Rancho Santa Fe Trails Committee seeks new members

By Ann Boon, President, RSF Association board

Did you know that the first thing developers of new planned communities today put into their design for the community is a trail system? Statistics show that trails attract exercise enthusiasts as well as those who simply enjoy a leisurely walk outdoors. Young and old, it seems, we are all drawn to trails — young parents with babies in strollers, dog walkers, runners and, of course, equestrians. We are very lucky that the early residents of the Covenant of Rancho Santa Fe had the foresight to lay out the foundations of our fabulous trail system.

Today, we have over 50 miles of trails that run throughout The Covenant. And it “takes a village” to maintain our trails. Any day of the week you can see a crew working on some part of the trails. Our Director of Field Operations sends crews to rebuild trails that have been washed out by winter rains, to clean up fallen branches, to trim overgrown brush, and to spread fresh mulch. Over the years, our Trails Committee (now known as the Trails and Recreation Committee,) teamed with the Association staff, has done an extraordinary job of gaining easements for our trails through private property, of building new trails and of keeping our existing trails clean and safe.

All Covenant residents have easy access to our trails. Equestrians have many access points whether they are riding from the Rancho Riding Club, the Osuna Ranch or the countless private horse properties that define our landscape. The vistas and experiences on the trails are as varied as the people who use them. Certainly one of the most popular routes is the trail around our beautiful RSF Golf Course. On a late summer afternoon you can watch the shadows fall across the fairways as you catch a bit of ocean breeze. Many on horseback enjoy wandering down through the canyon of the Ewing Preserve, enjoying nature in almost total solitude. Lots of us run or ride alongside the reservoir with Paint Mountain as the backdrop. There we glimpse egrets fishing and listen to the wind rustling through the reeds. I could go on and on, but if you are a regular trail user, you probably have your own favorite paths and experiences.

Would you like to become more involved in the care and nurturing of our trails? The Trails and Recreation Committee will be looking for new members whose three-year term begins in January 2014. We are all custodians as well as beneficiaries of our trails, recreation areas and treasured open spaces. If you run, walk, ride or just want to preserve our trails for future generations, you would make a great member of our committee. Call the Association office at 858-756-1174 or email me at ann.boon@me.com for more information.