New "Do Not Enter" Sign on Ladera Ridge, aka Lower Chiquita Ridge

• The ridge trail meanders back and forth between OCParks and RMV property. Virtually all of the terrain on the West side of the ridge between Oso and the Fire Station is owned by OCParks.
• So we're riding on OCParks land 99% of the time. The ridge trail crosses onto RMV property multiple times for a total of about 300 yards (my estimation. I've seen the property lines on a satellite map).
• The entire area was never classified as 'recreational use' by OCParks but they've looked the other way for years so we're all technically trespassing . RMV has recently been pushing OCParks to enforce the trespassing.
• OCParks is looking into making the entire area official recreational use and has to work with RMV to allow the ridge trail to cross onto their property. Re-routing the trail around RMV property has its own numerous pitfalls (cliffs, removing existing vegetation, etc...).

Hope that answers your questions.

 

I heard they put up the signs, because people were making trails down towards the tesoro side. It's a wildlife perserve.

 

This was posted by the ranch today in response from my Facebook badgering. Trespassing is trespassing.

http://ranchomissionviejo.com/trail-closure/

I submitted my name as a volunteer to the reserve so I can better learn about the protected habitat and help with trail maintenance. Cheers.
http://rmvreserve.org/get-involved/volunteer/

 

Too bad, trails are used by all the wildlife at night. Doves roost on it, fire eyed trail birds sit on it all night, deer use it, coyotes use it, foxes use it, conejo's use it as they wander back and forth browsing. Kangaroo rats and pack rats like it too. The insect world has all those stink bug carabids, scorpions, tarantulas, metallic green eyed spiders. These are just a few of the things I see at night on the trail. In addition burrowing owls and barn owls hunt the trail at night.
In the flora many plants need the disturbed soil to grow. Some are rare and endangered, the Lyons Pantachaeta, I only find it along trails, gold fields, Mariposa Lilly and Plummer's Lilly also are associated with being aligned with trails.
Without the diversification of trails: the grass land becomes unified and somewhat dead. Have you noticed how on one side of a trail it can be grass and on the other it is sage scrub? It seems traveling across the grassland without a trail is much more difficult and noisy which most critters find deadly.
Happy riding deer trails across abandoned sage scrub.

 

Yeah, they don't like it when you comment on their Facebook page. I badgered them a while ago after they installed the first set of fences. I found your post and added some fuel to the embers. They are probably keeping an eye here on STR but who cares. I hope we can get our trail opened again.