Eugene connection to Pacific Crest Trail nearing finish
By Edward Klopfenstein
Oregvr Putty tnwrskl
Imagine throwing on a bat k pat k Mime morning, walk
ing out tint front door and heading straight for Mexico.
If ferold Williams has his wav, that hiking ideal tuny
become reality.
The 81-year-old Kugene resident has diret ted i on
struction of the Eugene To Pacific Crest Trail for the (last
13 years. The 108 mile walking path (he knows it's ItiH
miles because he walked it with a measuring wheel) is
now HO percent complete with |ust JO miles left to build.
lie said the trail's official opening could lie as early
as next spring. The trail will connect Eugene to the Pacif
ic Crest Trail, which runs along the West Coast from Mex
ico to Canada. The Pacific Crest Trail opened |une 5
The trail connects a patchwork of smaller trails It starts
from the Kerry Street Bridge in Alton Baker Park and winds
through Eugene. Springfield. Lowell and Oakridge. fol
lowing the middle fork of the Willamette River and then
the Bum hgrnss Ridge until it meets the Pacific ('rest Trail
at Waldo Lake.
Act essing the trail at the Ferry Street Bridge can he
done through Eugene's hike path system.
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The pro jet i started in the late 1970s when |ai k Rem
ington. who was Willamette National Forest frail t oor
dinator at the tinu’. mapped out a trail designed to pro
vide access to the partly completed Pact fit ("rest Trail,
borrowing a trailhead-in-the-city approac ii started in S< an
dinavia
Remington designed the i urrent trail over a mid- IHiHK
shortcut that originally dirts ted settlers to Eugene from
the Oregon Trail It worked, said Williams, by boosting
the city's population 100 |»-n out It also brought Williams
great-grandfather into the area
Williams joined the lot at chapter of the Sierra Club
after hearing of Remington's plan and has managed the
project ever since
Finishing the trail is now being stopped by the very
|KH>ple it was first dt-signed toattnu t to Eugene: land hold
ers.
Much of the last ■!() miles of the trail runs .it ross pri
vate land. Gaining land-use permit* or an ess rights has
proved very difficult
Della Web. Willamette National f orest Trail coordinn
tor, saitl the Forest Ser\ u e is trying to arrange a land swap
or obtain a right-of-way permit for use of tfu- private land
Web 'uiici another t om ern lies in gaining m i ess lo the
Sprit Kin; area Hurtli of Highway ill and oast of (hikiidgo.
She said the ruling from an environmental impact state
ment could i lose act ess to hiking in that area Howev
er. Wet) also soul a letter \s riling campaign for act ess t otlld
open the area
Such bureau! ratu battles don’t slow Williams' zest for
the foot path i ie has laid out alternative paths to the orig
mat plan that include using public ruatls
Volunteers still go out to the trail the set nnd Satur
day of every month, from April to Novemtier
More people are welcome, lit1 said liar pools start in
front of the Amazon ( (immunity ( enter on fitly aril Street
at H a in Work usually lasts until i p m The next out
ing is |uly 11
Williams' philosophy on the props.t is "sharing il with
people ”
If t\e i reate a i orndor." he said, "we ty ill Iw* able to
take people and have them lo lie part of the woods I hen
may tie they'll say. l.el s not i lear t tit Ini optimistic that
people will hay e some sort of ownership over this when
it s done "
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