Don’t screw up the gift of the Lupine Trail

Basic standards of politeness say that when given a gift, you don’t start pawing for more and taking whatever else the giver might have on them at that moment. If someone gives you a gem, you don’t start trying to tear off their diamond ring as well. You say thank you, show some respect and even start thinking about what you can give back.
It would not seem unreasonable that if the recipient of a gift acted greedy and rude instead of thankful and polite, the gifts might stop coming. The giver might even ask to have the original present returned.
And so it is with the latest gift of a trail to the community. The unintended consequences of the Lupine Trail opening are putting in peril the future of trails in the Smith Hill area and even the Lupine itself. That trail has been open less than two months.
The problem appears to be coming down to two issues: Parking for hikers at both ends of the Lupine, and “pirate trails” springing up in the nearby area by bikers.

According to members of the group that facilitated the building of the nearby Lupine Trail, private property and homeowners in the area are feeling the brunt of the increased activity. People seemingly ignore the “No Parking” signs and orange cones in the Saddle Ridge subdivision at the top of the Lupine Trail. On the Slate River side of the trail, it appears that hikers have parked on the thoroughfare of Slate River Road, blocked the Smith Hill Road leading up to the trailhead and even parked in a homeowner’s driveway and crossed his property to get to the trail.
Please don’t do that.
The only place to park in the area is off to the side of Slate River Road. You cannot impede traffic. You cannot drive up Smith Hill Road and park. You cannot park your truck in someone else’s driveway. If you can’t hike or bike from town or Slate River Road, you should stay on the Woods Walk or Lower Loop. Period.

An issue with even more potentially damaging consequences is the fact a couple of new bike trails have been built north of the Lupine Trail. The idea is good since the “pirate trail”  dumps bikers out near Gunsight Bridge and that is an easy link to the Lower Loop trail system. But unbeknownst to many who have ridden it, the trail is built on several pieces of private property. So while the idea is good, the execution is poor.
“It’s the same as riding your bike through someone’s back yard,” explained longtime local trail advocate Kay Peterson-Cook. “It’s private property and it matters. We are working hard to work with these landowners and if we screw this up, they may not have any reason to want to work with us in the future.”
Kay says the owners of the impacted property have been “friends of trails” in other places in the county. They have the ability to help expand the trail system. If treated well, they may consider giving more gifts.
But if people push the bounds of basic politeness and poach their private property, the landowners are less likely to be of assistance. That’s just common sense.
“In some ways, we created a monster with the Lupine Trail being built before all the components could be stitched together,” explained Kay. “The parking, the pirate trails. Those issues could hurt the long-term overall plan. In the big picture, there are ways to link more trails in that area but it takes time and cooperation.”

So let’s be clear. The only trail experience legally allowed on Smith Hill at the moment is the Lupine Trail. And that involves parking hundreds of yards or more from either trailhead. Park where you are allowed or start your experience from town. And don’t trespass on private property to ride a pirate trail…that could end up costing everyone more single track in the future.
It comes down to respect.
Please show respect to what is a wonderful trail experience that will grow even greater with full cooperation. The Lupine Trail is a gift. Let’s say thank you and show some reverence for a gift that is a real gem. And let’s think beyond today’s hike or bike ride so that perhaps that gift can expand and be even better for all involved.