Mountain Cyclist –
March-April 2001
Lead Stories
...by Henry Pastorelli
Vice President
ROMP
On February 14th (Valentines Day), the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board voted to tentatively adopt an amendment to the Use and Management Plan for Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. A section of the Ridge Trail between the Hawk Trail junction and Rapley Ranch Road was designated as multi-use. In layman's terms - step one to open a 1.4-mile section to bikes !
This gently-graded singletrack trail wraps around the base of Mt. Melville and runs between the Hawk Trail and Rapley Ranch Road. It is an incredibly scenic section of the Ridge Trail offering majestic views of coastal hills and the ocean. Riders (if opened) will have the option of using this trail as an out-and-back or riding east on Rapley Ranch Road to Skyline road and then south to Crazy Pete's or north to Windy hill for loop options.
The MROSD Board also proposed a photo-monitoring program to evaluate user impacts. Essentially, this means taking pictures at various locations on the trail to monitor erosion, trail width, etc. before and after it is opened. The information would then be compiled in a photo essay and presented quarterly. ROMP expressed concern about the scientific validity of the proposal and will work with the Board to develop an appropriate program.
ROMP hopes the MROSD Board will vote for final approval at the next meeting in March or April. The actual opening of the trail to bicycles will occur sometime after the final approval. ROMP members are encouraged to voice their support for the trail opening by contacting MROSD at mrosd@openspace.org. Please access the link to view the proposed trail http://www.openspace.org/RRIDGE.html. A special thanks is extended to Rod Brown, President of ROMP, for his tireless and continued commitment to maintain a close relationship with the MROSD Board. Patty Ciesla and Charles Jalgunas also deserve recognition for the innovative trail maintenance ideas presented to the Board.
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After receiving more than 10,000 comment letters from mountain bikers in 30 days, the Bureau of Land Management has decided not to group mountain bikes with motorized vehicles in a controversial new management plan. The BLM's OHV Strategy, made official January 19th (the final day of the Clinton Administration), calls for a separate plan to manage mountain bikes. "This change is exactly what we want," said International Mountain Bicycling Association executive director Tim Blumenthal. "Mountain bikers spoke and the BLM listened."
A draft of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Management Strategy was released Dec. 4 for public comment. The plan surprisingly included mountain biking. IMBA mobilized an effective mountain biker response by alerting its membership through broadcast emails and website updates, hand-delivering an official comment letter to senior BLM officials in Washington D.C., and focusing media attention on this important issue. "The success of our effort proves that mountain bikers are a powerful group whose opinions can shape national policy," said Blumenthal. "This is a milestone for mountain biking."
IMBA was concerned that the BLM's plan to link mountain biking and motorized policies would have led to unwarranted access restrictions and served as a negative precedent. The BLM and IMBA will continue to work together to promote responsible mountain biking through education, volunteer trailwork and other joint projects.
The BLM, which manages 264-million acres of U.S. public land, is the world's largest land management agency. IMBA is an international non-profit mountain biking group with 32,000 individual members and more than 400 affiliated clubs dedicated to bringing out the best in mountain biking. The final version of the BLM's strategy is available at http://www.blm.gov.
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...by Charles Jalgunas
A new non-profit organization called The Stewards of Soquel Forest is working to improve recreational and educational opportunities in the Soquel Demonstration State Forest. After some negotiation between the Stewards, the California Department of Forestry and local community members and trail users, it was decided that the Braille Trail is to be officially opened to public use sometime in late spring. Details are available at http://www.stanford.edu/~imahorse. In the meantime, it is closed for winter and volunteers are needed to help re-route the bottom out of a boggy spring area and onto drier ground. If you want to help, please contact Charles at Trail Head Cyclery at 408-369-9666 to sign up.
