Fall's here and it couldn't be more beautiful up in the high country. Get up there and enjoy before the inevitable storm shuts these trails down for the season!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
copied from Off Camber site
UPDATE - 9:15 PM, Tuesday night. Wanna do some trailwork on the West Mag Trails? Sick! We're starting this Wednesday night, and going every Wednesday night until snowfall makes it impossible. Meet at the Nederland High School parking lot at 6:10 pm...perfect for all you folks taking the 5:40 bus home. We'll work for about two hours...until it gets dark. Bring your bike because you'll need it to access the points. For those of you coming from the flat lands - we'll finish just in time for you to catch the 8:17 pm bus back to Boulder. See ya there! DV.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Local knowledge...
FYI. I'd also suggest checking out www.offcamber.com for more insight into some of the concerns of Nederland locals re: West Mag and the Bike Patrols efforts in the area. In fact a meeting of the minds has been convened for tomorrow at the 1st St Pub in Ned so come on up and let's talk trails (and drink beers) and hopefully make a plan of attack to have a concrete positive impact RIGHT NOW. 6:15pm Wednesday 8/16. See below for some local suggestions for areas most needing some trail work ASAP...
"Amen. In the collective Off Camber opinion what's the #1 trail fix needed (short of a decimating plague) right now in Ned?"
Posted by: M.O. Alford August 10, 2006 at 11:35 AM
Rock on. Now we're getting somewhere. Some concerns:
– The trail known as Sugar Mag is an eroded gully in many places, a wide swath in all places. I was thinking about this - by creating visual obstacles it may be possible to enhance this trail. Ditto that for the below.
- Hobbit Trail is severely eroded, especially the upper sections
- The closure of Tennessee Mountain stuff is troublesome. I've been considering setting up a meeting with the Tolls to try and open dialougue, but would be interested in hearing what you have done.
- I think you'll find volume of riders to be a fairly consistent theme with the mountain residents. Trespassing is a big problem. Maybe just a dialougue about mountain culture and what values are important to us. Similarly, we need to know where you are coming from as well.
I coach a group of ten kids ages 13-16 who want to be put to work with trail issues. We are up on West Mag pretty much every day.
That's my $.02 for now. More as I think of it.
Dan
"Amen. In the collective Off Camber opinion what's the #1 trail fix needed (short of a decimating plague) right now in Ned?"
Posted by: M.O. Alford August 10, 2006 at 11:35 AM
Rock on. Now we're getting somewhere. Some concerns:
– The trail known as Sugar Mag is an eroded gully in many places, a wide swath in all places. I was thinking about this - by creating visual obstacles it may be possible to enhance this trail. Ditto that for the below.
- Hobbit Trail is severely eroded, especially the upper sections
- The closure of Tennessee Mountain stuff is troublesome. I've been considering setting up a meeting with the Tolls to try and open dialougue, but would be interested in hearing what you have done.
- I think you'll find volume of riders to be a fairly consistent theme with the mountain residents. Trespassing is a big problem. Maybe just a dialougue about mountain culture and what values are important to us. Similarly, we need to know where you are coming from as well.
I coach a group of ten kids ages 13-16 who want to be put to work with trail issues. We are up on West Mag pretty much every day.
That's my $.02 for now. More as I think of it.
Dan
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Rocky Mtn News article 8/5/06
The paths less chosen
Renegade trails are a hit with those in the know, but rules are not clear cut
Marc Piscotty © News Trails in the West Magnolia Trail System near Nederland, like the one M.O. Alford is traversing, probably were cut by motorcycles, which no longer are allowed. Alford helps educate riders about access issues regarding the trails and to help ensure resource conservation in the area.
STORY TOOLS
Email this story Print
By Hannah Nordhaus, Special to the News August 5, 2006
They are most everywhere you ride your mountain bike, but you may never know they're there. Many are hidden behind
minefields of deadfall and tangled brush, made to be missed.
They are renegade trails - built, improved or maintained by local hikers, bikers and motocross enthusiasts, and frequented only by those in the know. They contain singletrack so narrow you are fighting off limbs and bushes as you ride, so untouched by bike tires that you may never see a rut or a washboard. They often have clandestine names like "Double Super-Secret."
