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June 29, 2005
Cost recovery
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Before vacation, I had a conversation with Brian White about several topics including the fees that the BLM would be charging the Club for the cost for them to process an environmental assessment and then monitor the Quicksilver. When I returned from vacation I found an e-mail from Brian with an estimate of the cost recovery fee. He estimated a not to exceed amount of $4,500, or about $15 per entry based upon 300 entries. In the past we had paid the BLM $4.00 per rider in fees.
I understand that cost recovery will now be charged for all use permits. I believe that popular events like the Quicksilver we will be able to pass along or absorb the additional fees, what about less well attended events and dual sport runs. Fixed fees like this could force some events to be unprofitable and to fold.
IMO, this is just another tax by a government that is drunk on tax money and wants even more. A very sad state of affairs. And it does not seem to matter whether the Republicrats or Democans are in power. Both seem to be cut from the same cloth!
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June 27, 2005
Search for the perfect hoagie.
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I grew up in sight of the Philadelphia skyline. Philly is widely known for it's cheese steaks. That is what you hear about whenever a TV sports announcer should be covering a sporting event in Philadelphia. Philadelphia has a large Italian population, some of which spilled over into New Jersey, and another of the delicacies is the Italian hoagie. Out here in California and in most of the rest of the country they are called subs or heroes but in Philly and south Jersey they are called hoagies. In fact, the hoagie is the official sandwich of the City of Brotherly Love!
Whenever I go home to visit, I eat as many hoagies as I can (and it shows) because you just can't get a good hoagie anywhere else in the country. What separates a hoagie from a sub? First, it is the roll. Some are made with soft Italian rolls and other are made with hard shell. I prefer the hard shell roll as you can scoop out some of the bread and put more of the good stuff. For some reason it is hard to find good Italian sub or torpedo rolls outside of Philly.
The next difference is the positioning of the lettuce. On a Philly hoagie, the lettuce, vinegar, oil and Italian seasonings are placed next to the bread allowing the vinegar and oil to soak into the bread. In Philly, they use leaf lettuce while in Jersey they use chopped iceberg. I like chopped lettuce on my hoagie and so I prefer the NJ style.
Finally, another major difference is the meat. Most grocery stores don't carry Italian meats and cheeses like you can find in the Philadelphia area. The best ever hoagie I ever had was made with meats and cheeses imported from Italy.
If you want to try to make a real Philly hoagie, here is a recipe to help you. I recommend that you put the lettuce in first along with the oil, vinegar and spices!
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June 26, 2005
Vacation
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As Carl would say, the blog has been a "little thin" this past week. The reason is because I have been on vacation to the east coast. I brought the computer but rarely found time to sit and write. It was go, go, go the whole time. Or so it seemed. The occasion was a family reunion in New Jersey.
I grew up in New Jersey and learned to ride a dirt bike in the Jersey woods. I have many fond memories from my childhood, especially those revolving around the Jersey shore. As a child, we would vacation in Cape May County, closer to the Delaware Bay than to the beaches. Our lodging was a house built in 1875 by my great grandfather, an oyster fisherman, and it had all the accommodations you would expect from a house built in 1875 - an outhouse for a bathroom, pot belly stove for heat and a hand crank pump for water. The relatives had wired the house for electricity, just barely, and when I was a teenager they installed indoor plumbing so you no longer had to brave the mosquitoes when heading to the outhouse. (As an aside, one of my great grandfather's boats is now the official "tall ship" of New Jersey.)
We (Mom, Dad and five kids) would go to the beach most days by driving about 20 miles to Sea Isle City in our blue Plymouth station wagon with fins. That was living back in the '50s and '60's. In the '70's the house was sold and we would stay in a double wide trailer in a park that my Dad's company owned. (Don't go calling me trailer trash!) This was replaced in the late '80s with a waterfront condo in Ocean City that the family still owns and where we spent a couple days.
There is a nice pool at the condo and it is hard to get people, especially the kids and the "old folks", to go to the beach. I love the beach, getting sand in my toes and playing in the Atlantic. This vacation I was fortunate to have my brother's son, Patrick, stay with us while we were at the condo. Patrick is 12 and built like a brick shithouse. Lineman material. We spent an hour one day in the ocean throwing a ball around and today the right shoulder that I dislocated at the Sawmill Enduro in 1985 is exceptionally sore.
After a day at the beach (or pool), it is time to head to the boardwalk for dinner and fun. Fun consists of amusement rides, miniature golf, arcade games and more eating (boardwalk fries, funnel cakes, Philly soft pretzels, ice cream, salt water taffy and fudge). Now Santa Cruz has a boardwalk but it pales in comparison to the likes of Atlantic City, Ocean City or Wildwood. This year we had a family miniature golf tournament with nine players. We started at about 10PM and it took two hours which was one hour longer that our hosts liked and we ended up being some of the last people on the boardwalk, well after midnight (which is only 9PM California time).
