QPCT Organizational Meeting 02/27/15, 2/28, 3/5, 3/8 Trina Ritter, Mike De Lasaux, Sara Smithson, Chad Weber Facebook page: lostsierrapct Website: www.lostsierrapct.weebly.com Resources survey page: http://goo.gl/forms/ce2ffemrg1 Email address: quincypct@gmail.com Brainstorming Hiker Related Priority What Who *** Quincy Guide Accommodations Food (meals)- Patti s Thunder, Courthouse Café, American Grill, Polka Dot, Main Street Bar (Burgers, Tacos), Mill Creek, Subway Food (supplies)- Coop, Safeway, Sav- More, Farmers Market (June- September) Supplies (Dollar Store, American Valley Hardware, Thrift store) Internet access- Drunk Brush/Knook patio, library, Dunns(?) Entertainment Hostel (Terry Howard Quincy Stables- Toilet, shower, laundry) Locals provide Fairgrounds camping, showers (?) Gathering place location, place to park backpack Travel logistics (hostel California) 3 types of hikers: 1. In and out- quickly come to town, get what they need and back to the trail. 2. Overnighters- come to town, stock up, shower, get meal, place to sleep 3. Extended visit- come to town, stock up, shower, get meal, place to sleep, learn about, experience community. ** Shuttle program VERY IMPORTANT Belden and Bucks. How is this managed? How do hikers convey need? Quincy Stables- Plumas Transit Compost toilets on trail near trail heads Guided Back Pack trips by experienced back packers (FS Permit req d). Youth education- 4H hiking/backpack project, Scouts Community Related Priority What Who ** Trail Angels Dos & Don ts *** Community & Business relations Beldentown (Met and described effort to Corey on 3/8), Bucks Lake Lodge- Need hiker log books at both locations to facilitate hiker communications, all businesses Quincy businesses- Hiker box to place items for hikers (Where? Accessible place with long hours) 1
Chamber, Board of Supervisors, Forest Stationers, Post Office, Main Street, Express Café, Organizing/Planning Related Priority What Who PCTA Regional Manager- Justin Kooyman Northern Sierra Regional Representative, Email: JKooyman@pcta.org, Phone: 530-414-3422 Local outreach SBTS (TR), FRLT (MD), FRC (Rick & Darla (MD)), Chamber, FR Coop (TR), Brewing Lair (TR), 4H (MD), Valerie Nellor (MD), Thrift Store (TR) Web presence Lostsierrapct.weebly.com (created- 030915) Lostsierrapct.org (sponsored at $99 Face book page (lostsierrapct) created 030615 Twitter? Community Committee Vision Business plan Non- Profit? (Short- term (2015) umbrella non- profit host? SBTS, FRLT, other) Guide writers (blogs) - Promote QPCT in PCTA media Fundraising Need to develop budget- Why is money needed? How will it be used? Store, equipment Go Fund Me Tehachapi lessons Red Apple Promotion Feather Publishing (Dan McDonald plans to hike from Chester to Belden per James Wilson and will share with photos in the paper), KQNY Name Lost Sierra PCT, Lost Sierra Trails, QPCT, QTrails, Lost Sierra Chapter of PCT Name contest? Lost Sierra PCT logo design, Welcome PCT Thru- hikers banner on West End Theater wall?, Nikki Hall (artist) PCT Stickers/posters for business display, PCT Trail Days Event Name for initiative: Quincy PCT Association, Q- Town PCT Association, Quincy PCT Committee PCT Documentary- Walk to the West - fundraiser raffle - Town Hall Theater (last week in May- FROLP Stock, sponsors?) PCT Facebook query to learn about hikers through Plumas County past couple years and how many went to Q. Assess impact of this effort. PCTA has a register of through hikers by year. Past 5 years graphed below. PCTA forecast of ~ 1,500 registered for 2015 per Trina 2
Vision The following is our vision brainstorm See Quincy thrive through providing resources and necessities for PCT hikers. Goal is to host PCT hikers. Quincy is a halfway point destination with hostel as hub for both hikers and community. Include youth opportunities Promote Q businesses to hikers. Direct market to PCT hikers Trina provides leadership so that Quincy benefits from increased use. Put Quincy on the PCT map. Partnership among Quincy entities (businesses, non- profits, educational entities) Mike s Vision idea The Lost Sierra PCT Association/Committee envisions Quincy as an important and highly recognized trail respite for PCT thru- hikers to recharge. Critical to this vision is community and hiker accommodation, education, acceptance and broad support of PCT thru- hikers. Local businesses will benefit as a result of hiker commerce. Trina s Vision??? To Do Week What Who 3/1-6 Contact key support (PCTA- Regional Rep), FRLT, Katie, SBTS, Steve, Rick & Darla, Chamber) Web presence (same- url QPCT.org), website, Facebook page 3/7-14 Planning Meeting announcement (newspaper, KQNY, Flyers, visit all businesses), Justin mtg 10 am, Wed; Mt with Susan Duniphin, Moons Pizza 3/15-21 Community meeting (Quincy Connection, 3/23, potluck?) Committees Local business outreach/relations Transport Lodging/camping 3
