In regard to the recent letters from hiker Tom McFarling, various horse people and bike riders, I would like to recount a hiking experience at Highland Springs from last Spring. My husband and I love to hike and love the trails at Highland Springs. It is a beautiful area we enjoy winter, spring, summer and fall.
In May 2013, we were enjoying a hike around the reservoir, taking photos along the way of the many beautiful wildflowers. We crossed the dry creek bed at the far end of the trail and began hiking up the steep part . About half way up the hill, two young men on bikes were coming down the hill toward us. When they saw us, they attempted to stop and they both began skidding with the back tires sliding all over. Neither one of them could stop their bikes and my husband and I had to jump off of the trail to avoid being hit. The two young men were very apologetic and continued on their way. They just couldn”t stop. Had we been photographing wildflowers at that point, we may not have had adequate time to move out of the way.
This was a very unnerving incident and our hikes since then have been with a constant ?ear to the ground” fearing that we may have another such encounter and could be injured. We believe that bikes do not belong on the Highland Springs trails for the sake of safety.
Martha Barry
Lakeport