Land managers call them "social" and "user- created" trails. Many routes have been frequented for years by locals to walk their dogs or connect to other trails. Others were created specifically for motorcross or mountain biking and are purposely hidden from view - riders walk their bikes around piles of deadfall and tangled brush to get out of sight of the sanctioned trail or road, to keep nosy rangers and unworthy passers-by off the scent.
These trails can be found on local, state and federal lands across Colorado. The forests off the Peak to Peak Highway near Nederland are crisscrossed with them.
Many of Fruita's most popular mountain bike trails - they now are the town's major attraction - originally were renegade routes hand built by a group of locals using Pulaskis (ax-mattock combination tools used for firefighting) and Italian grape arbor tools, which local bike shop owner Troy Rarick describes as "garden hoes on steroids."
Rumor has it that bikers even have built short-lived downhill trails on uber-regulated City of Boulder Open Space.
People build rogue trails in order to fill an unmet need, Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol director Jason Vogel said.
"Most of these people would rather be riding bikes than building trails, but they can't find the experience they're looking for on the officially sanctioned trails - either a more technically challenging trail, or a significant connection between trail systems, or a longer ride, or one they can do from their house."
Rarick said renegade-trail builders in Fruita tend to focus their efforts in areas that have not yet been incorporated into local land management plans.
"What they do is find areas that are out of the way, and once these areas start to get planned and mapped by the (Bureau of Land Management), mountain bikers say, 'Look, we've already got rides out there.' "
Public land agency policies vary on the legality of using these trails - in places such as Boulder County Open Space, bikers are required to stay on designated trails at all times.
On Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management property, the rules are less clear cut: cross-country travel is legal for hikers, bikes and horses unless otherwise marked. Motorcycles and ATVs, though, only can be on trails that are specifically designated as open for motorized use.
It is illegal to construct bootleg trails on most all public land. The Forest Service, for instance, prohibits "constructing, placing or maintaining" trails without authorization.
If a person is caught building a renegade trail on Forest Service land, he or she is subject to a ticket and fine, about the same as a speeding ticket - about $75 currently. On Boulder County Open Space, fines begin at $50.
Riding on such a trail, unless it is signed, falls into more of a "gray area," though. While you're allowed to ride anywhere, you are not permitted to maintain illegal trails; riding on such a trail could be construed as maintaining it.
If a renegade trail is found, officials often will "obliterate" it, but they might ignore longtime social trails on Forest Service land, which aren't officially illegal - although they are not officially legal, either. Once travel management plans are completed, a process that will take several years, those trails will either be "in" or "out" of the system, and all illegal trails will be obliterated, resources permitting.
Some mountain bike enthusiasts have interpreted regulations to mean that it is legal to create new trails if you don't take tools to the land, relying instead on your bike tracks to tamp down the vegetation and using your hands to move aside downed branches and loose rocks that are in the way.
Ed Perault, recreation staff supervisor of the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho- Roosevelt National Forest, argues against such legalistic interpretations.
"Your hand is a tool, your bike wheels are tools," he said. "If you have the intent of going back and riding the same trail again, that can be interpreted as trail construction. You're breaking the law and you're tearing up the forest."
Vogel, who has a Ph.D. in environmental policy, believes these guerrilla trails are examples of why more sanctioned routes are needed.
While many renegade trails are beautifully built, contouring and rolling along hillsides to allow water to run off and control excessive speeds, others drop straight down the fall line, creating ruts and erosion problems and are cut through ecologically sensitive areas, disrupting wildlife and native plants.
One such route in Boulder County, the Cactus Trail, drops steeply down a hillside like an open wound.
"It looks like the Earth just vomited rocks onto its surface, with loose, red rocks tumbling down the mountain," Vogel said. "We need to figure out a way to build challenging trails that aren't an environmental disaster. Otherwise, people will build a trail like that; it will erode . . . and then, when it's not rideable anymore, they will build another one nearby."
