Two downed trees

Trail supporter Tina reports two trees are down (she also sent in these photos) on Rich Gulch trail this afternoon, that for now makes the trail impassable. EBMUD is sending out maintenance crew to attend to it. Please call EBMUD Sierra Trails office at 209-772-8204 to get updates if you plan to head out there today or anytime this week. We do not have a time estimate for when the trail will be clear. Thank you Tina!

General location of the downed trees

New day hike in the high country

Today we’re recommending a moderately challenging day hike with some cardio ridge climbing, expansive Sierra view, and a path through a favorite forest meadow.

It’s a great time to be up at altitude. Web trail inventory provider AllTrails makes it easier with their easy to use tools, replacing another inventory company called EveryTrail. We are grateful for AllTrail’s services.

Visit the MCCT day hike page and start planning your day hike!

Glowing Trail Testimonial

Stockton Record’s Alex Breitler serves up this humbling trail testimonial. It goes beyond saying that dozens and dozens of individuals and agencies contributed to laying down trail and helping visitors travel safely on it.

Delivering a 1988-2016 retrospective is the next task. We are sifting through literally hundreds of historical documents, maps and images going back to 1988. Stay tuned!

 

State Park, Interpretive Association sign trail; signals East Bay-Contra Costa segment is finished

Even more trail goodness! This time Mount Diablo State in the East Bay – Contra Costa County segment.

In June – September 2015, Mount Diablo State Park officials, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, town of Clayton, and the trail council worked together scouting potential alignments & attaching trail signs on posts. We are grateful to Mark Sinclair of State Parks, John Mercurio, and MDIA’s Mike and Ruth Ann Woodring for completing the state park signing.

The result: newly open trail entering the park from the southwest via the Briones-Mt Diablo Regional Trail (managed by East Bay Regional Park District) and from the northeast via the town of Clayton (home to MCCT trail-co founder George Cardinet Jr.)

Hooray!! The MCCT is now continuous between Martinez (and Berkeley) to Antioch’s Big Break Regional Shoreline, the gateway to the Delta. This announcement marks the 2nd completed MCCT segment, with three segments to go (another completed segment is planned to come online in 2018.)

Busy trail junction in Berkeley with Meadow Canyon Trail, East Bay Skyline Trail, & Bay Area Ridge Trail

View the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail map free on ArcGISOnline. After checking out the map, plan your trip in this segment using East Bay Regional Park District’s interpark regional trails info. Happy trails!

1.1 mile trail opens in high country; nets 30+ miles of trail goodness

U.S. Forest Service partners completed this tiny 1.1 mile-long section last fall, days before the Butte Fire turned us upside down here in Calaveras County. Naturally our energies pivoted to our community. I am happy to report MCCT board members returned to their homes, although the community has forever changed.

Now almost a year has passed; time to rally around this tiny but very strategic connector trail between Mosquito Lake and Pacific Valley – a huge milestone for two big reasons!

  1. The snow melted and the MCCT east of Lake Alpine to Ebbetts Pass is now open (note: not all trail signs are posted yet)
  2. Hikers and equestrians can travel between Ebbetts Pass to Lake Alpine on the non-motorized trail with sections nearer Hwy 4, rather than the longer partially motorized trail set in the back country

Trail posts are installed at both ends of the new section, as seen in the following images:

Please note bicycling is required to follow the highway along sections of the trail passing through Carson-Iceberg Wilderness between Lake Alpine and Ebbetts Pass. See map. Search or zoom in on the orange line in the high country to see Pacific Valley.

New way to plan your visit via laptop or mobile

We updated our website & launched our nifty new interactive map in ArcGISonline. All three open segments on one map!

Free ArcGIS public accounts for laptops at argis.com

Explorer for ArcGIS by ESRI is free too, in Google Play and iTunes. No account is required to view maps. Your location will appear on the map. Quality is dependent on your browser and device.

Public safety advice: a device is not the only tool needed to safely travel on the MCCT. We recommend a paper map (pick up online or at a Stanislaus National Forest Ranger station), and/or a compass too.

 

 

Open now: 7 mile loop trail overlooking Pardee Reservoir

We appreciate all you do, EBMUD (East Bay Municipal Utility District)!

John Bull Trail is now open in MCCT’s Camanche-Pardee segment near Valley Springs in the Sierra Foothills. EBMUD’s announcement:

In our continuing efforts to support our trail users, we added a new loop trail located one and a half miles east of the Campo Seco Staging Area. This new segment of trail branches off the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail (MCCT) to the northwest at Lawry Flat, winding through beautiful rolling hills above Pardee Reservoir. Pardee View vista point (open now) and the spur trail to the top of John Bull Peak (elevation 1053 feet) which will open later this year, offer spectacular vistas of the surrounding watershed landscape.

John Bull opening flyer
Click to open PDF

Visit our Camanche-Pardee segment for trail permits, maps, weather tips and safety guidelines. Share photos and comments here or on our FB page.

50M/50K/13.1M/10K/5K … 3 days of trail racing

April 15 – 17th, 2016

Single Track Running announces the annual Mokelumne River 50M/50K/13.1M/10K/5K awesome trail races along the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail. Learn more at Single Track’s website.

map Mokelumne-River_250px

The race course is again along the beautiful Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail. View 2015 race pictures and details at Single Track Running’s website.

3rd Annual Mokelumne River Run announced

Join Elemental Running for the third annual Mokelumne River 50M/50K/Marathon/Half Marathon/8M. New this year — Half Marathon and support from Fleet Feet Stockton!

Race course is again along the beautiful Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail. Visit Elemental’s website for pictures and details.

April 20th, 2013
6:00am
(Half Marathon and 8M start at 7am)
Camanche Lake South Shore Staging Area
 

Independence Flat Loop Trail Highlights

This map shows MCCT’s last area under construction by EBMUD. June 2nd, National Trails Days, is set to be an historic day! EBMUD estimates this trail’s construction will finally be completed.

Notable facts:

    • Over 1.16 miles of abandoned water ditch between Middle Bar and Big Bar will be developed as part of the new Independence Flat loop trail
    • This loop does not extend or connect east to BLM’s new Mokelumne River Whitewater Trail Big Bar Launch & parking lot at Hwy 49
    • New river access will be available along the trail. EBMUD will provide this information after the loop trail is opened. View the Google map below to learn more about river access using EBMUD’s Middle Bar Take Out located just across the river

Progress to Date:

    • Conversion of ditch remains to trail tread started in August of 2011, relying on hand tools and hard work. On average, the crew completes 150 feet a day.
    • The cross-country portion of trail is being built on 60% to 75% cross slope using a 1-ton mini excavator. With around 1,050 feet of the cross country portion complete, that leaves a balance of about 400 feet. Several gulch crossings were also developed.