American Hiking Society, Girl Scouts Help Trinidad Trails

This is a press release from the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust:

AHS volunteers pose at the new crib steps at the bottom of the Luffenholtz Beach Trail.

A group of American Hiking Society volunteers travelled from across the nation to help the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust (TCLT) with trail repairs during the first week of June 2019 at Luffenholtz Beach. They were a crew of 10 men and women and the work they did was priceless.

Local hero Johnny Calkins, 71 years young, led the crew with the help of TCLT board members and volunteers Don Allan, Steen Trump, Tami Trump, Charles Netzow, Stephen Allan and Ben Morehead. The primary work was replacement of a total of 99 steps along the Luffenholtz Beach Trail, making the trail safer for visitors. “We were working during the hottest days of late spring, 85 degrees on the beach! It took us four days of hard labor and truckloads of material but the result is a much safer public trail down to the beach”, says Johnny Calkins, volunteer trail crew supervisor for TCLT. The American Hiking Society, a non-profit based in Maryland, has sent over 500,000 volunteers across the country to work on public trails.

The improvements at Luffenholtz Beach were completed with a beautiful driftwood engraved sign made by local middle school students Malia and Ruby from McKinleyville Girl Scout Troop 90045. This is one of three signs for Land Trust beach properties along Scenic Drive designed and produced the scouts at Houda Point, Luffenholtz Beach and Baker Beach. An additional sign at Moonstone Beach was installed with support from landowner Melissa Merryman. The girls earned their silver award for this project, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. The future looks hopeful with youth like these dedicated to helping our environment and community. TCLT adds this project to a growing list of recent improvements made along the Scenic Drive beach trails.

The Trinidad Coastal Land Trust currently holds fee title or conservation easements on 26 properties along the greater Trinidad coast to preserve and protect multiple public benefits including public access. As the ‘gateway’ to the CA Coastal National Monument, Trinidad’s public trails are indeed a national treasure. The organization depends on memberships, donations and volunteers for sustainable stewardship.  Please contact TCLT for more information on how to donate and become a member or volunteer by calling 707-677-2501, visiting www.trinidadcoastallandtrust.org, or emailing [email protected].

Volunteers replaced 99 check steps along the Luffenholtz Beach Trail.

Volunteers working on replacing check steps at Luffenholtz Beach Trails.

Local Girl Scouts Malia and Ruby produced and installed the new sign at TCLT’s Houda Point, one of four new signs at Trinidad beaches.