KTMrad

Yes, I know Ed, it's important to get him back on the commission. Please send in your letters. Ed has done so much for the off-road community. Those of you who choose not to get involved, or all you want to do is ride....do you want everyone else to do the work to keep our lands open ?? Send letters, e-mails and donate $$ to the off-road groups !!

Info on how you can get started to help........LINK Here

Find out what's going on with off-road, environmental and land use issues. Info and Directions

Yeah DD, great shots.....thanks for sharing. Makes me want to go exploring !!

Good information..............especially about recreation budgets, and wilderness designation.....read on. Washington Newsletter March, 2007 FY 2008 Federal Budget The Congress finally put to bed the FY 2007 budget by passing a continuing resolution that provides funding for most federal agencies at the 2006 funding level for the remainder of the 2007 fiscal year. In short, this means that most agencies are operating on a flat budget. When you factor in the cost of inflation, most agencies actually have less spending power in 2007 than in 2006. Some would argue that this isn’t all that bad, but when it comes to funding recreation programs on public lands, this is a growing problem. And sadly, the President’s proposed budget for FY 2008 further disadvantages recreation on Forest Service land. The Administration has proposed cutting the Forest Service’s recreation budget by 11% ($29 million) from the estimated funding level of FY 2007. The proposed budget would also cut 6% ($4 million) from the trails budget as compared to the estimated FY ’07 budget. When you consider that the Forest Service has more than 15,000 recreation facilities and is devoting resources to implement the Travel Management Rule, it doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that more campgrounds are going to be closed and more trails eliminated if less money is available for recreation. ARRA will be fighting to restore the cuts to the Forest Service’s recreation and trails budgets. And, we are going to be asking you as ARRA members, to join us in that fight by being in touch with your Representative and Senators on this important issue. We will be sending a special alert enlisting your participation when the timing is right. One bright note in the FY 2008 budget submittal is the fact that the National Park Service is slated to receive a $227 million increase over what it received in FY 2007. This increase is in recognition of the fact that the Park Service has innumerable problems including a huge maintenance backlog and a declining visitation rate at many of its parks. Our hope is that if the Congress grants this increase, we will see a more positive attitude emerge from the Park Service in terms of recreation issues. We will have to wait and see whether more dollars translate into more access. Wilderness Legislation In recent years we have witnessed a rather large increase in the number of wilderness designation bills introduced in the Congress. It seems as though every Representative or Senator wants to leave a legacy of having preserved in perpetuity a spot of land. To date, more than 107 million acres of federal land have been designated as wilderness areas, meaning that any mechanized access to these areas, for any purpose, is forbidden. In the last Congress alone, more than one million additional acres were designated as wilderness. One would think that there is nothing else left to designate. Think again. With both houses of Congress now controlled by the Democrats, we anticipate that designations will actually increase over those of previous years. In the coming weeks and months, we will be identifying wilderness designation proposals that could have an adverse effect on mechanized forms of recreation. We have already heard from some local and regional OHV clubs about steps they are taking to protect their favorite riding areas. This is a public policy issue that deserves more attention on our part and it will have it throughout 2007. Regional and National Recreation Forums As we reported last month, the American Recreation Coalition and the National Forest Foundation are sponsoring with the U. S. Forest Service and other federal agencies a series of regional forums on recreation. Suggestions coming out of these regional forums will then be forwarded to a National Forum to be held on April 30th in Washington, D. C. Regional forums are being held this month in Golden, Colorado; Marietta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; Portland, Oregon and Chicago, Illinois. If you want a voice at any of these forums, you must register ahead of time. To learn more and to register, please access this web address: www.recreationforums.info. It is imperative that access issues relating to motorized recreation be raised at these regional forums. If not, then there is always a possibility that access issues will not emerge as a priority on the national recreation agenda when the final list is assembled at the National Forum in Washington. So, if you live close to any of the regional venues listed above, please give some thought to attending and participating. Global Warming Fears Contribute to User Conflict User conflict on the trails is not only a summer problem nor an exclusive issue west of the Mississippi. In the State of New York where the magnificent Adirondack State Park is located, a movement is afoot to reconfigure hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails in order to satisfy the demands of snowmobilers, environmentalists and hikers. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation last year released a 404 page master plan called, the “Snowmobile Plan for the Adirondack Park. This plan came out of a multi-year process of public meetings and focus groups comprised of local officials, environmentalists, private land owners and snowmobilers. The plan does several things. First, it recognizes the positive economic impact that snowmobiling has on those communities located in economically depressed upstate New York. Second, it tries to bring some semblance of order to the network of snowmobile trails that cross both park and privately owned land by establishing “community connectors” and “town-to-town networks.” All sides seem to be arguing over various points of the plan. And some observers are beginning to wonder whether technical and legal issues won’t eventually kill the plan. If that happens, it will be most unfortunate for those communities dependant upon snowmobiling giving their local economies a much needed boost during winter months. Interestingly, the global climate change issue seems to be having an impact on the political strategy of some groups. Some believe that global warming is the cause of reduced snowfall, in recent years, in this part of New York State. These same folks fear that if this trend continues and if snowmobiling declines in popularity, political pressure will build to permit ATVs access to the Adirondack Park. Current policy bans ATVs on state-owned land. So, rather than trying to implement the plan as presented, some believe political deadlock better serves in minimizing snowmobile access and ensuring no ATV access in the future. This is not what I would call enlightened policy, but maybe we should blame it on the heat and CO2 emissions! Motorized Vehicle Route Designation Workshops In the coming weeks and months, three more workshops are planned on the Forest Service Travel Management Rule. Upcoming venues include Arkansas, Colorado and Montana. And more are being planned. Please click here to find out more specific information about these important workshops. Sincerely, Larry E. Smith Executive Director ARRA