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June 21, 2005
A Clear Creek Alternative
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Looking for something to do while Clear Creek is closed? Carl sent along a flyer the other day for the Bass Lake 200 self guided dual sport ride. Check it out. I understand that this is a fun ride, not too challenging, mostly on dirt roads and some trails in the Sierra National Forest east of Fresno. This is a fun area to ride on a dual sport. There are a few challenging 4WD routes to explore but many of them will be under snow right now. My favorites are the Dusy Ershim Trail and the Swamp Route. There are several web sites with stories and pictures about the Dusy. Both are rugged 4WD routes with tons of boulders littering the trail. My best time through the 32 miles of the Dusy was about 3 hours - or about 110 miles an hour.
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June 19, 2005
Pinnacle Newspaper Article
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I have posted the Pinnacle newspaper article written by Kate Wood. I think she has done a good job of covering this issue in a fair and balanced manner. I would like to comment on a couple of things. First, I don't believe George Hill made this decision. He may have signed it but this decision came from higher up the food chain and as I stated in the article, I believe that it was a move made to show a judge that the BLM is really managing the area - through closure.
It should be known that apparently the asbestos readings aren't so bad that the BLM continues to work in the hazardous asbestos zone and that Brian White is even planning work days this summer to do fencing and signing. Go figure!
What I said about the EPA is that I believe that they have already decided to recommend shutting down Clear Creek permanently and now what they have to do is rig a bunch of results so that it appears that the exposure levels are too high. I fully expect them to come back with results from the February tests that show unsafe levels. These samples were taken the day of the Quicksilver and after almost ten straight days of rain. Don't be surprised.
Kate, I think, likes to interview me because I give he one liners to spice up her article. Take for instance the comment about the Troll Trail. I have heard people rave about this trail so I had to check it out last year when I visited Hollister Hills with the neighbor kids and their mini-bikes. I could not wait to get off of it. Nothing but a rut surrounded by poison oak. The only challenge was to keep from falling over into the poison oak. I had not been to Hollister Hills play riding in ten years and it will be that long again before I go back.
Finally, it should be noted that Brian LeNeve either owns or owned a quad that he rides/rode on his own private property. I recall that he broke his hip in an accident involving his quad several years ago. I guess that he must have a special quad that neither creates noise or dust and does not damage the environment on his property. Maybe he should patent it.
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June 16, 2005
Garbage In, Garbage Out
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I've spent most of my life working in the computer industry and one of the earliest sayings I can remember is "garbage in, garbage out." For those unfamiliar with data processing, this means if you put bad information into a computer (or database) then the results your get back will be meaningless. Such seems to be the case with the BLM's Recreation Management Information System that is mentioned in the Environmental Assessment for the seasonal closure. It appears that BLM employees have been putting "bad" information into the RMIS for years as a way to justifying their jobs and requesting more money from the green sticker fund. Just look at the blog entries regarding visitor use. They can't get their numbers right from one year to the next. They only thing consistent is that they claim that visitor is increasing every year.
They have recently acquired new vehicle counters that they have installed around Clear Creek and they are asking the green sticker fund for additional units in this years grant. This is all well and good so long as they ground truth them. By this I mean that they need to do physical counting of vehicles over a period of time and then compare that with the counts that the machines produce. This is the only way that they will really know who many people are actually visiting the creek. Otherwise it will be more garbage in and garbage out.
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June 14, 2005
Legal Challenge
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As promised, the OHV community has taken action to overturn this onerous closure. You can read about it on the Rambler web site. This is the second time the BRC legal team has gone to bat for Clear Creek users. We are also going to be working other angles, using our own specialist to challenge the EPA and the BLM. I will be posting more about these efforts as they develop. I really want to thank everyone who has contributed to the Clear Creek Legal Defense Fund. Without a war chest, these things would not be possible.
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June 12, 2005
Pinnacle Newspaper Article
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If you live in the Hollister area, keep an eye out for an article about the Clear Creek closure written by Kate Woods. I gave an interview on Thursday and we'll see how many of my comments make it into the article. I made sure to tell Kate about the EPA test I observed and how little the #3 rider actually completed of the course and how far behind the two lead riders he was. I also told Kate that I did not trust the EPA to produce an unbiased report. I firmly believe that they have already decided to find a way to close the area and now they must manipulate the data to get the desired result.
The article does not appear in the on-line version that is on their web site today. As soon as I get the text of the article I will publish it on the blog.
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June 11, 2005
Another User Letter
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Thank to David Tharp for sharing this letter he recently sent to the BLM regarding the seasonal closure. I encourage everyone to put together a letter or e-mail and send it to Mike Pool
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Dear Mr.Beehler,
As a long time admirer of native plants, geology, and OHV user in the CCMA I am asking you, why is the CCMA closed?
