Tuolumne County Trailhead: TCT #40 -- West Side Trail Revisited

Ellen and Vonna on the West Side Trail, 3/2021

Our very first Tuolumne County Trailhead hike was in January 2018 on the West Side Trail in Tuolumne. We woke to a cold, rainy morning and staged cars at the end and beginning of the 6-mile trail. About 15 folks weren't scared off by the weather and walked the distance -- some carried a cake! In the last season of the Tuolumne County Trailhead radio program, we have decided it's time to revisit the West Side Trail, one of the favorites in the county. It's appropriate as the trail is seeing some improvements in its "gateway community," the Mira Monte subdivision. Mira Monte has become the seventh Tuolumne County Fire Safe Community, and the adjacent West Side Trail is an indirect beneficiary of the shaded fire break being created there. Stephen Johnson, a delightful, energetic, generous fellow, is the Project Director. He and I met on the trail to discuss changes and improvements that will be visible -- and audible -- during the final year of the project, which ends in March 2022. Give a listen: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SFB3PiY5V1JSJPFefYii9T3awhbz5tVe/view?usp=sharing

The Ponderosa-Mira Monte
Shaded Fuel Break

This month's hiking recommendations are all on the West Side Trail. The trailhead is at the intersection of Buchanan and Mira Monte roads. There is parking, but there are no services (IE: no toilets or water), so come prepared. The trail is a former railroad grade and has minimal elevation gain. For an easy stroll, walk a mile in to where the rails begin for a two mile round trip. For a medium outing, ask a friend to join you and set up a car shuttle so you may walk the full 6-mile length of the trail. Stage a car at the end of the trail -- the bridge at the confluence of the Tuolumne River and Basin Creek, just before River Ranch Campground. Then you can drive back to the Mira Monte trailhead, park and walk to retrieve the other car. For a difficult trek, walk the full length of the trails BOTH directions; this will give you a 12-mile achievement that you can brag about!

The West Side Trail is a 4-season route, but spring is "the best," as there are wildflowers galore, and the star of the show is the plentiful, huge, fragrant Bush Lupine, which should be blooming in early-to-mid April. In the summer, it can be quite hot at midday on the exposed canyon slopes; it's best to go early or late. It will be fun visiting the trail over the next year and watching the progress of the shaded fuel break.

Finally, please, please, please get your COVID-19 vaccination ASAP! And please, please, please encourage your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and strangers on the street to get their vaccinations, too! The end of the pandemic is in sight -- maybe we'll be having family barbecues on Independence Day! We just need to get our shots AND protect those still waiting for theirs -- when out in public, continue to wear your mask, keep your distance, and sanitize. Too many have paid too high a price; we can't let those sacrifices be in vain by messing up so close to the end!

RESOURCES for this month's radio program and suggested hikes:

Here's a link to the Tuolumne Fire Safe Council webpage: https://tuolumnefiresafe.org/

Here's a link to the West Side Trail brochure: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/fe950e_913e3ebaeb864f2ea8e3246f283e4f4d.pdf

Check out our first three blog posts of 2018 for resources about the West Side Trail:

Saturday, 1/6/18 -- An interview with a Forest Service archaeologist about the natural and human history of the West Side Trail
Sunday, 1/7/18 -- A trip report narrative with photos
Saturday, 2/8/18 -- The first part of the radio show features real-time audio trip reports from folks who took the 1/6/18 hike