Community zone expands with Moon Doggie

This is the second installment in the Gateway Trail expansion update blog series.

After completing the trails described in our first update (Bear Springs, Steam Donkey, and MX), Trail Labs turned to the area north and east of the Gateway Trailhead on Everitt Memorial Highway. Work began on CZ-9, which was later named Lemurian Delirium. Starting just below the Everitt, it’s designed as a straight shot downhill to the trailhead and is mountain-bike preferred. Our trail contractor, Andrew Pelkofer, surprised us by creating some huge berms and jumps at the start of the trail, and it was an instant hit. Below that is a fast, flowy run peppered with some medium-sized gap jumps and smaller jumps. 

We invited the California Conservation Corps to town a short time later to begin construction of CZ-7, now called Moon Doggie. Sixteen hardy workers pitched tents at the McBride Springs Campground and were greeted by cold, wet weather as they ripped a new trail through the rocky soil and dense manzanita roots. They suffered through nighttime temps in the low-to-mid twenties for about a week. Eventually, we set them up at the KOA Campground, which was a lot more comfortable. By the end of their second week, we had a beautiful, meandering trail with great views, and it connects to the first segment of Gateway I. It’s ideal for hiking, running, dog walking, or lower speed biking.

Meanwhile, Trail Labs continued with the excavators and rapidly cut in the first segment of Muir’s Ascension, which will ultimately connect with McBride Springs and then farther up the mountain to Ten Gallon. This is a long, undulating trail crossed by numerous access roads from the Everitt. It ties into the top of Moondoggie, offering a nice loop for a one- or two-hour outing.

In the next blog, we’ll discuss the completion of a very long segment of Muir’s Ascension which connects McBride Springs to the Ten Gallon Trailhead and features some amazing rock work and stunning routes through the forest.