An increasingly popular attraction north of Dunsmuir, California, Mossbrae Falls draws thousands of tourists each year — many of whom trespass on UP tracks to get there, causing daily stress and trauma for BLET locomotive engineers. Photo by Anurag Jajoo
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As the summer tourist season peaks, BLET members in California are expressing growing frustration with the Union Pacific Railroad for its persistent lack of progress and clear communication regarding the long-promised public walkway to Mossbrae Falls.
The only way to reach Mossbrae Falls, one of Northern California’s most celebrated natural wonders, is to illegally trespass along active UP rail lines, or by attempting a hazardous river crossing. In recent months, two people have been struck by UP trains (both survived), and one woman drowned while attempting the river crossing to reach the falls.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times Ryan Snow, Chairman of the BLET California State Legislative Board, provided a locomotive engineer’s perspective on the situation. Snow said UP trains pass through the area 10 times each day. “Every single time, it’s a near miss,” Snow was quoted. “There are multiple near misses, every single run. My nightmare is that a family that isn’t paying attention gets hit.”
The city of Dunsmuir estimates nearly 30,000 people have visited the falls, most trespassing on UP tracks to get there. And the problem isn’t going away. “It’s in hiking magazines, and on the internet everywhere. It’s attracting more and more people,” Snow said.
Snow was critical of the UP for “slow walking” a proposed public walkway to the falls. “Each month that goes by without a real construction timeline, lives are put at risk,” Snow said.
He said the BLET will continue working with the City of Dunsmuir and the Mount Shasta Trail Association to push the UP to address the situation.
“We’ve been lucky that we haven’t had any fatalities caused by a trespasser strike,” Snow said. “The worst thing an engineer can do is hit somebody.”
Click here to read more at the Los Angeles Times.