The Trail Companion

Since the The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, nearly every one of us has been touched in some manner by this far reaching law. Many details were, however, left unspecified, including parks and trails. The task of defining what is meant by barrier-free access to the outdoors in currently under final revision.

As trail managers and planners work to bring outdoor parks into compliance with the ADA, the first steps are not to "pave the wilderness," but to evaluate current conditions and provide better information about levels of accessibility for all users. Beneficial Designs, located in Santa Cruz, CA, has been a leader in developing standardized methods of data collection with an information-collecting system called the Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP).

Palo Alto, CA, resident Daniel Bartsch is not your typical trail user. He doesn't often venture into the wilderness on his handcycle - a specially adapted wheelchair - but he probably knows the network of town trails in Los Altos Hills better than nearly any of the residents. Over a one-year period, he explored every trail he could negotiate, despite steep grades and other challenges. By Geoffrey Skinner.

There are a growing number of trails and parks accessible to people with disabilities in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties. Three accessible trails have been constructed or maintained by the Trail Center, including trails in Huddart County Park (San Mateo County), Purisma Creek Redwoods (Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District), and San Mateo Shoreline (City of San Mateo).

In early October, the Trail Center and Wilderness Press joined forces to publish and distribute our maps. Both organizations benefit in this agreement. The Trail Center will be able to concentrate on creating and updating maps, while Wilderness Press gains a great new product line (and guarantees wider distribution). Look for our maps in the Spring 2000 Wilderness Press catalog. By Darwin Poulos.

Take a hike on the Mt. Eden and Canyon Trails in Stevens Creek County Park. This route can be easily hiked in under two hours and offers terrific views of Montebello Ridge and the San Andreas Rift Zone. By Geoffrey Skinner.

Our new literary section focuses on themes of trails, parks, wilderness and human powered recreation in the outdoors. We inagurate Wild Lit with poems from three California poets.

Violet-Green Swallows - Maya Khosla

Autumn - Brenda Gunn

Haiku - Patricia Dove Miller

Pinnacles National Monument expands by 30% through land purchases and transfers...Peninsula Open Space Trust to buy Loma Prieta Ranch, linking Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve and the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park...Santa Clara County Parks changes fees effective Oct. 1, 1999.

Trail Center volunteers bring the Castle Rock Trail in Castle Rock State Park near to completion...Three bridges constructed at Castle Rock as an Eagle Scout project...Community Impact and the Trail Center celebrate the 6th annual Community Impact Day with two big groups from Siemens and Cisco.

Trail reroutes in Jasper Ridge and Arastradero Preserve.

Volunteer Opportunities with the Trail Center

In our move to an all-volunteer organization, we are looking for an Office Coordinator and an Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator.

News of Trail Center members' and volunteers' activities both inside and outside of the Trail Center.

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