As I’ve mentioned before, back in January of this year a few large chunks of the bluffs came crashing down onto the American River Bike Trail near Negro Bar State Park. There have been a few more minor slides in the same area since then, and the word is that repairs may not even commence until sometime during the summer.

I can certainly understand the frustration of cyclists and runners/walkers who no longer have access to this particular stretch of the bike trail. Many of the cyclists are commuters who use the trail as a bike freeway, going back and forth to work. I miss being able to walk along the lake shore in the mornings, watching the waterfowl — egrets, herons, coots, mergansers, and of course the ever-present Canada geese.

But as much as I love and miss hiking below the bluffs, I have absolutely no motivation to brush past the warning signs and barriers and to clamber over the massive piles of fallen debris, as I’ve witnessed a few people doing. I’m just going to have to wait until things get back to some semblance of normal.

Peeking through cracks in the wall

Sorry — this is as close as I’m getting!

A well-worn path around the wall