When I first found out about the possibility of exposure to asbestos with some of the activities I pursue in the CCMA I was quite concerned for my health. But in the past twenty five years I have never found any scientific data that would lead me to believe that the level and type (chrysotile) of exposure I have subjected myself to in the CCMA are of high risk, in fact I have not found any scientific data that links the chrysotile fiber with lung disease.
I am also puzzled with the BLM “Risk Assessment” when it states “The studies indicate a higher risk to people from exposure to airborne asbestos in CCMA than EPA and BLM had previously thought.” The BLM has been unable to support this claim. In the monthly news letter published by the Hollister Field Office the levels do not even warrant the field staff wearing respirators when working in the CCMA.
In fact from the information I have been able to gather over the years it is well established that the chrysotile risk is extremely low, therefore this closure of public land is not based on scientific data and not required.
Once again Mr. Beehler, why is my public land, CCMA closed?
Respectfully
David Tharp
cc.
Honorable Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior
Mike Pool, California State Director USDI - BLM
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June 8, 2005
Thank You to ThumperTalk Members
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Got word today that ThumperTalk members recently raised $3,000 for the Clear Creek Legal Defense Fund at their Memorial Day West Coast ThumperTalk trail ride at Forest Hill. Way to go ThumperTalk!
It certainly is sad that people have to dig into their pockets to put out money to fight a bunch of bureaucrats who are being paid with out hard earned tax dollars to screw us over. This is like a double tax on the people. I think it is time for another Boston Tea Party or some such like to let the Government know that we "are mad as hell and won't take it any more" (Peter Finch in the movie Network).
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June 6, 2005
User Letter to BLM
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Ray Iddings, who created the www.picacho.org web site has sent a letter to the BLM complaining about the seasonal closure and he OK'ed sharing it. Ray loves this area as much as any long time OHV user. He grew up in the area and his father built the memorial to Raymond Eade that you pass every time you drive into Clear Creek. Like us, he has been locked out of the creek this summer and is unable to continue his archeology endeavors.
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June 5, 2005
More Facts
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I received an e-mail the other day from the President of the KCAC mine confirming that none of the employees of the KCAC operation or any of the employees of Union Carbide (that previously operated the mine) have been diagnosed with any form of asbestos disease.
"There has never been a report of "asbestos related disease" from any employee of either Union Carbide or KCAC in the 40 plus years of mining and milling chrysotile asbestos from the San Benito mountains. Employees were monitored with a physical examination every year which included a Forced Vital Capacity test (tests lung capacity), Chest X-rays, complete blood work up, and a "hands on" examination by a physician. At times we had as many as 80 people working at the mill and mine at one time and we estimate the total number of employees that were employed over the lifespan of this business to be around 400".
The BLM also just released their June newsletter and in it they list their latest readings, none of which surpass the OSHA threshold for needing to wear a respirator.
There is something rotten in the state of Denmark, as Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet. The EPA is totally out of touch with the real world when it comes to Clear Creek asbestos. Or, maybe they are trying to justify the millions that forced some company to pay to clean up the Atlas Superfund site. Wouldn't look to good if it were proven that there was no problem to start with.
These people, unfortunately, have an agenda to close down anything having to do with asbestos, regardless of the facts. I would not put it past them to lie or fabricate information. Of these tests, we will never know because they are in control of the data. I can tell you that the third rider in the initial sampling not only did not complete the entire circuit that the first two riders traveled, he also grew so tired after riding up R002 and T116 that he crashed at the bottom of T114, broke his clutch lever (no handguards) and backpack, and stuffed the air sampler nozzles in the dirt, cutting off the machines. How the EPA was able to come up with a conclusion on this person's exposure is a mystery to me. But they did.
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June 4,2005
ChickenShit
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I normally don't air dirty laundry, but this past week the Salinas Ramblers denied membership to Josh Golden. This was in no way a unanimous decision. Quite the opposite. Seems that early in his "pledging" he ruffled some feathers with some members. Despite the tremendous effort Josh put in to help with the Save Clear Creek campaign, this group mustered just enough votes on Thursday night to block his membership. In my 27 years in the Club, this is the lowest, most mean spirited, chickenshit thing that has ever happened.
Josh worked hard to quickly rise to the top of our perspective member list by helping with the Clear Creek land use issue. He is responsible for signing up most of companies who are selling Save Clear Creek bumper stickers, donated numerous mornings at the Clear Creek entrance, got some of the biggest names in off-road racing to support the Clear Creek effort and most recently had an article about Clear Creek published in the Blue Ribbon magazine. He also filled in as assistant loop leader on this year's enduro when a member broke his wrist just before the event and had volunteered to run a loop at next year's event.
In my opinion, what happened on Thursday night was an atrocity committed against a quality individual who would have made a good Salinas Rambler. I want to thank Josh for all his efforts to date on the Clear Creek battle and I hope that he will look past this unfortunate episode and continue to help raise money and awareness for the battle ahead of us.