Canyonlands National Park on the White Rim Trail....Moab, Utah

Hmmmm.....hope I can ride by then. If so, I'll be on the mighty 950. First day, first ride on my 950 with street oriented tires......Kiernan Cycle Trail from 4 Corners, Corral Canyon to Pine Valley.

Under Rides, Events, and Important Issues Category.....a new forum to post info and read about anything related to riding in Baja.

A message I got from ADVrider............... ------------------------------------------------------------- Many of you know Coco of Cocos Corner in Baja. He asked me when I was there to pass along this request on, "That pinche' compootor maacheen." If you don't know Coco he's on the road from San Felipe to Chapala and worth knowing! Coco is an amputee and a diabetic. He has a little trouble with his leg and needs dressings on a regular basis. His request is for anyone heading down to bring him... 4"x 4" individually wrapped gauze squares. (very hard to keep large rolls clean down there) And original formula Neosporin. (big tubes, he uses a lot) If you are going down, post up here and maybe others can help with expenses. Coco is a true Baja character and I hope we can give him some big AdvRider style help. Here is the LINK to this ADVrider Topic and how you can help

You both have a good point, we'll leave it here, no problem.

Nice, CrazyToes !!

San Diego to Moab Utah, and back....2600 miles in 10 days..... Here's a few from the Slickrock Bike Trail on our big Adventure Bikes. Me on the Elefant On our big bikes, as mountain bikers watch........ Mad Mike on his R1200 GS This switchback too tight to ride on the Elefant, so got off to Bulldog it around Mike negotiating a tight turn, I'm standing next to him to help, just in case..... Mike riding on an off-camber section of slickrock Surveying an off-camber section before attempting it on a big 1200GS Mikey made it across, no problem.....it was a narrow spot where he had to worry about the cylinder heads hitting the rock on one side, and the edge of the trail on the other. Notice the mountain bikers looking on.... Ron on a tight hairpin, riding his KTM 640 Adventure Rider showing off, but he was riding a "girlie bike" The ravine where we decided to turn around....we heard it was worse after this, which influenced our decision, but later we heard this was the toughest spot....so, next time we plan to do the entire loop. The other side of ravine, which had an off-camber, rock step. Posing at the Slickrock Trail sign

Links to all trip photos here........Indian Country to Moab, Utah Part 1: 89 photos Part 2: 98 photos You can click on the slideshow button, and adjust slideshow speed from 5 seconds to 10 seconds, or look at the photos invidually.

