ACE is partnering with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), in Douglas County, Nevada, in the southeast portion of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Here, ACE California crews have been rerouting the Kingsbury Stinger Trail, a challenging OHV (off highway vehicle) and mountain bike trail, known locally as the “Stinger Trail”.
ACE California crews begin construction of the Stinger Trail
Although the Stinger Project, like the Mount Tallac Trail, involved a reroute, that is where the similarity ends. Instead of a 12-16″ wide wilderness trail, the Kingsbury Stinger Trail is 50″ wide and designed for motorcycles, ATV’s and mountain bikes. Consequently, ACE crews have adopted a different approach, skill set, and attitude.
Corps members drilled through large rocks in order to move them from the trail.
The crew has used highline rigging and power drills in to maneuver the massive boulders required to create a sustainable, yet fun and challenging trail, which flows down Kingsbury Grade to Lake Tahoe. As they build, the crew need to remain mindful of the eventual users of the trail; mountain bikers and ATV users. These trail users will travel a lot quicker than hikers, and therefore the trail must be safe to travel yet still be enjoyable.
In order to move such large boulders, the crew used the grip hoist
While the existing trail provided plenty of challenges, it also was built along the fall-line and as a consequence had become severely eroded. The Stinger Trail realignment will bring the trail further away from drainage’s, and contour along ridge lines, using the topography to provide a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly trail.
Over-sized tree stumps were removed by hand using pulaskis
ACE California crews will be back to work, finishing The Stinger Trail, during the summer of 2016.