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June 1, 2005
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I received an e-mail last week from Bob Beehler and in it he described the summer closure as "onerous". Now I find this almost comical that he would say this after his staff lied to the OHV community at the grants open house. Or was it that he and his staff were kept in the dark until the last minute and had absolutely no say in the decision?
We know that was not the case as members of his staff met with the OHV leadership team twice to discuss these "restrictions" prior to the grants meeting. In addition, we have a copy of a letter from the EPA to Bob Beehler thanking him for agreeing to the closure. I am trying identify the date of the letter but it is mentioned in the Government's brief filed with the court on April 29th so the closure had to have been a done deal before that date. So much for wasting the OHV leadership's time and so much for a legitimate public NEPA process. This is a disgrace and yes Bob, it is onerous!
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May 27, 2005
Epidemic
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Asbestos deaths are at an epidemic scale in the United States the web page proclaims. This was one of the handouts at the Grants Open House Meeting on the 17th., most likely distributed by Tim Moore, the BLM's geologist and hazardous materials person. I see it as just another attempt at public disinformation by the BLM. Why would I say that? They wouldn't do something like that, would they? Well, Tim, answer this "what does this have to do with Clear Creek? "
The answer, I believe, is very little. Now I am not denying that people are dying as the result of asbestosis and mesothelioma. They are and it has been duly noted by CDC and our National Vital Statistics. What this chart does not tell you is what form of asbestos fiber caused the disease. So why would the BLM hand out this hit piece produced by an environmental group that is trying to get asbestos completely banned. (Sounds like a conflict of interest to me.) Answer: To try to scare people.
During the meeting Tim started spouting off some irreverent information and I said to him "Tim, will you please tell the people the truth." Fact is, I don't think he knows the truth. I believe that he has drunk the EPA cool-aid and is part of the 'one fiber will kill you' crowd.
As I browsed around the EWG website, as I am sure Tim Moore is capable of doing, I came across a piece of interesting information that actually is relevant. Tim Moore and the EPA want you to believe that there is an asbestos epidemic and that Clear Creek is part of it. If this were the case then one would assume that there would be a huge number of deaths caused by the chrysotile asbestos and that these deaths would have been reported for years and years because unlike other asbestos products that have only been widely used for the past 60 or so years, Clear Creek asbestos has been flowing into the environment for millennium.
Well. guess how many asbestos death have been recorded in San Benito County in the past 25 years? Answer.
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May 26, 2005
Sad Day
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This morning I opened my e-mail and found a copy of an message from Dave Pickett, D36 President and LAO, to Brian White chastising him for asking the OHV community for help with a volunteer project on the day before they closed Clear Creek. First I had heard. Apparently the BLM had notified the Sacramento Bee of the closure but had not had the courtesy of letting the major user community know about the closure. We had to read it in the paper.
I immediately sent Brian an e-mail telling him it was a cruel joke to ask for OHV volunteers to help with a work project the day before the BLM closed Clear Creek for four months. I have since removed the announcement from the blog and the Ramblers web site.
I received an e-mail this evening from another rider who attended the grant open house last week that reads in part "these (people?) at the BLM knew there would be no public comment period and the closure was a done deal. In other words they flat out lied at the Grants meeting! Without the decency to look us in the eye and state this. How can we trust them in the future?" Short answer is that you can't.
There was a time when I respected and trusted some people in the Bureau of Land Management. Unfortunately, these people have retired and the current crop can not be trusted as far as you can throw them. Will quit now before I write something they may regret.
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May 25, 2005
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Are you a member of the BlueRibbon Coalition? If not you should be! This organization has been providing support to our Legal Defense Fund since the Salinas Ramblers announced it in August of 2003. Now they are providing legal and other resources to the battle for Clear Creek.
Recently, Josh Golden had the idea to write an article for the BlueRibbon Magazine to increase awareness of our struggle. As I had done with Justin Hensley, creator of the Save Clear Creek bumper sticker, I said "good idea, go for it." And he did. While attending the Dirt Rider 24 Hour event in February, Josh went around to the off-road heros and photographed them with a bumper sticker. Then, he put together the article detailing the circumstances surrounding the battle for Clear Creek. Before he sent it to the BRC he asked me to check it over and next thing I know I am co-author. Not! But thanks. I believe in giving credit where credit is due.
I am glad to see a constantly growing number of people who are stepping up to help with this fight. I have mentioned two but there are hundreds and hundreds more making donations, driving around with bumper stickers, attending meetings and workdays and coming up with new ideas. What have you done for Clear Creek today?
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May 23, 2005
I hate summer colds
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That might give you a clue as to how I spent the weekend - vegetating in my recliner or laying in bed. I did muster the energy to update the Rambler web site with results, a story from our recent Ricky Graham Memorial Short Track in King City and some history on Ricky. I also posted a flyer for the Club's two dirt track events in the Rodeo Grounds (Salinas Sports Complex) on June 5th and 19th. If you like to race, these events are open traction rough scrambles.
