SIMI VALLEY : Group to Assist in Upkeep of Trails

Mountain bikers, equestrians and hikers have come together under a new volunteer group sponsored by the Rancho Simi park district to maintain and expand wilderness trails in the Simi Valley area.

The timing couldn’t be better, park officials say, because the district can barely afford to maintain existing trails, let alone clear new ones.

The group, called the Rancho Simi Trail Blazers, also plans to form patrols this year to offer trail-side first aid and park information to recreation seekers. Group members would ride mountain bicycles or horses while on patrol.

Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District officials formed the group late last year in an effort to promote volunteer support of park programs and maintenance, which are suffering from severe budget cuts.

Nearly three months old now, the Trail Blazers group has about 100 members. About half are hikers and naturalists, with the remaining members made up of mountain bikers and equestrians. Anyone can join.

“Some people have joined because they want to get out and exercise on the trails, but many just enjoy wondering around the natural settings,” said Sharon Hamilton, the park district’s volunteer coordinator. “These people realize that if they want to have nice, maintained trails, then they’re going to have to get out and help us establish and maintain them. The park district is running out of funds.”

The Trail Blazers held their first meeting Dec. 5 and plan to continue meeting about every six weeks.

The group’s goals include the following: to clear new trails; provide a forum for community input into planning trail expansion, and train volunteers to assist the park district with nature hikes and educational classes.

Soon, Hamilton said, the group will try to raise funds that will be used to create a group logo and buy T-shirts, hats and hand-held two-way radios for Trail Blazers’ patrols. The group also will seek donations in the form of tools used for trail clearing.

Planned patrols would allow trained volunteers to offer directional and trail-side etiquette information to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. Some Trail Blazers have already begun taking ride-alongs with park rangers and have signed up for first aid classes to prepare for the patrols, Hamilton said.

The group invites anyone interested to attend its next meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 10 in the conference room of the East County Courthouse, 3855-F Alamo St., Simi Valley. For more information, call the park district at 584-4400.