ON THE RECORD
Nicholas Schou
Nicholas Schou is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of several books, including Orange Sunshine and Kill the Messenger. If you have tips or stories about Montecito, please email him at newseditor@montecitojournal.net
Social Distancing Now Mandatory on Montecito’s Trails
D
espite mounting fears over the COVID-19, aka the “coronavirus,” on March 24, the U.S. Forest Service officially declared that the extensive trail network in the hills above Montecito will remain open for recreational activities until further notice. The news came as a relief to Ashlee Mayfield, president of the Montecito Trails Foundation (MTF), in part because the group continues to work with the Los Padres Forest Association (LPFA) to complete repairs to the trails, which were extensively damaged during the 2018 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows. (As the Montecito Journal reported last month, MTF and LPFA have nearly finished all the major trail restoration and had expected to be completely finished sometime in April.) “It’s a good thing that the Forest Service says the trails are still open,
Ashlee Mayfield near top of San Ysidro Trail
The San Ysidro Trail’s waterfall in action
so they can be repaired as needed,” Mayfield says, adding that recent rains have added to the LPFA’s ongoing workload. (Mayfield also pointed out that the rains have finally produced enough flow for the San Ysidro’s trail’s typically dry waterfall to actually live up to its name). Although any work that is carried out on the trails is subject to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on social distancing, Mayfield says that won’t impact the work. “The guys can work very far apart up there in groups of two or four for safety,” she explains.
“It’s perfect, actually.” That said, Mayfield worries that too many people on the trails may lead the Forest Service to reverse its decision to keep the trails open. She argues that it’s up to the general public using the trails to voluntarily adhere to CDC guidelines as well as practice common sense when they are out in nature. “Once you get out of your car, you have to think about social distancing from that very moment,” Mayfield explains. “And even before you get out of your car, if you see a lot of cars parked, maybe think about leaving
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20 MONTECITO JOURNAL
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26 March – 2 April 2020
