Hikers, volunteers and city officials gathered in the Angeles National Forest on Saturday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of Dagger Flat Trail.
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Nearly 40 people attended the ceremony, including Laurene Weste, mayor of Santa Clarita, and representatives from Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Congressman Buck Mckeon and Congressman Adam Schiff’s offices, according to Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel, executive director of the Community Hiking Club.
“Dagger Flats (Trail) was made in the 1930s, but was never maintained. So we pretty much started from scratch.” Erskine-Hellrigel said. “We basically crawled under the chaparral and made a new trail.”
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The trail is located off Sand Canyon Road, four miles into the Angeles National Forest, according to the Community Hiking Club website.
Volunteers from the Community Hiking Club have been working to restore the nearly two-and-a-half mile trail since March.
The project was inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which occurred Sept. 3, Erskine-Hellrigel said.
While the trail is currently approved for hiking, the Community Hiking Club plans to install switchbacks to make the trail convenient for use by equestrians and bikers.
“Dagger Flats is the first viable trail on our side of the (Angeles National) Forest,” Erskine-Hellrigel said. “We want to connect Santa Clarita so people can hike anywhere they want, so they can go on multi-day or backpacking trips.”
The Community Hiking Club mapped out a trail that would connect Santa Clarita to Rancho Cucamonga which is being reviewed by the National Park Service.
The organization is currently looking for volunteers to help them restore trails and is also plans group hikes.
For more information on the Community Hiking Club, visit their website.
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