One Bench OnlyThe only bench between Roop Street to Airport Road, on the California Trail portion of part of Carson City's awesome trail system. Why is there such a lack of benches on the Governor's Field, Fairview Spur, California Trail, Sewer Plant/Public Works loop (one bench is in front of the sewer plant and it's often unusable) and the Moffat Trail spur (which has two benches)?

Let's deal with some distances, aside from the fact that the lack of benches is discriminatory toward the disabled and many elderly residents.

It's almost four miles (one way) from Roop Street to Lompa Lane, a common route to walk to and back from. That means almost eight miles' walking with one bench at the initial stage of the walk, if starting from Roop (a common starting place along with Saliman). If you take the trail spur to Fairview and back, the route is almost nine miles roundtrip.

Thank you, Girl Scouts!This bench, located near the beginning of the trail, apparently was provided by Girl Scout Troop 196 in 2017. It's almost six years later, and the city still only has that one bench on the California Trail. It's nice to rest there if you are coming from Airport Road, but if you start at South Saliman Road, you have no other bench until the sewer plant bench. If you walk from Roop to Moffatt, not including taking the Fairview spur, it's about three miles, with the bench by the elementary school and the bench in front of the sewer plant, until you reach the top of Moffat Open Space, where there are two benches. That means six miles with four benches: two in one location and one often unusable due to sewage smell.

Compare that to the very small Mayor's Park (shouldn't it be Mayors', or does Carson City only have one mayor in its history?), whose circular cement pathway is about a quarter-mile in length. It has not one, but two, picnic benches. It also has four benches. (I realize benches with plaques are probably donated and there are probably multiple funding sources for parks, open spaces, trail systems, etc., but that does not absolve the city of its obligations to provide or all residents in the California Trail/Wetlands trail system.)

I'm really surprised that Carson City can seemingly ignore the needs of disabled and elderly trail users. For example, anyone in a wheelchair or otherwise disabled might find it impossible or have a very difficult time opening the gates on the California Trail from the west side (since the locks are located on the east side of each gate).

In fact, as the California Trail and wetlands complex now exists, it actively discourages the disabled (gates with locks easily accessible from one side only) and the elderly (lack of benches). Furthermore, one gate latch (on the east side) is almost inoperable in winter and often difficult at other times, for some reason.

Furthermore, the Carson City Wetlands are a draw for many birdwatchers who have to stand, without rest, to view birds. I've seen people of all ages, but particularly the elderly, who have no place to sit and rest. To do that, they'd have to return to their car in the unpaved unofficial parking lot adjacent to the sewer plant or all the way back to the bench at the elementary school. It's just not practical. Thus, if you need to sit but want to view birds, you better hope your birds are there within your short timeframe.

California Trail In Carson CityThe California Trail extends to Airport Road. Walking by the wetlands any time of year is a pleasure. I've seen many birds along the trail and in the wetlands.

And there are no public restrooms on any of these trails that I've mentioned.

(There are restrooms at Riverview Park, with the main trailhead at the Korean War Memorial, but I'm not including that trail system in this post.)

California TrailThis eastern gate is often left open, possibly because it is so often difficult to properly latch it without a great deal of strength. Furthermore, if you are disabled and approach from the west, it might be impossible to open the gates because the latches face east. As I said, I understand there are probably different funding/donation sources for all the benches, parks, open spaces, etc.; however, that does not relieve the city of its obligation to provide for the needs of visitors to all its parks.

There are multiple locations along the wetlands where benches could be easily located. How the city does that is its decision, but it is a necessity. And so is making the gates, which allow livestock to cross the California Trail, ADA-accessible and more pleasant to use for its senior citizens.

Is there not a solution that could provide access, say, to wheelchair bound folks while also protecting the livestock? Could a self-closing gate be fashioned that would work to keep animals safe but allow wheelchair access? Perhaps a local service club could take up part of the project to install benches and/or ADA-accessible gates. Perhaps a Scout group could take up a project that would install more benches.

I encourage Carson City’s mayor and the board members to frequent the trail, if they don’t already walk it. Perhaps they are unaware of this wonderful trail system’s stark deficiencies in none other than the state’s capital. Carson City is growing and this trail system gets a lot of use, but it should be accessible to all residents and visitors.