a mixture of public and private land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Sawtooth National Forest and two private landowners—was likely built sometime last fall or earlier this spring, said Jon Kurtz, outdoor recreation manager for the BLM's Shoshone Field Office.
Kurtz, who first learned of the unauthorized trail construction about a month ago, said his investigation led him to believe it was built last fall.
"There was new plants going up," he explained.
One question remains: What led the unnamed individuals to deal with the blood, sweat and tears required to build the lengthy section of trail through rocky terrain when there was a high likelihood the trail would be eliminated?
Some local recreationists attending Tuesday's BWBT meeting think it has a lot to do with a growing level of frustration some south valley trail users have with the slow pace of constructing a trail system to match the north valley trail system on Sawtooth National Forest land.
While he said recognizes full well the challenges local public land managers face, Ketchum resident and BWBT member David Sundholm said many south valley residents are frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of attention to building new public trails in their area. Sundholm, who is also the head of a local motorized group called the Idaho Mountain Dirt Riders, said he would rather not have BLM officials policing their lands for illegal trail construction.
"I want you building trails as fast as you can," he said.
The debate lasted about three hours, with some good news: Later this summer, the BLM is set to begin work on up to 15 miles of new trail in the Rotarun area of Croy Canyon west of Hailey. The new routes will include a short 2.5-mile section of trail the BLM is hoping to have volunteers begin working on once the Bullion Gulch trail is rehabilitated.
"We could be talking a couple of weeks," Kurtz said.
Ironically, the only thing delaying that work is that Kurtz increasingly has to devote time on illegal trail work
An authorized trail contractor the BLM hopes to hire later this summer will likely complete the remaining 12.5 miles of trail envisioned for construction in the Rotarun area. The work itself could begin as early as this fall, and could possibly be completed by next spring, Kurtz said.
Both trail projects have gone through the proper administrative processes, including an environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Trail work on federal lands cannot proceed without first going through the NEPA process. The Bullion Gulch trail has yet to complete that process.
South valley trail users need to be patient just a little longer and they'll begin to see their desire for trails in their area granted, said Chris Leman, executive director of BWBT.
"There is a planning process. Just hang in there," he said.
Bigger and better things may be on the way for trail users of BLM lands in southern Blaine County. The BLM's Shoshone Field Office has in hand a draft travel plan, approved by the Blaine County Commission earlier this year, that spells out how BLM lands located on both sides of the Wood River Valley will be managed in the years to come.
Developed by the county in cooperation with the BLM, the "Blaine County Cooperative Conservation Recreation and Travel Plan," spells out the future management of the large area in separate winter and summer recreation maps attached to the 57-page document. As soon as this fall, the BLM may be able to begin the NEPA process on the draft travel plan, said Lori Armstrong, Shoshone office Field Manager.
The only thing standing in the way of the local analysis is for Shoshone field office staff to complete their analysis of a new travel plan for the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve east of Carey, Armstrong said.
"It's the same people we're going to use on the Blaine County travel plan," she said.
Kurtz said there's no reason why local trail users couldn't come to the BLM with plans for new trails in these management zones, for consideration as part of the NEPA process.
And while the travel plan's vision of different types of motorized and non-motorized trails isn't hard and fast, Kurtz said the trail proposals should make "sense within the way those zones have been designated."
Details about the draft BLM travel plan can be seen by going to www.co.blaine.id.us and clicking on "Blaine County/Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation Plan." To inquire about how to propose a new trail section on BLM land contact Kurtz at (208) 732-7296.
Kurtz agreed that people need to be patient, with exciting backcountry trail opportunities in the south valley looming on the horizon.
People interested in helping out with the July 12 work day to rehabilitate the Bullion to Democrat Gulch trail should be at the Rotarun trailhead out Croy Canyon west of Hailey by 8 a.m., said Todd Byle, a local volunteer with Big Wood Backcountry Trails.
He said people should come prepared to work, which means wearing long pants, gloves, eye protection and a lightweight long-sleeve shirt to ward off scratches and glaring sun.
"Be prepared. Lots of water, lots of food," he said.
The BLM and Big Wood Backcountry Trails will provide tools for the rehabilitation project. For further information contact Byle at (208) 726-4512 or Travis Zerba of the Dirty Tires Mountain Bikers Association at (208) 471-0420.
Photo courtesy of John Kurtz, Shoshone BLM Field Office
The winding trail in this photograph was likely built sometime last fall or earlier this spring, BLM officials say. On Saturday, July 12, volunteers will decommission the unauthorized trail section, which is shown connecting with the Bullion Gulch Road west of Hailey in Croy Canyon.