I tried the 'rest, drink fluids and vitamin C' routine without success so yesterday I visited the doctor. Hopefully what he prescribed will do the trick as this might be the last weekend when I can legally ride Clear Creek for a while.
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May 21, 2005
Grant Open House Meeting
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I would like to thank all those who made the effort to show up at the Hollister Grants Open House this past Tuesday. By now you should have heard that the BLM is considering some form of dry season "restrictions" which is a polite way of saying closure. Maybe not so polite? They presented a series of alternatives to the assembled group on Tuesday night. None of the alternatives permitted OHV use. They are calling this a pre-emptive strike against the EPA. I call it more BLM idiocy. Unfortunately, the BLM lawyers made mention of a closure in a court brief (see Lawsuit Update on the SRMC website) that they recently filed so now I guess they feel compelled to do something or look like liars.
There were many good ideas brought up at the meeting by members of the OHV community and I formalized them in a e-mail to Bob Beehler on Thursday. The OHV leadership has also met with the BLM twice over the past two weeks to make sure they understand that closure is not an option. I am still not totally clear as to the process the BLM will go through to make this decision. Once again George Hill had that "deer in the headlights" look when pressed for answers about the process. I heard him say there would be an EA and that there would be public comment on the EA but the way they do things they will claim that this meeting was for public comments.
This is not just me talking. Here are some other comment from an on-line forum:
"knew this was going to be bad news just from the look on Brian White's face during the grant discussion";
"It was basically impossible to pin them down and actually discuss the matter. Their basis for the closure switched from education to mitigation to the ever popular "for the children" from moment to moment.";
"The only way I can put it is that George is one slick weasel. One direct question after another was dodged or side stepped. Among the many reasons given for the Summer closure were, litigation (CYA), public health, "It's the least we can do, so we'll do it", "The EPA said so", and of course they pulled the "For the children" card. Ed asked George several times about the opportunity for public comment regarding the Summer closure EA and I can't remember hearing anything but yes, no, maybe so, accompanied by typical smug arrogant murmuring and a weasel's glare. "
"The body language from Brian White was incredible and I have a sinking feeling we will lose him in the future."
I believe that I heard Brian White say that they estimated that use in Clear Creek this year had grown another 10% to 55,000 VUDs. Please correct me if I am wrong. I think he is spending too much time in the Hollister office and is being sucked into their web of lies about visitor use. Brian, if you read this, please tell the truth, even if the truth is you don't really know. Don't go making up numbers to justify your grant. Don't go over to the dark side!
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May 20, 2005
Road Closure for Prescribed Burn - May 25th
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The BLM will be doing a prescribed burn along Clear Creek road next Wednesday to try to eradicate an invasive weed named Yellow Star Thistle. As a result, the main way into the creek will be shut down all day. If you are going riding that day I suggest that you drive in through the New Idria side. The prescribed burn will not affect riding in Clear Creek.
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May 19, 2005
Spotty
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Yes, the blog has been spotty. I was gone part of last week to Nashville to work at Chevron's dealer trade show. When I got back I was swamped with work, caught a cold, and had two evening meeting, the BLM's grants open house and a Rambler's meeting to discuss the future of the Quicksilver. Something had to give and it was the blog. Good news is that new faces have stepped up to take over the Quicksilver. Trail Boss will be Jordan Brandt, last year's D36 enduro and HS champion. I will continue to be a retired enduro consultant (whatever that means?)
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May 16, 2005
Red Head Bastard Stepchild
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That's what a friend told me my new standing was with the BLM. I have gone from the position of trusted advisor appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to someone the BLM doesn't want to talk to anymore and who they just wish would go away. Just as well. The current crop of so-called leaders pales in comparison to the people I worked with on the Resource Advisory Council. Very unfortunate.
So I guess I have a new role to play, that of bad cop. That's a role that does not come naturally so I guess I will have to get out my old copies of Dirt Alert and read up on the writings of my predecessor and mentor, Bob Wick. Maybe I should get my hair dyed? Yeah, that's it, dye my hair red and change my name to Chucky. How absurd would that be?
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May 15, 2005
BLM Meeting
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As a reminder to all Clear Creek riders, the BLM grants open house is Tuesday evening from 6-8 PM at the BLM office located at 20 Hamilton Court in Hollister. I strongly suggest that you show up to the meeting to see what the BLM plans to ask for in terms of money and to ask them about the EIS and their thoughts on a summer closure.
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May 10, 2005
Some Good News
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Received an e-mail from Don Amador of the BlueRibbon Coalition with good news so I thought I would share it. Hopefully we can duplicate this at Clear Creek. Paul Turcke is the lead attorney for Clear Creek too!
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May 9, 2005
Down Trees
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It never ceases to amaze me how hard riders will work to get around a down tree on a trail when all they would have to do is park their bike for a couple of minutes and, with their fellow riders, move the tree out of the way. Yes there are some big trees that will require a chain saw but the majority of the deadfalls out there can be moved by three or four riders. Bear and I moved three of them this past Saturday.
