Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Toe of the Hill Trail could reach Bellevue

City Council approves connecting pathway from south


By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

The Toe of the Hill Trail might connect to the northeast side of Bellevue. Express graphic

There is a move on to connect the popular Toe of the Hill Trail, which runs along the eastern boundary of Hailey, with the city of Bellevue.

"This is a great project," said Bellevue City Councilman Brett Gelskey.

The Bellevue City Council on Thursday unanimously approved conceptual plans to begin breaking trail from the end of Seventh Street and start working north to connect with the existing Toe of the Hill Trail, which now ends in the south end of Woodside subdivision in Hailey.

"We are trying to make this a no-cost project for the city of Bellevue," said Todd Byle, who presented the plans to the council. He said trail construction could begin in summer 2011.

Byle said proponents of the trail extension, including the Wood River Bike Coalition, were hoping to work with the Eccles family, the Bureau of Land Management and the Wood River Land Trust to secure easements and land swaps to make the trail extension possible.

The trail would also cross property belonging to the Catholic Church in Bellevue.

"An equivalent-value land trade between the BLM and the Land Trust would bring the usable land down the hillside," said Byle, who lives in Bellevue and works in Ketchum.

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The non-motorized trail, which currently stretches for about 2.5 miles, links a number of connector trails extending west to the Wood River Trails system. The Toe of the Hill Trail cuts a circuitous path along the eastern hills adjacent to the city of Hailey.

The existing Toe of the Hill Trail cost $30,000 to build. A great deal of volunteered labor and materials made trail construction possible three years ago.

The Hailey Parks and Lands Board was instrumental in the city's coming into ownership of several parcels of hillside land that the Toe of the Hill Trail cuts across.

Becki Keefer, projects coordinator for the Hailey Parks and Lands Board, was instrumental in building the Toe of the Hill Trail in Hailey. She told the council that the trail requires "zero maintenance" and is very popular with hikers and bikers, especially during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall.

"This has been a real recreational asset because it is free," Keefer said.

Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com




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