Protest Planned At Bump & Grind Trail

Coachella Valley hikers are planning on protesting the closure of the upper Bump and Grind Trail next week.

Stephen Thewlis, an organizer, has called on fans of the popular trail to march up to the closed part of the trail starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 12.

The protest is aimed "to restore the people's rights to access the most popular trail in the Coachella Valley and take it back from the zealots of the California Fish and Game," Thewlis said.

The last half mile of the trail was closed earlier this year by the CFG to protect the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep. A gate bars hikers from entering the area, but many still do.

According to the California Department of Fish and Game, any hikers caught in the closed section can face a misdemeanor.

But Thewlis said he believes civil disobedience is necessary for a number of reasons.

"The zealots at the Fish and Game have (sic) closed the trail without any scientific examination or support as to the veracity of their claims that hikers' presence on the Bump and Grind hurts the sheep," he said.

Thewlis also alleged that state officials tore down a bush known to hikers as the "little Christmas Bush" that was traditionally decorated during the holidays.

He also pointed to the state's refusal to to show where the sheep were spotted in relation to the trail.

On the Facebook page "Save the Bump & Grind," several hikers have already expressed interest in attending the protest.