John Harch – Connecting People To Nature & Making Mount Shasta’s Beauty Accessible

If the “road less traveled”  beckons you, John Harch might be your new best friend.

Over the past four years, John has worked relentlessly to establish 46 miles of new recreational trails through Mount Shasta’s stunning forestland. When complete, the Gateway Trail Expansion project will offer 57 miles of adventure for mountain bikers, horseback riders, hikers, and more.

From coordinating environmental analysis, to securing grant funding, to slicing fallen logs with a chainsaw crew, John volunteers nearly fulltime hours as president of the Mount Shasta Trail Association. His goal: to build healthier families and more connected communities by making the beauty of Mount Shasta more accessible.

A goal of getting everybody off their devices and out in nature

“The Mount Shasta Trail Association’s mission statement is to connect people to nature and communities by designing, constructing, and maintaining trails in the Mount Shasta area,” John explains. “It’s about connecting people to nature for all the benefits that yields. I think it’s even more important nowadays, when everybody is stuck on their phones and laptops. Our goal is to get everybody off their devices and back out there in nature, whether they’re cross-country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, or walking their dog. It gets them out in nature and keeps them exercising, which improves mental and physical health.”

John, his wife Lori, and their two daughters moved to Mt. Shasta from Orange County in 1992 – a move that John calls “one of the best things I ever did!” While healthcare providers in large cities often specialize in a narrow field of practice, general surgeons perform a wide variety of surgeries. As a general surgeon in a rural area, John operated on hernias, removed cancers, treated trauma-related injuries, and more, all of which immersed him quickly and deeply into the community.

Investing in families in the North State

After retiring in 2012, John looked for new ways to invest in the North State. He became involved with tobacco cessation efforts, even chairing the Tobacco Education Council for nine years. Through various events and campaigns, he introduced families to the realities of smoking while pregnant, secondhand smoke, and thirdhand smoke.

Thirdhand smoke describes exposure to tobacco smoke toxins that have settled on surfaces and objects. “Think of your baby crawling across the carpet or snuggling with a favorite blanket where tobacco toxins linger,” one of his campaign articles explained. “Toys, books, pacifiers – nearly everything goes into your curious baby’s mouth, and everything in a home or car where people smoke is contaminated with thirdhand smoke.”

A mentor to kids who need a friend

John also joined Mt. Shasta Mentors, a small mentorship program his wife started. Roughly once a week, he meets up with his young mentee to go sledding, bike riding, or simply spend time together. “The way Lori and I think,” John explains, “we can’t spend our time in any more valuable way than to make a connection with and help round out a kid’s life who maybe needs a friend. The idea is not to fix their problems; the idea is to be a friend and provide support. If you can take them to a museum or teach them a sport, that’s great, but it’s just to be there.”

Paul Schwartz, John’s longtime friend, says John’s current mentorship benefits “not only the young man, but his mother. She and John have a really nice relationship and she really values the time John spends with her son. I think demonstrating what a good, hardworking, family- and community-oriented man is like is really important in our society these days.”

A physical therapist at Mercy Medical Center in Mt. Shasta, Paul met John through work nearly 30 years ago. The two became friends on the basketball court and now spend time mountain biking and volunteering with the Trail Association. “John has an ability to build communities, both working relationships with individuals and bringing agencies together into synergies that promote our work,” Paul says.

His boundless energy welcomes new volunteers

This skill helped the Trails Association get initial financial footing from The McConnell Foundation. More recently, John’s efforts have helped land a $1.1 million state grant to build trails on US Forest Service lands. “I’m a go-go-go kind of guy,” Paul says, “but John Harch is one of the few guys who can make me feel like a couch potato!”

Despite this seemingly boundless energy, John certainly can’t complete the Trail Expansion project alone. He expresses gratitude for the Trail Association board members and volunteers who have worked so diligently on construction, maintenance, and garbage collection around trails and in the city. He also welcomes new volunteers to take active participation in creating this local North State treasure. “It’s very hard to change what happens in the world at large,” John says. “That’s the sort of thing we cannot change, but what we can do is act locally.”

To join John and the Mount Shasta Trails Association’s trail construction efforts this spring, email john@harchms.com.