Trail needs- equipment, food QPCT Day Promotion (local, web, FB) Fundraising (outfitter/equipment companies), Guided Back Pack Community Meeting Logistics Location- Web access desired Accommodate- 20? Tentative Agenda Introduction Vision PCT facts- PCT Town success stories, case studies Opportunities (community safety/concerns- hankies (to trail, to town), register with PCTA, Charles Williams local PCT trail steward Brainstorming quincypct@gmail.com Organizational structure Press Release (submitted to Feather Publishing on 3/6/15) Pacific Crest Trail Planning Effort A group of Quincy residents are developing plans to make Quincy into a PCT Town and welcome others to join the effort. Why promote Quincy to Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hikers? The Pacific Crest Trail runs north and south through Plumas County crossing the Quincy- Oroville highway near Bucks Summit (24 miles west of Quincy) and Highway 70 near Belden (28 miles to Quincy). It also crosses Highway 36 about 5 miles west of Chester. Pacific Crest Trail Association information suggests that there were at least 430 Through Hikers in 2014. It is expected that with the release of Wild, the movie starring Reese Witherspoon, this past year, the number of PCT hikers will exceed 1,500 per PCTA. PCT hikers already visit Quincy to replenish food and supplies as they make their way along the trail, whether traveling north or south. They need to pick up previously mailed supply packages, as well as replenish food supplies and other trail gear. They often desire a hearty meal and a refreshing shower. Quincy should do what it can to be certain that their needs are accommodated. Trina Ritter, who is leading the effort, sees this as an effort to promote community and community commerce. Trina wants to make certain that our community is knowledgeable and prepared on how we can be supportive in these efforts. Trina says, I believe that reaching out to PCT hikers is natural for Quincy and that it will provide an important economic boost. 4
PCT hikers already visit Quincy, but we can be proactive and much more coordinated in our efforts to be a part of their PCT experience, according to Mike De Lasaux, who is also helping the effort. Join Ritter and De Lasaux in developing plans and actions to put Quincy on the map as a welcoming, hospitable PCT town. You are invited to attend a gathering to discuss the vision and help with the effort March 23 at Quincy Collective at 6 pm to discuss this exciting effort. If you are interested please send us an email (quincypct@gmail.com) so that we can share our evolving brainstorm document before hand. KQNY The hikers are coming The hikers are coming Get ready Quincy The Pacific Crest Trails Association already has more than 1,500 thru- hikers registered to hike the Pacific Crest Trail this year. That s 3 times more than last year Quincy is getting ready. Let s welcome them and gain a little commerce at the same time. Join organizers for a community meeting on Monday, March 23 rd at 6 pm at Quincy Collective at the corner of Church and and Lawrence Streets. Email quincypct@gmail.com for more information. (Sent to KQNY on 3/9) Current web information: Bucks Summit, Bucks Lake Road, trailhead parking, outhouse 1269.7 (6.8 miles via Bucks Lake alternate route) Quincy is 12 miles NE of the PCT on Bucks Lake Rd. 1269.5 Quincy is a town approximately 12 miles E of the PCT on 1269.5 RD1270 5522 M9 Bucks Lake Rd with motels, restaurants, grocery, ATM, drug store, laundry, natural food store, pay phones, and a post office. Quincy Post Office [open M-F 8:30-5, Sa pickup only 2-3; 530-283-3912]. (Hiker Name) c/o General Delivery Quincy, CA 95971 Bucks Creek (also at crossing above the switchback) 1271.1 WA127 1 6055 Source: http://www.emeraldlake.com/pctguide/pctbeld.html Belden and Quincy La Porte, the tiny community south of Quincy, is reputed by local boosters to have been the site of the country's first organized downhill ski racing, with competitors on 12-foot longboards in the late 1800's. The top contenders reportedly reached speeds above 80 miles per hour -- with speeds no doubt climbing with each barroom retelling. Longboard races are still held on local slopes each year. As of 2010, Belden Town Resort (530 283-9662) appears like it might be in turnaround mode. The first functioning Web site in many years lists 10 rental cabins starting at under $90. (The last time we were through these were in such disrepair we wouldn't house a dog in one.) The store and restaurant 5
are still operating. Belden has had a very sketchy reputation among hikers for many years. It'll be interesting to see if someone came in and cleaned it up. Our dislike for Belden is counterbalanced by our great enthusiasm for Quincy. The full-service town of 1,900 -- 25 miles up the Feather River Canyon from the PCT -- is a nearly ideal base station for a section hike in this area. And no, for some inexpelicable reason, it is not in the PCT town guide. Amenities include a Safeway and a Rite-Aid but no gear outfitter. Consider it your first and last real supply option between Truckee and Mt. Shasta City on Interstate 5. Of the seven motels in Quincy, we favor the Gold Pan (200 Crescent St., 530 283-3686) a funky older establishment at the north end of the main drag. (Fully half of the business seems to be as a contract dorm for BNSF maintainance crews.) The PCT hiker discount will take a room for two down into the $60-something range. In the event the Gold Pan is full, which it often is on the weekends, the Plan B option directly across the highway is the Spanish Creek Motel (233 Crescent St., 530 283-1200). Everything you'll need is within easy walking distance of these two motels. Quincy has been on a long, slow decline paralleling that of the timber industry. Moon's, our favorite dinner house, closed in 2010, as did Stoney's burger joint. For breakfast, there's still Morning Thunder, (557 Lawrence St., 530 283-1310), right around the block from the aforementioned motels. They also have a decent lunch menu with burgers, Mexican and vegetarian offerings, all a little bit on the pricey side. Mi Casita (875 E. Main St., 530 283-4755), a Mexican joint on the highway between Quincy and East Quincy, may be the best restaurant in town as of 2010. 6