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz is holding a public workshop in preparation for development of a General Plan for the park. If opening singletrack trails above the steel bridge to bikes, such as West Ridge and Cussacks Meadow, and building new trails, such as a connector from Hinckley Fireroad to Saw Pit/Ridge in the Demo sound like good things, please attend and get involved in the planning process! We need cyclists' input!
- March 11 - Nisene Marks General Plan Public Workshop. 2-7 PM at Soquel High School
- March 18 - Braille Trail on site workshop. Meet at 9:00 AM at Hihn's Mill and Highland Way. Meet Thom Sutfin of CDF, the general manager of the forest. Learn about the issues, hike and review problems with the existing trail, and give your input into how we can improve this wonderful singletrack trail.
- April 1 - Braille Trail Workday - Realigning lower section around boggy area - duff removal, brushing, and benching in new alignment, and closure of old wet alignment.
- April 22 - Braille Trail workday. Upper sections - installing waterbars, improving bridges, etc.
- June 2 - Braille Trail workday & ride. Finishing touches as required. RIDE !! Come celebrate National Trails Day.
Please RSVP with Charles for meeting places and times.
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Soon the San Francisco Bay Area will have a chapter of the National Mountain Bike Patrol (NMBP) when ROMP conducts it's first NMBP Certification clinic on March 10, 2001 at Bernal Middle School in San Jose. Our goal is to certify 20 to 30 patrollers to start serving the local landowners and land management agencies by helping them to manage their trails. The Patrol will be in attendance at community events and festivals to help familiarize the public with the patrol and its services.
The training will consist of certification of riding skills, emergency bike repair, trail user interaction, first aid/emergency care skills, communication skills, trail and environmental issues, and minimum impact riding. Patrol Certification is free and the requirements for a patroller are :
- Successful completion of the clinic
- A valid CPR/First Aid certificate
- Membership in ROMP
CPR/First Aid certification can be done either before or after the clinic, but it must be done before any patrolling duties can be performed. Minors can become patrollers with parental or legal guardian permission, and all patrol duties performed by minors must be done in the presence of an adult patroller.
For more information on the program go to the ROMP NMBP web page here or contact John or Karen Morgan at (408) 224-6879 or email to nmbp@romp.org.
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For one spectacular weekend this spring, Henry W. Coe State Park will open the gate at Bell Station on Highway 152 east of Gilroy. The annual Coe Backcountry Weekend, held in the little-traveled east side of the 83,600 acre park is scheduled for April 28-29, 2001. This event, sponsored by the Pine Ridge Association, allows visitors vehicle access to a remote and beautiful area. Hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers have a unique opportunity to see and enjoy an area isolated from the park's Morgan Hill entrance by long distances and rugged terrain.
This area of the park puts on a spring extravaganza of colorful wildflowers in the oak woodland. Fishing for bass and sunfish is excellent in secluded ponds and reservoirs. The trails provide panoramic views of the Diablo Range. Visitors may come into the park for the day, camp overnight at Orestimba Corral or Pacheco Creek Crossing, or backpack to one of the seldom visited areas of the park. They may explore on their own, join a guided ride or hike, or participate in interpretive activities. Brochures, maps, information, activities, and volunteer assistance will be available.
Participants will travel 8.5 miles on an unpaved road from Bell Station to Pacheco Creek Crossing or an additional 3.8 miles to the Orestimba Corral. The road is in good condition and passable by two-wheel drive vehicles, although there are some narrow and steep sections requiring high clearance. Four-wheel drive is strongly recommended for towing horse trailers. Because of space limitations, steep hills and creek crossings with sharp embankments, camp trailers and motor homes are prohibited. Entry for the weekend is by reservation only. Flyers announcing the event and providing an application form are available at the Coe Park web site, http://www.coepark.parks.ca.gov; the REI stores in Berkeley, San Carlos, and Cupertino; Silacci's Feed Barn in Gilroy; Gunther's Feed Store in Morgan Hill; FISCO Farm & Home Store in Modesto; and at the Coe Park Visitor Center. Written requests for applications (self-addressed stamped business envelopes included) should be addressed to Application Forms, Coe Sector Office, 5750 Obata Way, Suite A., Gilroy, CA 95020.
