Aug 24

Ridge Trail Cruz will preview Ridge Trail in Sanborn County Park

Categories:

Events, Rides

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The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is pleased to announce the 4th annual Ridge Trail Cruz will include an opportunity for mountain bikers to take a “preview cruz” on the Ridge Trail in Sanborn County Park.

The Ridge Trail Cruz is a full multi-use event, where hikers, cyclists and equestrians celebrate and enjoy the amazing trail system along the Skyline Corridor.

As part of this one-day special event, cyclists will be able to ride the Ridge Trail route through Sanborn County Park before the park�s official opening to mountain bikes [riders MUST be registered for this event to ride in the park]. Advance registration is required and attendance is limited.

The Cruz is a fully supported event with light breakfast, rest stops, lunch, water, route leaders, and maps provided. For more information, visit http://ridgetrail.org/about/news_detail.cfm?id=171

Thanks to Council partners MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District for their incredible support of this event, and Santa Clara County Parks for supporting the Cruz with permission for this special opportunity for cyclists.

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Jun 15

Solving Californias Economic Drought

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News

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This afternoon held some �good news, bad news� for California�s state park system.

The bad news first � the Legislature�s Budget Conference Committee voted to adopt the Governor�s proposal to eliminate core, state funding for our state parks. But the good news – and it�s good!- is that the committee also voted to enact the State Park Access Pass, CSPF�s proposal from last year to institute a surcharge on vehicle license fees of non-commercial vehicles, in order to provide Californians with free day-use access to state parks and generate much-needed revenues for the system. The version adopted by the Budget Conference Committee today differs from last year�s proposal in that today�s action adopted a $15 fee, in order to gain permanent General Fund savings of approximately $143 million annually. In exchange for paying the fee, residents driving into state parks with a California license plate would receive free day-use entrance into state parks.

This is good news, but it’s only one step toward a final budget victory. Since the vote was divided, this proposal still has a high hurdle to overcome, in order to be enacted. Please TAKE ACTION and send a message to your legislator supporting the State Park Access Pass and urging the Legislature to Save Our State Parks!

TAKE ACTION

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May 22

MROSD conflicts and the Multiple Use Doctrine

Categories:

Land Management, News

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Hello,

I�m a student at UC Davis interested in the management of public lands, multiple use planning, and mountainbiking. I�m currently taking a class in environmental law, and am writing a paper focusing on the MROSD El Corte de Madera conflict with an emphasis on compliance with multiple use legislation. However, I am not very in tune with the area or the conflict; I have ridden there once and have some limited information about the district�s management policies so far, but have since been researching and trying to find out more about the controversy as it stands now.

From reading MROSD�s website and its plans for its El Corte de Madera Watershed Protection Program, it would appear that the district cares about the interests of mountainbikers in the area and is serious about planning for them. Yet, I keep hearing stories about their goals of changing their criteria of a �trail�, limiting mountainbikers to using 65% of their trails, and taming down the ones that we do use. I have no personal experience with the district (though I have requested an email interview from them), so am now asking whether anyone has any personal experience to share, possibly from a public meeting about any of these changes, running for a position on the Board of Directors, etc. This is probably the closest thing I will get to an interview from someone in the mountainbike community, so any input at all would be greatly appreciated. And in return, if anyone is interested I will let them read my completed paper.

Thank you!
Allie

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Apr 24

April / May 2009 issue of ROMP News is on line now

Categories:

News, Newsletter

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Check out the latest issue of the Mountain Cyclist On Line

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Apr 24

Cyclist Rescues Hiker

Categories:

Advocacy, News

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“As I rode out from the park on Old Haul rd, I encountered a hiker yelling for help… I approached her, she was separated from a Santa Cruz chapter of the Sierra Club , had pretty much no idea where she was. I directed her towards, and stayed with her til near the Wurr rd parking area, which was where her group of 12 had embarked, and she was headed exactly the opposite direction of. When she reconnected with her group in about 2 miles,she burst out crying, was so relieved to see them. They were most appreciative of my assistance…we spoke briefly on the nature of reconnoitering one’s self out of the Redwood forest..how disorienting it truly can be, even when one has a map…. I was sure to add, that it was quite ironic that a fellow on a Bicycle, which has + continues to be many times the target of some Sierra Club slings, rescued one of theirs. This point was not lost on their group, we spoke of the need to build on these strengths. Who knows, maybe a few anti pedalers were moved to a more neutral, possibly even pro pedaler position yesterday”.

— Jim

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Apr 16

Giant Salamander Trail Re-Opened

Categories:

Land Management, News

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The giant salamander trail at ecdm re-opened today, and I got a chance to get out there and ride it. The trail provides an important connector and is fun to ride in both directions

My route took me from Skeggs point along Tafoni and then down fir and past the top or Resolution all the way to Methuselah. This section of Fir is pretty steep, a little rocky and outsloped in such a way as to make it reasonably challenged. On the original hydrology maps it is slated to be closed at some time in the future. I am not sure of the status of that now.

I headed down Methuselah finding some air off the water bars until I got to the northern end of GS trail.

This end of the trail was finished last fall and was covered with straw and much slashing to bring the width of the trail in the twenty foot corridor down to a pretty consistent three feet. The sign at this end says it is .9 miles to the other end.