Please, the next time you are riding and come across a down tree, stop and try to move it off of the trail. If it is too large to move, turn around and backtrack to find another way to you destination rather than ripping up a hillside or some brush to get around the tree. If you remember the route number, send me an e-mail with the trail number and I will forward to the BLM. GPS coordinates would be even better!
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May 8, 2005
Weekend Report
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The easy part of the report is the Mother's Day piece. We had Colleen's Mum (she's Australian) and the family over for an afternoon meal/pot luck. I cooked the tri-tip and chicken. Ate too much and now I want to fall asleep.
On Saturday I was down at the Creek. Kind of a last minute thing. I had planned to stay home but since it rained almost a half inch at Santa Rita on Thursday, I had to go. Might be the last real rain of the year, although my brother-in-law Brian told me today that they were predicting a wet summer. Maybe Seattle's weather has shifter south?!
I also had to go in order to hand out flyers announcing the grants open house (above) and let people know that the BLM was planning some sort of dry season "use restrictions". Use restriction is the bureaucrats way of saying closure without actually having to say it. Pretty chickenshit if you ask me but sort of what I have come to expect from the BLM management in Hollister.
I was joined at the entrance by none other than Billy Russell, this year's winner of the Quicksilver National enduro. Billy grew up riding Clear creek and loves the place. I was glad to have the company. Also joining me was William "Head On" Schwarz, the Dirt Ranger. He was greeting and checking for red/green stickers. Worked the entrance from 7:45 to 10:15 and estimate that about 80 people drove in while I was there. Red sticker season (another bunch of crap) will soon be on us (June 1) and William has to turn away people with red stickers.
Afterwards, I went for a ride with Bear. It was not a serious ride as Bear is past the age when you can receive full social security benefits and does not appreciate serious Tobin rides as much as he once did. We made it out towards Spanish Lake, conferred with some hunters trying to find Condon Peak and moved a few trees off the trails (more on that later).
It was dry around camp and even out to the Four Corners area. Once we got higher and closer to Santa Rita peak, the effects of the .5 inches of rain made the trails wonderful. No scratches but caught a branch across the nose while moving a dead tree that really stung.
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May 3, 2005
Crying Wolf
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Last night I sent out an e-mail alert after reading the BLM's May Newsletter. I certainly hope that I am not crying wolf. In the newsletter, they are advertising a meeting on May 17th to discuss Green Sticker grants for 2006. The newsletter mentions that in addition to the grant request, they will also discuss dry season use restrictions. Naturally, I had to ask what this meant.
I received a courtesy call back from Brian White, the Clear Creek Project Coordinator this afternoon. He would not tell me what "restrictions" the BLM was considering or what time frame they would cover, only that it was as a result of pressure from the EPA. At least he called me back, and not at lunchtime!
Trust me, this is not good. The EPA are a bunch of crazed zealots who think one fiber will kill you. Any time the words restriction and EPA and used in the same sentence, it probably means closure of one form or another. I will keep you posted as I learn more.
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May 2, 2005
More Scratches
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Had a good ride on Saturday as measured by the number and quality of the scratches. Took Carl, the Joke Meister, for a tour of some of the best trails that Clear Creek has to offer including one of my old enduro routes that I haven't been on for over ten years. Kind of a thank you for all of the great jokes that keep appearing in my e-mail every time I turn it on. Like many riders I have shown around, Carl was surprised by how many trails there are. It is important to teach others the route system to keep the legacy alive because the BLM is trying to destroy it!
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April 27, 2005
Age
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It's hard sometimes gauging someone's age when they have their helmet on. At a Doc Wong riding clinic last fall I mistook a 45 year old Asian woman for a teenager, based on her slight size and the mini-bike she was riding. Last Sunday I could have sworn that I was riding with two young people but it turned out to be a father and son team. So I guess I was 50% right. They asked me on one of the breaks how old I was and I blurted out "55". The father said " you ride good for your age" or words to that effect. Gee, thanks, I guess. What does that mean, old and in the way? Anyway, 55 was a lie as I am only 54 and 9 months, but who's counting?. I guess if you round up I was correct. Mentally I don't feel that old but on Mondays I sure feel ready for the old rocking chair.
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April 26, 2005
Clear Creek/Quicksilver Pictures
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Came across a web site with pictures from this year's Quicksilver. I made it into two of them on page 5 (White helmet and yellow slicker). The river crossing leading the "rocky uphill after gas was particularly bad this year as the river was really high and our club bulldozer was broken so we couldn't fix the crossing. As a result, a number of bikes ended up taking a bath and several very good riders were made to look like novices.
Also saw some pictures on Thumpertalk taken this past weekend down at the Creek. I find it interesting that most of the pictures I have seen on web sites show areas within 5-10 miles of Oak Flat campgrounds. Is it that people run out of film before they get to the Spanish Lake area or don't they get there at all? I suspect the latter. Seems that most people rarely make it past the Lumps (or Playground) and Sawmill Creek Road. That is a shame as, IMO, the best trails are east of there.