We already had a link to the petition, but if this gives it more coverage and get's more people involved, GREAT !! Not everyone reads every post, but....this is only my opinion......they should be keeping up on everything in the Environmental / Land Use forum. If you don't get involved now, we will lose the trails due to our own Apathy !! Getting Involved is a subject I am going to keep on emphasizing on SDAR. One of my goals of starting SDAR was to help keep people informed and try to motivate them to get involved. OK, Rant Over....sorry. Thanks Chris.

Here's a copy of letter I sent to Hunter and Boxer.......feel free to use the general emphasis of the letter, and redo in your own words. I urge everyone on SDAR to send an e-mail and hard copy letter to both Hunter and Boxer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Honorable Duncan Hunter House of Representatives 2265 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515?0552 Re: Boxer's Wilderness Bill Dear Representative Hunter, I am writing you because I am extremely concerned about Barbara Boxer's 2007 California Wild Heritage Bill S.493, which proposes 36 new Wilderness additions totaling over 1.1 million acres. Wilderness designation means the only way to access that land is by foot. How many people actually go out to hike hundreds of miles into wilderness areas, after it is designated as wilderness ? I would venture to say it is probably not very many people. Lands need to be designated as multiple use. Education is the key to minimizing impact from human usage on lands, not closing the land down and designating it as Wilderness. I believe in proper land management, enforcement and education to keep public lands open for the people. We, the people, are suffering from improper management of public lands and improper management of federal budgets, thus allocating less money to the land agencies that should be managing the lands. The people of the United States should not suffer and lose access to our public lands because of improper management of funds. Our representatives and land management agencies need to listen to the people and stop bowing down to the environmental extremist organizations. Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns. Sincerely,

Started a thread under ride reports for the Slickrock Bike Trail.

White Rim Trail, Moab Utah, our ride from San Diego to Moab and back, 2004. Mad Dog Mike on his R1200GS, and my Ducati 900 Elefant at sunset.

I've been wanting to go ride the 5 Miles of Hell for years now, someday soon. The UTMA (Utah Trail Machine Association) puts on a yearly ride thru that area. Just so you know, that whole area is another area in danger of being closed, as are many awesome places to ride in Utah....another reason to support your groups, including Blue Ribbon Coalition, which is national !! Crawdad, I rode the first few miles of the Slickrock Bike Trail in Moab on my Ducati 900 Elefant, my friend Mike was on his R1200GS, and Ron on his KTM 640 Adventure. We turned around at a ravine, but later found out that was the toughest spot, so we could've continued on and finished the loop. We were getting a lot of funny stares from the mountain bikers, as we rode the trail on our big Adventure Bikes.

Link HERE to your Senators and local Congressman, for writing letters and sending e-mails.

I hate politics too. But since riding is my passion, I must do my part in getting involved in these issues, and trying to get others involved so we can work together to keep our lands open. Thanks John.

Yep, I agree. I just met Jim this weekend, and am sorry to see him leaving so soon. I figure I'll see him when I go on my next adventure to Alaska. Capt. Jim, good luck and have a safe trip. Remember, you're always welcome here on SDAR, and come back to visit and go riding with us. Some time soon, we'll have to do the Dust to Dawson ride together with the ADVrider Alaska crew, from AK, to Dawson City in the Yukon Territory.

They have tent spaces at Butterfield Ranch also. If you're looking for primitive tent spots, I recommend the Blair Valley area on S2. There are other, small primitive camp spots all along Hwy. S2, which are all shown on the Desert Map mentioned in previous post. With facilities....Tamarisk Grove is a nice State Park campground with bathrooms, at the intersection of Yaqui Pass Rd. and Hwy. 78. Palm Canyon State Park campground with facilities, in Borrego Springs.