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...by Rod Brown
MROSD is currently taking names for docent training. Docents go through a training program to teach them about flora, fauna, geology, and many other interesting topics about MROSD-managed lands. After completion of training, docents can lead official MROSD-sponsored rides or hikes on MROSD preserves. Exact schedule for the classes is being determined, but it will likely take place on several Thursday evenings and Saturdays from mid-April through June. This is a great opportunity to learn about the nearby lands that many of us ride on regularly, and it is a great opportunity for cyclists to get involved in an area which has primarily been staffed by hikers previously. If you are interested, please contact the MROSD volunteer coordinator, Lori Raymaker, at lraymaker@openspace.org. However, please don't delay. This is a popular class with limited spaces, and it fills up quickly, so call right away if you are interested.
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One day in the late 1980's, a woman named Marilyn Price made a dream a reality. Her dream was to help inner-city and low income kids expand their world; a world that sometimes doesn't even contain dreams of their own. By taking these kids on mountain bike rides with a program called Trips for Kids Marin, she shows them that a simple goal like making it to the top of a mountain is attainable. They take that sense of accomplishment home with them.
Twelve years later, Price's simple idea still works its magic, touching over 5000 kids in the Bay Area, since the program started. And the fever is spreading. The San Francisco Bay Area is clearly not the only community in the United States where there are kids who can benefit from a Trips For Kids program. Through the Trips For Kids National Program encouragement to start a ride program is just a phone call away. This moral support and inspiration has aided in the development of nine chapters across the country.
The Bike is the Vehicle
Kids and bikes are a natural combination. Everyone remembers riding around the neighborhood as a kid and the sense of freedom that two wheels instilled. So Trips For Kids uses this natural attraction to teach a number of valuable life lessons to youth from the inner city. At the end of a ride in the closing circle groups reflect on lessons learned and encourage the kids to apply these lessons to other aspects of life.
"I had one of the best times I have ever had in a long time." Vianney, age 15
The kids who come on Trips For Kids rides usually come from areas where "riding around the neighborhood" is not an option and most do not have access to bikes. In this environment, kids are given the chance to just be kids again and have some good old-fashioned fun.
"I learned if you keep trying you can get to the top." Morris, age 11
The goal at Trips For Kids is to use the bicycle to show kids that their efforts do bring rewards. This encourages a deeper sense of self-worth. The top of a mountain is a tangible goal that kids can achieve on a bicycle.
"If it weren't for Trips For Kids, I'd be dead now." Carlos, age 18
On these rides, kids learn that they can control not just a bike, but their lives as well. They see the direct cause of their actions - if they try to go too fast and don't use their brakes properly, they fall and get hurt. This is a valuable lesson for kids with discipline problems and those "at-risk" of ending up in gangs or prison.
"Today my legs hurt, but I would do it again." Luis, age 12
We've all heard the statistics. We are faced with a nation of young people that are fatter than ever. One day out on the trail shows these kids that sweating is fun too!
"I've never seen a deer in real life before !" Eva, age 13 (in an excited whisper)
Trips For Kids not only introduces kids to biking, but also to the big, beautiful outdoors. The unknown is often frightening and that's why Trips For Kids uses bikes. The fear of scary animals vanishes as they excitedly pedal along a beautiful trail. Without a program like Trips For Kids, someone like Morris might not ever learn that he can just keep on going. Someone like Luis might not ever learn that there is an element of fun and a sense of accomplishment in the challenge. The Eva's of this world might grow up with the city environment being her only reality. And Carlos would still be venting his frustration through violence.
For information on how to start a Trips For Kids group in your area, check their website at http://www.tripsforkids.org or contact:
Corry Wagner
c/o Trips For Kids
610 4th Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-458-2986
tfknatl@pacbell.net
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