By Erin McViegh
Orem is working to complete their section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
The Orem section begins at the Orem-Lindon border and goes southward until it reaches Nun’s Park in Provo Canyon and the Provo River Trail. The Provo section of the trail begins from there.
“This is a level trail that has multiple accesses to it, not to mention the access it gives people to six other major trails,” said George Bailey Chairman of the Orem City Trails Commission. “I would classify this as a moderate trail with some ups and downs.”
According to Bailey, the Orem section of the trail is about four feet wide and its major use will be for hiking, mountain biking and jogging.
Aaron Moulton, 25, senior from Citrus Heights, Calif. majoring in industrial design has been mountain biking for 12 years, three of which were solely in Utah.
“The biggest problem I see here is that there aren’t enough beginner trails,” Moulton said.
According to Moulton this trail is important to about 90 percent of new mountain bikers.
With the Orem section, all mountain bikers will have something new to try and it will be especially good for beginners, Moulton said.
Emily Griffiths, 21, a junior from St. Louis, Mo. majoring in elementary education is an avid jogger.
“I love to jog new places and the Orem section of the Bonnville trail sounds like something I would definitely need to try,” Griffiths said.
“I have jogged trails before, and other students are always there jogging too. Personally I think the trail would be something a lot of students would like to try out,” Griffiths said.
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail has been deemed a National Centenial Trail. When complete it will run from Brigham City to Santa Quin.
The Orem section is being built completely on a volunteer basis. At the beginning of June, 300 volunteers came out for Trail Day and were able to complete most of the work.
“The trail is being done like the Great Wall of China; it is done by the community bit by bit,” said Pam Pettingale a volunteer from the Utah Association of Realtors.
Bailey said that only a 100-yd. section is left to complete the trail.
“It would only take about 200 volunteers for about two hours to complete the work,” Bailey said.
Anyone interested can contact him at (801) 356-8802.