This emphasizes how important fighting this Wilderness Bill is, and also to join CORVA and support them with donations......it takes money to pay for the full-time attorney that the groups are using, and it IS making a difference. With proceeds from the Desert Dash, San Diego Adventure Riders is sending a donation to Stewards of the Seqouia (as well as other groups) to help their efforts, since they're making such a difference in keeping trails open. From Stewards of the Seqouia........ OPPOSITION TO INAPPROPRIATE WILDERNESS Thanks to the many groups who provided letters of opposition to s-493 Wilderness bill, which would close 23% (104,000 acres) of the remaining multiple use lands in Sequoia to all of us who have adopted the trails & volunteer. It also proposes 35 new wilderness areas in California. This bill failed in 2002 & 2006, but has a greater chance of passage in the new congress this year. We need to be very active to ensure the bill is not passed in it's current form. In a private meeting with a high level legislator Stewards Executive Director Chris Horgan & VP of Land Use Glen Maki, presented the letters opposing s-493, along with the Stewards report pointing out why these areas should be preserved for multiple use, not designated as Wilderness. Contrary to Wilderness Advocates spin many legislators & a large segment (most likely the majority) of the public are opposed to these inappropriate Wilderness additions. We are working with legislators & other recreation groups on an alternative to Wilderness, which will keep our trails open. You will be hearing more about this soon & how you can help. AWARDS FOR STEWARDS Stewards recently received a number of awards from legislators recognizing our tremendous volunteer & stewardship efforts. At the Dirt Rider 24 Hour Don Amador of Blue Ribbon Coalition handed out one award for Outstanding Land Use Activist. He gave it to Stewards of the Sequoia. This past week Stewards received a request from a local ecological preserve manager asking us how we have been so successful in our volunteer efforts. Of course the reason is we care. Thanks to all the members who have helped maintain the trails. It has kept them in good condition & has also provided credibility for our efforts to keep them open. Please join us for a Trail Appreciation day. Check the dates at here Stewards of the Sequoia (Events / Schedule) TRAIL PRESERVATION COMMITTEE At our last Stewards meeting we established a committee that will work to preserve our trails. Their efforts combined will culminate in a trail plan to protect multiple use trails. The committee volunteers deserve a big thank you. SPECIALIST HIRED TO HELP CRAFT TRAIL ALTERNATIVE With the right tools you can do any job & something Stewards lacks is the expert knowledge to write the most effective trails alternative. To remedy this Stewards has hired a professional NEPA specialist to help us keep our trails open, at an estimated cost of a few thousand dollars. This has caused a large drain on our limited bank account. We need everyone to at least make your base membership donation for this year. Please donate more if you can. Stewards of the Sequoia (Donations) CORVA PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO STEWARDS We have been using the full time CORVA lawyer & Lobbyist in our efforts to keep Sequoia trails open. Everyone needs to be a member of CORVA in order to help pay for these invaluable tools, as well as to support CORVA's efforts to keep trails open statewide CORVA Donations Here ~Together we can keep our trails open~ Chris Horgan Stewards of the Sequoia

From Butterfield Ranch, you turn north on S2, and about 2 mile up is the turnoff (left) for Oriflamme Canyon, which takes you out to 78 Banner Grade by the Banner Store. From Butt. Ranch, if you go about 5 miles north on S2 you can turn right for the Blair Valley Loop. From Butt. Ranch, if you go about 8 miles north on S2, you turn right at the Pinyon Mountain sign which will lead you to the Squeeze and Heart Attack Hill, Fish Creek to Ocotillo Wells. Then there's many choices to go back thru Anza Borrego to get to Butterfield Ranch. From Butt. Ranch, if you turn south on S2, the first dirt canyons are accessible from Vallecito Creek Wash. The Mudcaves are down there, and you can go thru Arroyo Seco Del Diablo to take you to Fish Creek and Ocotillo Wells. Or, from Vallecito Creek, you can head south thru Canyon Sin Nombre and ride mostly dirt to get to Ocotillo by Interstate 8 and then to Plaster City and Superstition. All trails thru Anza Borrego State Park are for Street Legal Vehicles Only. You need to get yourself the Anza Borrego Desert Region map, by Earthwalk Press.....it's the best one for the area. Also, get the BLM WECO Map for the Ocotillo, Plaster City and Superstition area trails. There is another campground on S2 in Shelter Valley where we held the 2nd Desert Dash, it is nice also, a little more expensive. It's about a 1/4 mile north on S2 from the dirt turnoff for the Squeeze and Heart Attack Hill. For the DD, we like Butterfield Ranch better. Hope this helps !!

Hmmmm, interesting........since we were just riding through Anza Borrego......... Article HERE Do they ever think that many problems are from overpopulation ? ........which causes so many more problems.