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April 25, 2005
Weekend Report
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The seasons are changing, the mud holes and seeps are drying up and soon it will be summer. Despite a few raindrops on the windshield, it almost seemed like a summer weekend morning at the entrance on Saturday. I got there at 8:01 and from then to 9:00 only four vehicles entered the Creek, three of them coming from the Coalinga direction. It got a little more busy after 9:00 but nothing like during the winter. Maybe another 60-70 people drove in while I was there.
I left at 10:30 and headed down to the property. The Ramblers had a club run and BBQ at the property this weekend and a play day for the kids. I played volleyball (big mistake) and ate my share. As this was also intended to be a thank you for non-members who helped with the enduro, it was fitting that it started to rain around 4:30 just was we were preparing to eat. Fortunately the sign-in tent is still up so we adjourned into it. It did not rain much and by evening the moon was out and the sky was clearing.
I played hooky from the entrance duty on Sunday to rest my weary joints. After cleaning up from the party, I went for a ride. I ran in to son-in-law and grandson of one of the guys who helped start the Quicksilver in the early 1970's and I took them for a little ride on some of my favorite trails. I was surprised how few people we saw and heard and they confirmed that they saw very few people parked in the staging areas.
All in all, it was another great weekend at the Creek!
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April 22, 2005
WMDs
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I am often asked on weekend mornings as I greet people at the entrance to Clear Creek why the environmentalists want to kick us out of this God forsaken asbestos pit that has been destroyed by the mining companies and is only good for dirt bike riding. The truth be known, they don't really care about Clear Creek, most of them at least. Sure there are some rare plants that they think would benefit from the absence of dirtbikes and quads.
Let me clue you in to the real reason. It is because you possess a weapon of mass destruction and they can't legally take it away form you or ban its existence. So they do the next best thing and that is take away the opportunity to use your WMD to maul mother earth. This is their agenda. You need to know that every riding area is threatened by these fanatics who hate our sport. No open riding area is safe from these zealots, no matter how secure it might seem at the present time. They will use any tactic to try to our areas closed - dust, mercury, noise, asbestos, threatened and endangered species, clean water, clean air (and on and on). The sooner that you realize this and get actively involved in the defense of your favorite or local riding area, the better the chance we can save them. Sending money helps but investing time is what is really needed. Nuff said!
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April 21, 2005
Open Traction TT at Hollister Hills
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The Santa Clara Riders Unlimited are holding an open traction TT on Sunday, the 24th at the upper ranch at Hollister Hills. At sign-ins they will be selling Save Clear Creek bumper stickers to help raise money for the legal defense fund and they will have a club grudge race with the proceeds also going to the Save Clear Creek legal defense fund hosted by the BlueRibbon Coalition. If you like to race, this should be a good event. SCRU always does a great job!
http://www.ama-d36.org/Blurbs/219/TTRaces05.pdf
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April 20, 2005
The Bear
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No, this entry is not about a bear. What would give you that impression? Rather, it is about a person nicknamed Bear. I sponsored the Bear into the Salinas Ramblers many years ago. I don't remember exactly how we met, but then there is a lot of things I don't remember anymore. The Bear is a retired physicist from a national laboratory. Smart does not even begin to describe him. I once introduced him as my "rocket scientist friend" and he quickly informed me that in a previous job he had helped design a rocket motor!
I think it was the first time we went riding that we drove together down to the creek. It was a spectacular morning with a bright blue sky and no clouds. Around Chualar on Hwy 101 I made a comment about the clear blue sky and wondered out loud why it was so blue. For the next thirty minutes as we drove to King City, Bear proceeded to explain why the sky is blue. Of course, I forget!
I was thinking of Bear tonight as I was trying to solve an electrical problem with my dual sport lighting kit. He has helped me in the past solve electrical problems and has even tried to explain electrical theory to me. Not much of it has sunk in. I'm a salesman, not a scientist. I avoided science and math classes in school to the best of my ability. Just as my frustration level was about to peak, I isolated the problem. Has something to do with a faulty ground but for the life of me I can't explain what is wrong or broken. I don't understand why my fix works, I am just glad that it does. I plan to take the electrical diagram to our club meeting on Thursday in the hope that Bear might reason it out for me. Hopefully it will be a short meeting and explanation!
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April 18, 2005
Perfect Enduro Record?
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This year I screwed up the mileage of the Quicksilver when I did a reroute on the afternoon before the event. After a protest over the mileage mistake and subsequent checking of the course, myself and the referee determined that the protest should be upheld and we made the last two checks observation checks.
Last week the AMA had a conference call to hear an appeal by Mike Lafferty concerning the decision that the Club made. Mike was bumped from second to sixth place by the decision, so who could blame him. The appeals committee was made up of three AMA congressmen who listened to the original protester, David Lykke, followed by Club's rationale for the decision and then Mike's rationale for his appeal. After the conference call, the congressmen huddled and decided in favor of Mike Lafferty's appeal and ordered that the event be re-scored with all of the checkpoint.
