Trails West has two main activities during the year.  One is the Annual Banquet and General Membership Meeting.  The other is our two or three trail marking and marker maintenance outings.  These are both described below. In addition to these main activities, Trails West volunteers also occasionally engage in other activities such as: Driving the various segments of the trail to inspect markers already installed. Fabrication of new markers.   This requires finding railroad rail, cutting it, welding the cut pieces together to form a marker having a stem, a top bar [where the inscription plate is mounted] and a bottom bar to help hold the marker in place, and applying on a base coat of paint. Engraving of inscription plates. Experimentation with new methods of attaching inscription plates to the rail markers. Researching the many emigrant diaries and journals to locate material relevant to the various locations that we have installed, or envision installing, markers. Writing Guides to the various segments of the trail.   These Guides are designed to allow the modern traveler to drive the historic California Trail from its beginning to its various ends in the gold country of California.   In addition, these Guides give the traveler information about the country he or she is traveling through.

BOARD MEETINGS BOARD MEETING IN JULY, 2008 The next Board Meeting will be held on July 12, 2008, at Cabelas next to the Boomtown Casino just west of Reno, Nevada.  It will start at 11:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.  For further information, contact any Board Member. *********** The Board Meeting in November will be held on Saturday the 1st at the library in Loomis, California.  Detail will be provided later.

ANNUAL BANQUET AND GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

We hold our banquets in Reno since many Trails West members enjoy the opportunity to personally experiment with the laws of probability in addition to attending the banquet.

THE 2008 BANQUET AND GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING The 2008 Annual Banquet and General meeting was held on March 29, 2007, at the Boomtown Casino & Hotel, located west of Reno.  Happy Hour started at 6:00p.m. and the banquet started at 7:00 p.m.  A good time was had by all who attended.

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SUMMER SEASON FIELD TRIPS

JUNE 21 & 22, 2008, and SEPTEMBER 12, 13, & 14, 2008 JUNE 21 & 22, 2008 TRUCKEE TRAIL LEADER:  Don Buck We'll complete replating the remaining 11 markers on Truckee Trail from Steep Hollow Divide/Greenhorn Creek Crossing to Camp Far West Reservoir area.  Don Buck and Tom Dougherty will plan and lead this field trip. Rendezvous at 8:00 AM, Saturday, June 21, on the private road leading into an orchard (at "Donner Trail Fruit" sign) on the west side of Hwy 174 in Chicago Park.  To reach this location, take the I-80 exit "Colfax" and go 4 miles north on winding Hwy 174 (crossing Bear River at 3 miles) to Mt. Olive Road (at the old Chicago Park Store on left).  Then continue north on Hwy 174 a quarter-mile to the private road on the left at the "Donner Trail Fruit" sign.  Please line up your vehicles as far as possible on the right shoulder so workers and customers can pass by to the fruit stand.  A schedule for work party tasks will be handed out. We'll camp Saturday night at the Camp Far West Reservoir for our traditional potluck.  There are motels nearby this location (Auburn - Roseville - Marysville). With only 11 markers to replate, we should finish the field trip by noon Sunday. JUNE 27, 28 & 29 2008 BLM CULTURAL SURVEY Once again, it's time to plan ahead for the next BLM cultural survey.  Last June we completed surveying the Black Rock Springs area.  This coming June 28-29 (Sat. & Sun.) the plan is to survey the area around Double Hot Springs on the Black Rock Desert (the hot springs 5 miles north of Black Rock Springs).  This BLM survey will be a week after the Trails West field trip on the Truckee Trail, scheduled for the weekend of June, 21-22. The schedule and activities will be similar to last year.  Those who have been involved in previous surveys know the archaeological routines we learned.  New volunteers will easily fit in and learn the ropes. We plan on rendezvousing Friday afternoon (June 27) at 3:00 P.M. in Gerlach (outside Bruno's restaurant in the parking area) and then caravanning across the playa to Double Hot Springs where we'll camp.  There are lots of camping sites on the flat area below the hot springs.  We'll have portable latrines.  There is even a hot tub for your enjoyment.  You'll need a 4WD vehicle to cross the playa and drive through the sand dune area. Plan on two nights of dry camping which means providing your own food and water.  We'll camp Friday evening at Double Hot Springs, survey all day Saturday, have a potluck dinner Saturday evening, and finish the surveying by mid-day Sunday. For the potluck Saturday evening, please bring enough of any of the following items for 6-8 people: main dish, salads of all types, hot or cold veggies, munchies, deserts, drinks, etc. Surveying the Double Hot Springs area will be a very worthy project, one where we can enjoy the camp out, camaraderie, spectacular scenery, and learn more about the hot springs and emigrant trail that ran by them. Please let Don Buck know as soon as possible if you think you'll be able to attend this Double Hot Springs survey. Based on your responses, Don will make up a list of volunteer participants for later announcements and updates. SEPTEMBER 12, 13, & 14, 2008 YREKATRAIL LEADER:  Bob Black We'll be installing 19 markers and double plating one existing marker on the Yreka Trail in northern California  We'll begin where the Yreka Trail branches off the Applegate Trail near the south end of Lower Klamath Lake and end up in the city of Yreka.   We should be able to install all but three markers by Saturday afternoon, and finish installing the final three markers on Sunday morning.   Plan on having a potluck on Friday evening at Shafter Campground. Rendezvous at 9:00 A.M. Friday, Sept. 12, in the parking lot in front of the Goosenest District Ranger Station.  The Ranger Station is located on the west side of Highway 97 about 35 miles northeast of Weed, California.   Weed is located on Interstate 5 about 70 miles north of Redding, California.   A schedule for work party tasks will be handed out when we meet. For those camping, we'll camp at the Shafter Forest Service Campground on Butte Creek on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.  To reach this campground, go northeast on Highway 97 from Weed, California, to the Mt Hebron Road on the right (about 0.3 mile south of the Goosenest Ranger Station).  Turn right.  Go east 2.3 miles to Old State Highway.  Turn right, cross the railroad tracks, and continue south on the bladed Old State Highway about 4.5 miles to the campground on the right side of the road. For those planning to stay in a motel, the best choice is in Weed, where there are also several restaurants.  The other option is to stay in the Golden Eagle motel in Dorris, CA, which is about 15 miles past the Ranger Station on Highway 97.  There are several restaurants in Dorris and one restaurant in Macdoel, CA, which is about 5 miles northeast of the Goosenest Ranger Station on Highway 97.

THINGS TO REMEMBER Since we often travel on rough roads during our field trips, it is advisable to have a vehicle with high clearance and a CB radio.  Safety and sharing vital information while driving the back country make the CB radio necessary.  Some type of camping equipment will be required for many of our field trips.  Water should also be carried as we often dry camp. Prior to each outing, we send every Trails West member a printed trip announcement that includes information on where and when to meet for the trip and what supplies to bring.

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