Weber Pathways

THE MISSION OF TRAILS FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN UTAH (TFNU)IS TO PLAN, PROMOTE, CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN AND PROTECT A NETWORK OF PUBLIC PATHWAYS, TRAILS, AND RELATED OPEN SPACES FOR NON-MOTORIZED USERS THROUGHOUT NORTHERN UTAH.

DURING 2021, TRAILS FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN UTAH WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCH OUR FIRST FULL YEAR OF MEMBERSHIP AS WELL AS EMPLOY A FULL-TIME SEASONAL TRAIL CREW. THIS ENABLED US TO CONTINUE EXISTING PROJECTS, AND TAKE ON MORE THAN WE HAD IN PRIOR YEARS. IN THE SPRING OF 2021, WE WERE CONTRACTED BY THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE TO PERFORM TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND A NECESSARY TRAIL REDESIGN OF THE POPULAR UPPER WHEEL TRAIL. WORK COMPLETED BY THE TFNU TRAIL CREW INCLUDED CUTBACKS ALONG THE EXISTING TRAIL, RE-ROUTES WHERE NEEDED AND FLAGGED, THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW SWITCHBACKS AND OTHER NECESSARY TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS. THIS PROJECT HELPED TO SOLIDIFY A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE USFS. OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE WORK AT BLACKNERS BEND ALONG THE WEBER RIVER, INCLUDED A STUDY CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER A COUPLE OF OLD OVERFLOW CHANNELS ON THE PROPERTY CAN BE RECONNECTED TO THE RIVER AND SOME NEW WETLANDS CAN BE CREATED. AN AGREEMENT HAS ALSO BEEN REACHED WITH A NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNER ON THE LOCATION FOR A BRIDGE OVER THE WEBER RIVER, CONNECTING TO THE BUSINESS PARK IN UINTAH. PLANS ARE BEING FINALIZED FOR OTHER BRIDGES AND ALMOST A MILE OF ROAD BASE-SURFACED PATHWAY SUITABLE FOR PEDESTRIANS, EQUESTRIANS, AND MOST BICYCLES. TFNU WAS ABLE TO REDECK AN OLD PORTION OF THE NORTH ARM TRAIL ALONG THE PINEVIEW LOOP PARKWAY IN EDEN, REPLACE, REPAIR AND INSTALL SEVERAL CRUCIAL PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES IN AREAS INCLUDING ON TRAILS LOCATED WITHIN NORTH FORK PARK, AND GREEN POND TRAIL NEAR SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT. A NEW SET OF WOODEN STAIRS WERE INSTALLED ON A SECTION OF THE NORTH FORK PARK WATERFALL TRAIL TO REPLACE THE WORN ROPE THAT TRAIL USERS PREVIOUSLY HAD TO USE TO ACCESS THE WATERFALL. THE 3.7 MILE PUBLIC-ACCESS SIDEWINDER TRAIL WAS COMPLETED AND DEDICATED IN THE BRIDGES COMMUNITY OF THE WOLF CREEK RESORT. THE TRAIL QUICKLY BECAME A FAVORITE OF THE LOCALS. DURING THE BUSY SUMMER MONTHS, WE HOSTED SEVERAL TRAIL CLEAN UP AND MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEER EVENTS AS WELL AS HOSTING MANY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN VOLUNTEER WORK ALONG OUR NORTHERN UTAH TRAILS. MANY OF THE TRAILS WORKED ON WERE LOCATED IN THE WEBER COUNTY NORTH FORK PARK, WHERE THE TRAIL CREW AND VOLUNTEERS WERE ABLE TO TRIM EVERY TRAIL IN THE PARK, FIX DRAINAGE ISSUES ON MULES EAR AND MULES SHOE AND FINISH THE 2.1 LONGER LOOP TRAIL - CONTINUING TO BUILD THE REPUTATION WITHIN THE COUNTY AS A PREMIER OUTDOOR RECREATION AREA FOR ALL TRAIL USERS. IN ADDITION TO THE TRAIL WORK, TFNU WAS ALSO ABLE TO MEET WITH ARCADIA GUIDED OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND THE GOAL FOUNDATION TO BEGIN LOOKING INTO WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR TFNU TO BEGIN HOSTING YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS. WITH THEIR HELP AND GUIDANCE, WE MADE PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM LAYOUT TO USE AS SOMETHING CONCRETE TO PRESENT TO OUR BOARD AS WELL AS TO USE IN THE WRITING OF GRANT PROPOSALS TO GET THESE PROGRAMS OFF THE GROUND IN 2022. AND FINALLY, TFNU WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAILS ALLIANCE OF NORTHERN UTAH. THE TRAILS ALLIANCE IS A GROUP OF LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS AND MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND LOVE OGDEN AND OUR TRAIL SYSTEMS. AS TRAIL POPULARITY AND USE HAS INCREASED DRASTICALLY SINCE COVID, THE RISE IN USER CONFLICT HAS ALSO INCREASED. MANY PEOPLE OUT ON THE TRAILS TODAY ARE NEW TRAIL USERS AND MAY NOT KNOW THE ETIQUETTE GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH TRAIL USE OR WHAT TO DO WHEN USER CONFLICT DOES OCCUR. THE FOCUS OF THE TRAILS ALLIANCE IS EDUCATION - NOT ENFORCEMENT. FOUNDING ORGANIZATION MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH THE ALLIANCE INCLUDE: TFNU, GOAL FOUNDATION, OGDEN TRAILS NETWORK, BACK COUNTRY HORSEMEN OF AMERICA, GEAR:30, WEBER DAVIS MOUNTAIN BIKING, AND VISIT OGDEN. WE PLAN TO GROW AND EXPAND THIS PROGRAM IN 2022. WE WANT TO GET THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY INVOLVED.

WEBER PATHWAYS WAS ORGANIZED IN 1995 TO CONSTRUCT AND PRESERVE PATHWAYS IN WEBER COUNTY, UTAH FOR THE USE AND ENJOYMENT OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PROMOTES PUBLIC EDUCATION THROUGH PATHWAY USER GROUPS, THE PUBLIC MEDIA, AND SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND PATHWAYS.