Mountain Cyclist – Nov. 1999
Lead Stories
...by Kathleen Meyer
Still there, it hasn't moved far in three years. One of the first pages to come off our printer, this sign hangs on our refrigerator door, often referred to as a reminder when one of us starts complaining "life isn't fair". With a six and nine year old in the house this can happen more often than I would like. Nothing sets me off faster. When the whining starts in our house, it's time for a reality check. Perspective. Attitude.
Before you head back to the top of the page for a reality check of your own, yes, you are reading the ROMP newsletter. What has this got to do with mountain biking, you ask? Everything! I have heard conversations recently of illegal trail building. There have been discussions over what public stance ROMP should take towards this practice. There are a number of mountain bikers who feel ignored in recent years over the trail plan at El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve. This has led them to feel more empathy for those building these illegal trails.
Take my own feelings on the matter. Anyone remember a trail named Moody? Enough said! I don't need to go into my personal feelings of how some people tend to become more narrow-minded as they travel that singletrack trail of life. I have had my own disappointments and frustrations, speaking on deaf ears in certain public meetings. I have sat through meetings where the reasons and excuses that were passed on I considered unfit to pass off to my six year old. I have seen stalling tactics that surpassed anything my nine year old has tried at bedtime. Disappointed at times? No doubt! Yet I will not let these feelings change my staunch opposition to illegal trail building.
I recently had a conversation with the president of the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC). Having been a witness to many of the changes taking place on the other side of the hill, I asked him what he thought about the mountain biking situation there. He replied that he would love to have Tahoe-like trails in his backyard but, the reality is, he is not in Tahoe.
Individuals need to decide for themselves where they stand on the issue of illegal trail building. ROMP needs to decide where we as an organization stand and stand together. Are we who we say we are? If indeed we are to remain Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers, we must recheck our perspective, take an attitude check, and think about our integrity.
Do you want your voice heard? What do you what said on your behalf? Let your thoughts be known! To discuss this issue and other concerns of interest to local mountain bikers, ROMP will host an informal membership discussion on Saturday, November 6 at 7:00 PM, location TBD (call Kathleen at 408-374-6136 or watch the home page and email list for details closer to the date). Please come out for an open discussion on this and other local mountain issues that may be on your mind, and meet some other members while you are at it. If you can't attend, send us an email or write us a letter (board addresses contacts page), or come to the next board meeting: get involved!
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ROMP will be holding elections for all offices and coordinating positions at the next meeting, Nov. 22 (see the meetings page for location and directions). Please consider running for one of these positions; working behind the scenes with ROMP is fun, a great way to meet other riders, and a great way to have an impact on the local biking community. Even if you are not interested in running, please come to the meeting and vote. Your input is needed to make this club what you want it to be!
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...by Ross Finlayson
A public meeting was held September 20th to discuss the State Department of Parks & Recreation's General Plan for Castle Rock State Park. The General Plan does not specifically address mountain bike access, except to note that it will not be allowed in an area in the interior of the park that has been proposed as a nature preserve. (Fortunately, most of this area would be much too rugged for bikes anyway.) A future trails plan, to be developed, will address specific trail use, including, we hope, mountain biking on some trails elsewhere in the park. However, development of this plan is contingent upon passage of the General Plan (copies of the plan are available in the main branches of local libraries).
Overall the meeting went well. Despite opposition from the Sierra Club and the Native Plant Society, the general consensus of the public in attendance was that the General Plan, with at most minor modifications, should advance to the next stage. That stage, approval by the State Parks Planning Commission, seems very likely to happen, perhaps sometime next spring. Fortunately, mountain biking was not a significant issue at this meeting. One other ROMP member and I spoke briefly to support the General Plan and to remind people that we seek some mountain bike access as part of the future trails plan. There was one anti-mountain biking comment by a local resident of a private subdivision concerned about the possibility of bikes accessing the paved road that runs through this area into the park. However, after the meeting I assured her that we have absolutely no interest or desire to be able to ride along this road.
The bottom line: The process continues to move forward, albeit at a glacial pace. For mountain bikers, the crucial battles will lie in the future, when trail access decisions are made.
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...by Linda Kahn
Santa Clara County Parks now offer the Venture Pass, providing free vehicle entry to the 26 county parks and recreation areas within Santa Clara. If you frequent these parks on a regular basis, this pass is a great deal for unlimited parking and visiting. The static cling decal pass can be removed and applied to any vehicle you drive, making it ideal for families with multiple vehicles. The range of park choices include Almaden Quicksilver, Ed Levin, and Joseph D. Grant parks to name just a few. If you own a boat, a separate decal will allow you to launch your boat free of charge for an entire year at any of the Santa Clara County lakes managed by the park department.
Passes sell for $50 each (for each boat and car) and are valid for one year from the date of purchase. If you must have a second decal for a second vehicle, the cost is $25.00. Passes can be purchased at Any Mountain, Coyote Discount Bait and Tackle, Western Mountaineering, Reed's Sport Shop, and Mel Cotton's. You may also purchase passes at the Santa Clara County Parks Office, 298 Garden Hill Road, Los Gatos, 408-358-3741. More information on Santa Clara County Parks and the Venture Pass is available at www.parkhere.org.
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...by Karen Cotter, Bay Area Action Research Director
Bay Area Action, steward for Palo Alto's Arastradero Preserve, has been working throughout the year to improve this local favorite spot for beginner and intermediate riders. This past spring, Bay Area Action and the Trail Center spent several days improving a portion of the Perimeter Trail near Gate B where equestrians enter the park near Portola Pastures. This trail section was severely rutted, and vegetation and a collapsing wire fence were closing portions of the trail. Over 100 volunteers leveled and widen the trail and removed about 120 fence posts and 400 feet of wire.
The City of Palo Alto has applied for grants with the Coastal Conservancy and the California Department of Parks and Recreation to make further improvements to the preserve. One grant is for development of a trail system master plan for Arastradero Preserve, and the other grant will be used to implement portions of the master plan, including reducing the steep slope along portions of upper Acorn Trail.
This fall, the boggy section of the Corte Madera Trail between the new bridge and the lake will be repaired. This section gets so muddy during the rainy season that hikers and bikers venture 50 feet off the trail to find secure footing. Look for the new trail surface around Thanksgiving, and give thanks to the City of Palo Alto's Open Space and Sciences for the improvements.
If you would like to help Bay Area Action with this and other projects at the preserve, come out and join their regular volunteer days. For more information, see the volunteer opportunity listings.
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