Summerlin Wins National Trails Award 2008 – American Trails

The reason I’m inlcuding this in my BLOG is this brings national attention to Las Vegas, NV. and our developing trail systems.  A big ATTA Boy to Howard Hughes Corporation, keep up the good work.

The following is an excerpt from American Trails announcement of the winners:

2008 DEVELOPER AWARD WINNERS

The first ever American Trails Developer Awards were given to three American communities at the 2008 National Trails Symposium. American Trails has developed this comprehensive national award program to recognize quality, well designed multi-use trails systems that are integrated into private developments. The program is the only one of its kind in the nation. The American Trails Developer Award program award was established by American Trails because of the important role of developers as partners in providing access to trails from the doorsteps of American homes. Trails are increasingly popular within planned developments. In surveys conducted by the National Association of Homebuilders, trails are the number one community amenity desired by prospective homebuyers.

The following communities were selected from across the nation to serve as fitting models for excellence in trails within a private development:

• Summerlin by Howard Hughes Corporation, General Growth Properties

Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, Summerlin is a 22,500 acre planned community accommodating 95,000 residents. The development includes over 150 miles of trails within its comprehensive trails network. Summerlin’s extensive system of trails connects into the public trails network and includes a significant regional trail corridor running through the community. Eighty nine percent of residents cite Summerlin’s walking trails as the most important community amenity. For more information on this development visit www.summerlin.com.

http://www.americantrails.org/awards/NTS08awards/Developer08.html

Trail Entry from a road – Good example by NPS

Photo says it all, good signs, gate, bollards, and rock

Boulder City Connection – construction status

  The first mile from east to west is now paved and striped see photo below.  The east bridge footing is also underway as shown in following photo. This is the good news.  The bad news is construction is behind schedule due to some additional soil tests and borings required by NDOT in the pass area. We are now looking at a possible June/July opening date. Stay tuned.

#5 Paved & Striped looking west

March 20, 2009 – Bridge footings being dug & trail striping down on east end.

rmlt East bridge footing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb. 24, 2009 – Paving to Cascata Rd. done. This segment is not open to the public, but hey check it out. Bridge has been ordered and is about six weeks out.  Rough grading from Cascata west to Railroad Pass has been done. Work currently on hold until retaining wall work in the pass area can be completed, test boring is now complete.

RMLT 5 paved Bootleg trail head veterans home

 

 

 

 

 

Feb. 12, 2009 – Great news today…Paving started Wednesday on the trail from Cascata Rd. back to the Veterans home.  Grading continues toward railroad pass.

Photo of asphalt lay down on Feb. 11, 2009:

Segmetn #5 paving 2/11/09

Jan. 20, 2009 – Grading and drainage work is now approaching 93/95 where you can see the activity from the road. The following photos were taken last week showing work between the highway and the railroad tracks.  This is where the construction gets tricky.

New photos of work here:

Construction pushes west to RR Pass Jan. 09

Nov. 20, 2008 – Construction work has started near the B.C. veterans homes  and is moving west along the SNWA water line alignment about the railroad tracks. Work started in September with 240 day construction contract.  The east portion of the project is fairly easy and straight forward, but gets more challengingmoving west. At the Cascada private road the contractor has ordered and has to place 150-foot pedestrian bridge over the roadway. Contuning west the trail turns down and crosses the railroad tracks then turns west again following an ever narrowing r.o.w. between uS 93/95 and the railroad.  The trail curves around to the north and encouters multiple dips or drainage issues which require extensive rock retaining wall work in order to lift the trail up and allow drainage to continue underneath. The final leg of the section then drops down into the Railroad Pass Hotel trail head already existing from previously completed portions of the River Mountains Loop Trail by the City of Henderson. 

I have included a few photos of current construction progress for your viewing pleasure.  As you can see there will be fantastic views of the mountains and Eldorado Valley below.

RMLT #5 Boulder City going west

 

 

The day the ribbon is cut for this trail segment opening will be a grand day in trail development for Southern Nevada.

Boulder city #5 RMLT west

RMLT #5 West Bridge footing

SILVERMAN TRIATHLON AID STATION #10 Successful

Silverman Aid Station #10 November 9th, 2008 – We staffed the station from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Our theme was patriotic with red, white and blue in colors. We played patriotic music and had bells, horns, whistles for noise makers. We had a food station for our volunteers with extra snacks, hot dogs, and chili. We were very popular with the HPD ATV & motorcycle patrols through out the day.  Even though the weather was horrible, everyone had a good time and enjoyed the athletes through out the day. 

Silverman Aid Station #10

Saw our first rider around 11:00 a.m. and our last rider about 4:30 p.m. 

Our peak period was steady from 12:30 p.m. to around 3:00 p.m.

Our later riders had more needs upon arrival at the aid station ( rest room, food, salt, first aid etc). 

Had one rider late in day cash in and call for pick up…had chills and was cold, Henderson para-medics cared for his needs as they were on station.

Had 25-volunteers sign up for aid station; and had 20 volunteers show up; plus a few drop-ins from area who didn’t sign in.

Overall the event gets better each year. The number of athletes who told us thanks and that we were appreciated certainly made our day. 

You can count on the River Mountains Trail Partnership for next years event and aid station support.

Lady Liberty Jason & Jim themed colors 2008

 

K-Rails installed along the trail….Why?

Equestrain Bridge K-rail installation

K-Rails installed for safety – This segment of the River Mountains Loop Trail was and is being abused by illegal ATV & Motorcycle activity. Signs disappeared faster than the City could install them and enforcement was not working. Trail users were at risk from jumping of the bridge embankments.  I see this as a short term fix, while better solutions are found. 

In the future more informative signs will be installed along this trail segment along with regular enforcement and it is my hope the K-rails can be replaced with less intrusive measures…ie. large desert rocks, post & cable along with native habitat restoration.

The City of Henderson and B.O.R. along with RMLT members are reviewing other areas that need K-rail placement in order to bring safety to the trail from illegal use.  The trail is being used more and more by local families expecting a safe outing; plus it has become a tourist attraction for out of town visitors looking to recreate off the strip. 

RMLT K-rails installation - User safety