Vol. 4 Iss. 5
May, 2024
ournals J THE
C IT Y
Bountiful/West Bountiful
YOUR C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
JUST ‘BE NICE’ ON BOUNTIFUL’S MULTI-USE TRAILS By Gail Newbold | g.newbold@davisjournal.com
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ikers complain about bikers. Mountain bikers grumble about motorcycles. Horse riders complain about cyclists. Non-motorized cyclists grouse about e-bikes. Everyone gripes about dog poop and manure on trails. Rules exist to ensure that all trail lovers have positive experiences on Bountiful’s multi-use trails. Basic etiquette covers the gray areas. But there will always be rule breakers and impolite trail users. What are the issues recreational users face on the city’s multi-use trails and what can be done to resolve them? “I’ve heard there are complaints about e-bikes being able to go so much faster than non-motorized bikes, which increases the risk of running into each other going up or downhill,” said Todd Christensen, assistant Bountiful City engineer who also works with the city’s trail system. The city has no intention to ban e-bikes from the trails, however, because as Christensen says, “Even motorcycles and horses are allowed on our trails.” What the city is trying to do with its master plan is create more trail options so there are fewer opportunities for conflicts with many more miles of trails. It is also incorporating some directional or bike-only single-use trails, according to Christensen. Other trail challenges are cyclists flying downhill around blind curves without warning bells and running into hikers, or more commonly, simply frightening them or causing them to leap off the trail. Motorcycles cause the opposite problem by disturbing the peace with noisy engines and creating fumes. Even hikers can disturb the peace with music blaring from their backpacks. Horse riders say motorcycles and cyclists make their horses skittish. In turn, the list of complaints about equestrians includes their intimidating size and manure left on the trail. And no one appre-
ciates the dog owner who blithely ignores Fido’s waste or lets her dog off-leash. “Maybe when you know better, you do better,” Kate Bradshaw, Bountiful City Councilmember and avid biker and hiker, said. “I like people to get outside. But how we share our resources can sometimes be a challenge.” She advocates better education about trail usage – something the Bountiful City Trail Advisory Committee is in the process of doing. A short video about trail user etiquette will soon be released on social media channels and on the committee’s website www.bountifulutah.gov/trails. In terms of specific rules, signs posted on the city’s multi-use trails indicate that all users yield to horses. Bikers yield to hikers. As a matter of practicality, downhill bikers yield to uphill bikers, or whoever has the easier path yields to the harder. Motorcyclists yield to everyone – both up and downhill. Beyond the simple rules, basic etiquette should prevail. “We encourage common sense and courtesy,” said Melanie Ogden-Larsen, longtime member of the Bountiful Trail Advisory Committee and one of the creators of the video along with Lindsay Wing. “In the video, we say, ‘It’s simple: It comes down to be nice. Say hi.’” Bells on bikes fall into the “Be nice” category. Adding a bell to her bike was a later-in-life decision, said Bradshaw. “It just seemed like an easy thing I could do to be courteous. I actually have two bells: One dings continually and the other I purposefully ring as needed.” Bikers who choose not to use bells can call out verbal cues. Hikers could do the same on blind curves to alert bikers. “Say thank you when someone yields,” said Bradshaw. “Alert other users to snakes on the trail. Help
Horseback riders enjoy a Bountiful trail. Good etiquette and basic rule-following can enhance trail usage for all. Photo credit Lindsey Wing
with a flat tire or assist a hiker with a rolled ankle. Our foothills make Bountiful awesome. And how we engage with each other enhances our collective experience. I don’t think there’s any one group that should be targeted. I think we could all do better.” l
LITTLE-KNOWN FAMILY FRIENDLY HIKE IN MUELLER PARK CANYON By Kerry Angelbuer | k.angelbuer@ mycityjournals.com The South Davis Sewer District has expanded their 1200 North property by 12.66 acres. Photo by Simon Mortensen
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n recent years, there has been a flurry of new trail building in the Bountiful and North Salt Lake mountains. These trails bring to view hidden gems that were always there but unknown because of the difficulty of traveling the unmarked deer trails to access them. One such gem is a short, family-friendly hike featuring a moss-covered spring in Mueller Park Canyon at the top of 1800 South in Bountiful. It’s about 1.5 miles from the park entrance. Once 1800 South crosses Bountiful Blvd, it becomes Mueller Park Rd. A good starting point for the hike is the small parking lot next to a bridge over Mill Creek and the gate to the picnic area. Since the additional trails have been created, walkers are allowed to walk up the road to access the additional scenic trails in the canyon. One of the purposes of all the trail building is to take pressure off the ever-popular Elephant Rock trail that begins across the bridge. On high-traffic days, parking can extend down Mueller Park Road on the sides. The hike begins by continuing on the road beyond the gate. Shortly, hikers pass the Kenny Creek trailhead on the
WEST BOUNTIFUL CITY COUNCIL APPROVES SOUTH DAVIS SEWER DISTRICT ANNEXATION
Moss-covered rocks surround the trail up Mueller Park Canyon. Photo by Kerry Angelbuer
left and the picnic grounds on the right. The upper portion of the picnic area contains a large, rock gazebo which is about a half a mile into the hike. Continue walking a short distance until the paved road ends at the water treatment plant. Cross the wooden footbridge across Mill Creek on the right. The last section of the hike is up winding trails through the towering firs, maples, brush and flowers. Fir trees can be seen along the way whose trunks exceed three feet in diameter suggesting that they are more than 100 years old. The larger creek as well as a few smaller creeks can be heard along the trail. The trail is on the north-facing side of the mountain so snow can linger in patches as spring progresses. A walking stick might be helpful though the trail Continued page 7
By Simon Mortensen | s.mortensen@davisjournal.com
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est Bountiful City Council passed Ordinance #483-24 on April 16 – signifying the start of the South Davis Sewer District’s 12.66-acre annexation. Making updates to their 65-year-old facility, the entity plans to increase their capabilities and future-proof their operations with the acquired space. “We think in probably 20 years or so, maybe, hopefully, longer, we’ll probably face more stringent standards or we will also be facing the end of use life for some of our current operating assets,” Matt Myer, general manager
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for the South Davis Sewer District said. “The regulators, [the] Division of Water Quality, they enforce the Clean Water Act here, which is a strict liability statute which means there’s no excuse for not meeting your permitted numbers, and so they would fully expect us to be able to construct a new plant while operating the existing plant and then flop over once the new plant’s constructed.” Though the space has been acquired, some residential land poses limitations to current development possibilContinued page 7
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