July 28 & 29, 2008 Highway 88

Carson River Trail: Cleanup and Marking

This is Frank Tortorich’s tenth year of leading this project. In the past the crew has put up interpretive signs, cleared and marked trails in the Toiyabe and Eldorado Forests along Highway 88. There is a limit of 20 people with preference given to past participants.

Contact Mary Ann Tortorich Activities Coordinator 209.296.7242   annamae1846@gmail.com

August 6 – 9, 2008 New Dates Nampa , ID

2008 OCTA Convention 

This year’s convention will have many activities and tours August 3-10. Watch Idaho Chapter’s progress on their website IdahoOCTA.org. Let Jim know if you are interested in helping during the convention or if you have an item for the raffle.

Contact James W. McGill I-OCTA 208.467.4853   jwmcgill@pobox.com

October 4, 2008 Saturday 9:00 AM to 4 PM

Fernley Sand Swale, looking West toward Truckee River and Wadsworth - T. Flasch

Fernley Deep Sand Swales Cleanup Project    

We are inviting you to help out!! 

The Deep Sand Swales, immediately north of Fernley, Nevada (and a few yards south of the Central Pacific Railroad Bed), are the best example of Deep Sand Swales on the entire California Trail! No Deep Sand Swales exist on the Oregon Trail. These Swales and the Central Pacific Railroad Bed are wonderful historic resources of which we all can be very proud! 

Members of the CA-NV Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association are organizing a cleanup party to remove trash that has been dumped in and near the Swales. Sponsors supporting this important event are the Fernley Department of Parks & Recreation, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fernley Preservation Society, Waste Management, the Leader-Courier, the Truck Inn, the Fernley Chamber of Commerce and Arnold's Wrecking Yard. 

DIRECTIONS: Travel east of Reno, Nevada on I-80 toward Fernley. Take the Exit 48 off-ramp. Make a left turn and go under I-80. Continue straight (north) along the East side of the Truck Inn. We will meet along the dirt road behind and to the right of the Truck Inn, where the pavement ends. 

WHAT TO WEAR: Wear a hat and layered clothing. The temperature will be anywhere from cool to very hot. Boots are recommended. This is a work party, so don't bring your best clothes. 

WHAT TO BRING: Heavy duty work gloves to protect your hands. A stout, small to midsize cardboard box for glass shards. A few heavy duty, tough plastic trash bags. 

FOOD, DRINK AND MISCELLANEOUS: Bring your lunch , snacks, drinks, and plenty of water. Soft drinks or a thermos with your favorite coffee or hot chocolate may be a good idea. Also consider sunglasses, lip balm and sunscreen. 

SAFETY: Rattlesnakes and scorpions may be a potential problem. Always watch where you step and be very careful when you pick up boards, flat items, or just about anything. You might want to turn over these types of items with a stick before you pick them up. Watch where you place your hands. Wear heavy duty work gloves. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. 

BENEFITS: At the end of the day you will feel good about returning these Historic Sand Swales closer to their original state and will have made some good friends. You will experience a nice sense of accomplishment and community pride! 

CONTACT: Should you have any questions, please feel free to phone Tom Fee at (775) 827-3724 or (Please note CHANGED email) TomFee7@aol.com

January, 2009 

A mid-Winter historic trails symposium in Yuma, Arizona, in January 2009, is being planned by the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA).

Billed as “All Roads to Lead to Yuma,” the symposium will feature speakers and tours covering several of the pioneer and early routes that converged on the historic crossing point of the Colorado River, from the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition in the 1770s to the Gold Rush era of the 1840s and 1850s to the stage routes of the late 19th Century. The planned dates are January 16 – 18.

While members of the Southwest and California-Nevada chapters of OCTA will be key to the first-ever event, members of several other historic and trails organizations will be invited to participate. The steering committee of John Krizek and Patricia Etter, OCTA board members who live in Arizona; long-time Arizona trails advocate Reba Grandrud; CA-NV chapter veteran Dave Hollecker; and OCTA Association Manager Travis Boley, are at work lining up the details. Registration information through OCTA will be available in the summer at OCTA’s website (www.octa-trails.org), according to Boley. People interested in staying abreast of developing details can have themselves added to the mailing list by calling OCTA toll free at (888) 811-6282 or by dropping Boley an email at tboley@indepmo.org.

Yuma is proud of its recent designation as a National Heritage Area by the U.S. Congress, according to city historian Tina Clark. Ms. Clark is assisting the committee with suggestions for tours and site visit locations.

“For 250 years all roads in the southwestern U.S. have led to Yuma,” reports Krizek. “What better time of year than January to explore this historic corner of the country.” 

Contact John Krizek (928) 277-4347 or jkrizek@aol.com.

ACTIVITIES OTHER THAN OCTA

Trails West is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to locating and marking the California Trail from southern Idaho to northern California and then helping people to enjoy touring the trail. They hold various activities throughout the year. 

July 12, 2008   Trails West Board Meeting; Place TBA

Sept. 12-14, 2008   Trails West Work Party on the Yreka Trail

Nov. 1, 2008   Trails West Board Meeting; Place TBA 

 Check Trails West's  activities calendar for the latest on upcoming events at http://www.emigranttrailswest.org/schedule.htm

Sharing a passion for the Black Rock Desert / High Rock Canyon / Emigrant Trails National Conservation area, the Friends of Black Rock / High Rock formed in 1999. Various user groups came together with the common goal to preserve the region and promote appreciation for the historical, ecological, agricultural, recreational and scenic resources.

 Check Friends of Black Rock / High Rock's activities calendar for the latest on upcoming events at http://www.blackrockfriends.org/calendar/

September 2008 - TBA

Passport-In-Time Project (PIT) Check PIT Project website for registration deadline and details. It is not yet posted as the date has not been set.

www.passportintime.com Frank Tortorich USFS Crew Chief

When signing up for a specific CA-NV Chapter activity, some leaders may ask participants to pay a minimum fee to cover expenses and to secure a reservation. 
Registrations for leader-led activities will be conducted through the chapter activities coordinator or leader.
All participants will be required to sign a liability release form prior to the activity. 
For more submissions, information, or if you have questions, please contact Mary Ann Tortorich, CA-NV Chapter Activities Chairperson, 1-209-296-7242, wagonwheel@volcano.net

2007 Calendar 

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