From here the trail descends and winds and undulates with great flow over three fairly large bridges and two or three puncheons where it crosses significant headwaters if the el corte de madera creek. This section of trail is really sweet!

From there the trail climbs out of the creek at a Consistently overgraze pitch of probably 20%. MROSD staff did a nice job in a challenging alignment to encorporate grade reversals through this section. While not the fastest rider, I pride myself on my ability to clean short, steep and technically challenging sections. This one is both challenging an doable.

Towards the top of this section the trail was built two years ago, and already numerous small plants are sprouting in the slash beside the trail. It is my opinion, that in a few years the slashed sections should have substantial new vegetation and will not be a reminder of the cranes and front loaders that were in this corridor to remove an old and undersized culvert.

Eventually the climb becomes more gradual and you meander through the young redwood grove at the top of GS where it joins lower timberview. There a sign states that in the other direction the trail is 1.3 miles long.

I headed down a ways so that I could better recall the time I took south leaf to Virginia mill and then up timberview to the southern end of GS. This climb as I recall required some significant effort but makes a great loop.

The other way to get to the southern end of GS is to descend Timberview from the bottom of Manzanita or crossscut trails. MROSD moved this end of GS further down the timberview fireroad making it a glad mile descent from the terminus of crosscut. This descent is known to be popular with rangers with radar guns.

At this point I tried the new Giant salamander in the longer, south to north direction. It starts with a meander through the redwoods, followed by some nice float descent, and a hair raising switchback into the bridge section. After the first couple bridges the trail descends rapidly over the big grade reversals reminiscent of parts of the mid- mountain trail in Park City. This is a challenging section in both directions.

Overwall, I think the new GS is a great example of world class singletrack in a challenging corridor. I appreciate the time and effort and big bucks the District sunk into this trail to keep it open. I am no expert but I’d guess easily 250,000 of our taxpayer dollars if not double that.

Is the new GS better than the old? Well, it is different. I have fond memories of careening down the old GS over the rock gardens within sight and smell the creek that produced cool moist air even on the hottest days. The new GS continues to provide an important connector with good flow and rideable in both directions. My preference might be north to south though.

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Apr 16

5/19 – Public Hearing Draft Master Plan for the La Honda Open Space Preserve

Categories:

Land Management, News

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Hi all,
I’ve never posted here, but I got the following email, which I am sure others also received. Is is worth going to this and speaking up for mountain biking, or has the MSROD BOD already decided to shut us out?
Thanks!
-johann
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You are cordially invited to join us on May 19 as the District�s Board of Directors considers tentative adoption of the Draft Master Plan for the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve. For additional project updates and information, please visit the La Honda Creek Master Plan project page.

Please Join Us for a Public Hearing on the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Master Plan
When: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 6:30 p.m. � 9:00 p.m.
Where: Alvin S. Hatch Elementary School, Multipurpose Room [Map]
490 Miramontes Avenue
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
What: From Highway One in Half Moon Bay, take Kelly Avenue towards the ocean.
Turn left on Alsace Lorraine
Turn left again on Miramontes Avenue

Participation is key to a great plan!
Email questions or comments to lahondamasterplan@openspace.org,
call Project Manager Ana Ruiz at (650) 691-1200,
or visit the project page at www.openspace.org.

Click ‘read more’ to see a sample letter you can send in by 5/13

On behalf of myself, ROMPs 300+ current members, and the more than 100,000 mountain bikers we represent, I’d like to congratulate the planning staff and the ad hoc committee for taking into account the overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding allowing mountain biking in La Honda Creek Open Space preserve. We feel strongly this is the right decision and are excited to see that there will be cycling related, light recreational opportunities for La Honda residents and inhabitants of the entire bay area.

We’d like to commend the District on a bold move to close perhaps 1/4 of the preserve to the public to protect Red Legged Frog and San Francisco Garter Snake habitat. We appreciate and respect the District’s mission to preserve protect and restore open space.

Finally, as a Director of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, I recommend draft two which permits cyclists access to the Bay Area Ridge Trail Segment through La Honda Creek Open Space without a docent. This is imperative to the success of the Ridge Trail’s mission to create a multi-use trail that circumnavigates the Bay. Few people get to enjoy the SF water section of Ridge Trail north of 92 because of the docent only restriction and this is a shame.

We support draft option 2 with the following addenda:

1. Permit biking along the entire length of the Driscoll Ranch main access road (trail 1). It’s a fire road used by heavy trucks, hikers and equestrians. Adding Cycling to the use of this road would not be a significant impact to the environment, Driscoll Ranch, or the surrounding neighborhoods.

2. Cyclists enjoy a good view as much as anyone else. Permit cycling on trails 12 and 13 up to “Ray’s Peak”. This would add another loop to the region near the town of La Honda and would spread the cycling use out, creating more positive user experiences for everyone.

3. Allow mountain biking on some or all of the flatter trails for the neighborhood behind Alice’s Restaurant such as the Redwood Cabin Loop Trail (7), Vista Point Loop trail (3), and the Easy Access Loop Trail. The cycling and outdoor recreation needs of the residents in the Skywood Keber neighborhoods have not been addressed.

4. Allow for reconsideration of the No Public Access in the northwest portion of the preserve in the event that a future preferred alignment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail falls within that corridor.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Joshua Moore

President, Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers

Director at Large, Bay Area Ridge Trail Council

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