View from the Rim

by Morgan Steel Executive Director

It was a myth. Urban legend maybe. When I started work at the TRTA there were rumblings of an elusive bridge needed to cross a raging torrent at Echo Summit. I found it odd as my recollection of the trail near Echo Lakes included no such water crossing in which a bridge, sometimes described as needing to be 40 to 50 feet in length, would be warranted. Making the issue sound even less plausible was the gem of information that someone else was on the hook to fund the construction of the bridge. Fast forward nearly nine years and not only have I discovered the origins of this tale but, in 2020, this torrent is tamed!

After diving into this issue with our volunteers, partners, and land managers, I eventually discovered the details. Every year after the Labor Day holiday festivities have wrapped up and the crowds in the area quiet, the water in Echo Lakes is released from the damn and heads downstream. On its journey westward, the water from the lake scoured out and widened the banks of the normally dry conduit. Most years this is a substantial amount of water and creates a significant hazard. The danger was significant enough that most trail users chose to cross private property and walk on Johnson Pass Road rather than navigate the water crossing. I also learned that, somewhere along the line, the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) had agreed to foot the bill for the bridge.

With a clear picture of the details, the TRTA dove in. Our charge was to implement an appropriate solution for the land managers, water purveyors, and trail users. While a 40-

to 50-foot bridge spanning the entire conduit would have been ideal for trail users, the cost and short season it is needed made that a less ideal solution for EID. A shorter span keeping trail users above the waterline would get the job done. We also needed to ensure this relatively small issue for EID but larger issue for trail users didn’t fall off the radar and fade into obscurity. Over the past couple of years when the deadline for the bridge installation came and went then was extended we, along with our partners at the Pacific Crest Trail Association, kept persisting.

With everything else that had transpired in 2020, the outlook didn’t look good that this would be the year that the bridge was finally built. Fortunately, to our surprise, it got done. Thanks, EID! The TRTA has work to do next season on the approaches but EID built a fantastic bridge.

In the end, I see the bridge as an analogy of our 2020 trail season. It didn’t look like it was going to happen but, with hard work, it was a massive success. Our effort pushing for the bridge is also indicative of the role our organization plays in the Basin as advocates for trail users, recreational infrastructure, and the landscape along with our dogged dedication to our projects.

Thank you for making this work and all our efforts around the trail possible in 2020!

With Gratitude,