So, in a pretzel logic way, I guess you could say that the Club has still not lost a check on an enduro since I got involved with the event. I guess I should have knocked on wood back on February 18th when I posted my 'Reflections on the Quicksilver'. Isn't it usually the case that after boasting about something that life will kick you in the ass as a reminder that we are not infallible. Believe me, I am knocking right now!
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April 15, 2005
How it all began
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Motorcycling did not come naturally to me (and some will argue that it still doesn't). I guess what I mean is that I did not grow up in a motorcycle or dirt bike culture. As a kid I did not have a tote-goat or mini-bike and no one in my family before me, as best as I can tell, ever owned or rode a motorcycle. Nobody I knew had a motorcycle either. I grew up in a suburban neighborhood within eyesight of the Philadelphia skyline. I can remember attaching baseball cards to the frame of my bicycle with clothes pins to simulate the sound of a motorcycle but that was the closest I came to having a motorcycle when I was young. more...
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April 12, 2005
Penguins Dual Sport
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For anyone interested, the Cal Poly Penguins are holding a one day dual sport ride on Sunday April 24. Information about the ride can be found here. Not sure if I am going to ride this yet as it clashes with a Club BBQ and play day. I understand it is a good event and they use some private property not usually open to the public.
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Scratches
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If you ride the kinds of trails I like to ride (most people don't), scratches and ripped jerseys are just part of the equation. When I got home on Sunday I discovered several new scratches on my forearms from some of my "fun" trails plus a new rip I will have to sew up in my riding jersey.
I stopped to get a fountain soda at 7-11 today and was chatting with the franchise owner GP. That, of course is not his real name, just an abbreviation of a name that most American would have difficulty saying or remembering. GP recently bought his first bike, a new Suzuki 650cc crotch rocket type. He told me that he had gone out riding over the weekend and really enjoyed himself. He knows I ride and naturally asked if I had gone riding. I didn't answer, just unbuttoned a shirt sleeve and pulled it back. Enough not said.
Next he asked if the scratches were from a crash and I explained that normally crash scratches are lower on the forearm, more on the bottom and back towards my elbow. I should know as I have ground away enough skin from those parts of my arms that now they are permanently white and don't tan. Maybe scar material doesn't tan. I have to check into that.
As I was contemplating the scratches, it occurred to me that I had written about scratches much earlier in the blog and no one had taken me up yet on my offer of a Hertfelder book for a $1,000 donation so I figured it is a good time to "bump" that blog entry back up.
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April 10, 2005
Weekend Report
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I took the first weekend of April off to get some honey do's done and understand I missed a good weekend. Didn't want to miss two in a row, especially with some rain in the forecast. I think it rained more that the weather people led us to expect and the "fast moving" storm lingered around the Creek for a while on Saturday morning. Got me and Josh wet as we greeted riders.
The Riders Under the Son (Santa Cruz) had a group trail ride this past weekend and they staged out of the private property directly opposite the entrance.. We had a lot of activity at the entrance Saturday morning as people arrived for the event. Because it looked nasty up in the hill, I drove over to chat with Jim Kennedy and Steve Koretoff. I believe Jim is the president of the local Santa Cruz club. Steve is from the Fresno area and has been drumming up support for the legal defense fund in the valley. I asked Jim if there would be a group meeting anytime and if he would like me to speak about the legal battle. He said they were planning for a short meeting after dinner and he invited me to join them for tri-tip and chicken. An offer I could not refuse!
I spent the day working around camp and working on my trailer. I had no desire to go up into the clouds, mist and rain. I had enough of that preparing for the enduro. I understand that it cleared up later in the day and that there was no dust. I joined RUTS for dinner and then gave a brief presentation about the legal defense fund's efforts to battle the lawsuit and about how the BLM is trying to screw us out of half of our trails.
Greeted riders again on Sunday morning and was surprised at how few people came through the entrance between 8:00 and 9:30. Afterwards, a group of Ramblers went for a five hour, 34 mile ride. Doesn't sound like a lot of miles, but they were quality miles. Not all the time was spent riding, either. One of our group managed to get stuck in a BLM rolling dip mud hole and it took all seven of us to extricate the bike. Another time we stopped to move a dead fall that was blocking a trail. We hit a good hill climb out back that challenged several in the group. All in all, it was another perfect day with velcro dirt for the most part and just a little dust on the roads coming back into camp.
I hope it keeps raining all spring! Maybe that will end the dry spell?
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April 9, 2005
Dry Spell
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If you haven't noticed, there has been a bit of dry spell here at the blog. I have been spending a bunch of time working on making a living but the truth of the matter is that I didn't have much to write about. A friend was trying to be polite the other day and commented that the blog had been a "little dry" lately. Dry? How about non-existent?
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