Arnold, CA…Dear Arnold Rim Trail Equestrians, Cyclists, and Hikers, It is with profound sadness that we say goodbye to Dave Edney who passed away earlier this year suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack. Almost everyone who came into contact with the Arnold Rim Trail Association over the past eight years knows “Captain Dave”. He led our volunteer trailbuilding days, he led the Cougar Rock sunset hikes, he was a steering committee member, and he was the Captain of the Ebbetts Pass Aid Station for the Death Ride which ARTA has been staffing for the past four years. Everyone loved Dave for his energy, his indefatigable spirit, and his infectious smile.

Dave Edney
May 7, 1960 – Feb 13, 2016

Normally our volunteer trailbuilding mornings are on the third Saturday of each month from May through October, but Dave’s wife Nancy asked if we could have the first trail building day of 2016 on the occasion of what would have been Dave’s 56th birthday, Saturday, May 7th.

Please meet this Saturday, May 7th, at the Hathaway Pines Forest Service Station, 5519 Highway 4, Hathaway Pines at 8:30am. We will be working on a new segment of trail that Dave scouted, flagged, and led the building of over the past four years on multiple volunteer trail building days.

Dave called it the “Cowboy Trail”. When it is finished, it will be added to the Arnold Rim Trail. Wear layers including long pants. Bring a snack and water bottle stowed in a backpack or fanny pack. Rain is currently in the forecast, so please bring a rainjacket too; we will gather rain or shine. Children should have adult supervision, that said everyone from eight to eighty (and above) is welcomed. We have all levels of trail building needs. We will have tools, but you may bring a rake if you have one. We will have one section for those who wish to work on trail that is close to the vehicles and free of poison oak, and another section for those who wish to hike a distance and who are also okay with protecting themselves from poison oak with their long pants. We will finish by noon at the latest, but folks may always depart earlier as needed. Nancy will participate and perhaps other members of the Edney family. Jim Boyer of the Arnold Rim Trail Association will take the baton from Dave in leading this special May 7th memorial trail building day, along with Jeff Hilson from Forest Service.

We will also be continuing Dave’s sunset/moonlight hikes, but we’ll send another email about that soon. This email is dedicated to Dave’s Cowboy Trail and Saturday, May 7th.

Warm regards,
Arnold Rim Trail Steering Committee