Family Fun Snow Day planned in Chester
Break out the snowshoes, grab the kids and come out to the Collins Pine Trail for Family Fun Snow Day on Saturday, March 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Visitors meet at the Almanor Recreation Center (ARC) just off Meadowbrook Loop in Chester. The trailhead begins behind the Truman-Collins Sports Complex, west of the ball field.
The goal is to have participants explore and complete “Loop A,” a slightly more than half-mile section of trail that’s now complete and open to the public on a yearly basis.
It’s a perfect time for cross-country skiing and snowshoe hiking, noted Steve Fleming, ARPD Trails Committee manager for the Collins Pine Nature Trail Restoration project.
The Trails Committee, under the auspices of the Almanor Recreation and Park District, consists of a number of volunteers including Fleming, and Carlos Espana, trails coordinator for ARPD, as well as trails committee member Peggy Fulder.
ARPD volunteers will lead the way during the event. Participants need to bring their own skis or snowshoes. It’s recommend having along some snacks and water.
Fleming said individuals are likely to encounter various animal tracks and porcupine activity while on the trail.
Midway through the loop, a hot cocoa station will serve free beverages to warm the “trail blazers,” he said, adding that, “It is rumored that for our young explorers who complete the journey, there will be prizes, too.”
The recent storms promise a good layer of snow for those who attend the morning to early afternoon excursion.
Updated by John Lundquist using the geographic information system, the newest edition of the Collins Pine Trail map shows the complete trail system through the Almanor-Collins forest.
The trail system is a series of loops and spurs, some of which run along or near the North Fork of the Feather River.
A total of seven phases are planned to complete the full length of the trail system, which will likely take a number of years to clear and maintain.
While the trail system has been in existence for many years, there is an evident need to keep the trails clean during the spring and summer months, as well as work to align trails and improve signage.
Each trail segment offers visitors a unique opportunity to learn about our forest and rivers, said Fleming
Working in collaboration with ARPD’s Trails Committee and the Collins Pine Co., specifically Terry Collins, the Collins Pine Nature Trail Restoration project has been underway to maintain the trails system for more than a year, with the assistance of community volunteers, local students and service organization members.
If you have any questions about the upcoming Family Fun Snow Day, contact Steve Fleming at [email protected]
“ Hope to see you March 2,” Fleming said. “Get off the couch and hit the trail!”