Vogel instead would like to see cooperation along the lines of what developed in Whistler, British Columbia, where land managers, struggling to keep up with a proliferation of illegal trails, ultimately decided it was better to legalize and regulate the trails than to risk having bikers build new, unsustainable ones in environmentally sensitive areas.
"Now, Whistler is a mecca, a destination where thousands and thousands of people go to recreate on their bikes," he said, "and they don't have rogue trail-building problems anymore."
Local bikers have made some progress. In Boulder County, outside Nederland, the Forest Service incorporated the West Magnolia complex of social trails into its official system with the help and volunteer services of the local mountain bike community.
Local mountain bikers helped identify the trails and install kiosks and signs, and now bike patrollers such as Vogel assist the Forest Service in managing the trail system, passing out maps, aiding riders with mechanical or medical issues and educating them about proper trail etiquette.
Soon, the Boulder Ranger District, which is facing skyrocketing visitor numbers and increased user conflict and resource degradation, will conduct similar reviews in other popular mountain bike areas. The extent of the renegade bike trails officially adopted will depend on the participation and commitment of local bikers and available funding, as well as other priorities, such as resource protection and competing uses.
After the trail systems are updated, bikes will be allowed only on official system routes specifically identified for mountain bike use, and the current "gray area" of semilegal social trails will be off-limits to bikers.
"We aren't going to turn our heads anymore," Perault said. "Unfortunately, we don't have the financial resources to be able to sustain the trail system that the public
really wants. It's a tough scene, but the Forest Service is facing making some pretty serious decisions in the next few years, and it will affect a lot of folks."
Similar reviews are being conducted for other Front Range forests, and the resulting restrictions won't just apply to bikes. That means no more camping outside designated campsites, no bushwhacking on your horse and no more unfettered renegade trail riding.
"Very few people understand that this era is coming to an end," Vogel said.
Renegade trails are a hit with those in the know, but rules are not clear cut
Marc Piscotty © News Trails in the West Magnolia Trail System near Nederland, like the one M.O. Alford is traversing, probably were cut by motorcycles, which no longer are allowed. Alford helps educate riders about access issues regarding the trails and to help ensure resource conservation in the area.
STORY TOOLS
Email this story Print
By Hannah Nordhaus, Special to the News August 5, 2006
They are most everywhere you ride your mountain bike, but you may never know they're there. Many are hidden behind
minefields of deadfall and tangled brush, made to be missed.
They are renegade trails - built, improved or maintained by local hikers, bikers and motocross enthusiasts, and frequented only by those in the know. They contain singletrack so narrow you are fighting off limbs and bushes as you ride, so untouched by bike tires that you may never see a rut or a washboard. They often have clandestine names like "Double Super-Secret."
Land managers call them "social" and "user- created" trails. Many routes have been frequented for years by locals to walk their dogs or connect to other trails. Others were created specifically for motorcross or mountain biking and are purposely hidden from view - riders walk their bikes around piles of deadfall and tangled brush to get out of sight of the sanctioned trail or road, to keep nosy rangers and unworthy passers-by off the scent.
These trails can be found on local, state and federal lands across Colorado. The forests off the Peak to Peak Highway near Nederland are crisscrossed with them.
Many of Fruita's most popular mountain bike trails - they now are the town's major attraction - originally were renegade routes hand built by a group of locals using Pulaskis (ax-mattock combination tools used for firefighting) and Italian grape arbor tools, which local bike shop owner Troy Rarick describes as "garden hoes on steroids."
Rumor has it that bikers even have built short-lived downhill trails on uber-regulated City of Boulder Open Space.
People build rogue trails in order to fill an unmet need, Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol director Jason Vogel said.
"Most of these people would rather be riding bikes than building trails, but they can't find the experience they're looking for on the officially sanctioned trails - either a more technically challenging trail, or a significant connection between trail systems, or a longer ride, or one they can do from their house."
Rarick said renegade-trail builders in Fruita tend to focus their efforts in areas that have not yet been incorporated into local land management plans.
"What they do is find areas that are out of the way, and once these areas start to get planned and mapped by the (Bureau of Land Management), mountain bikers say, 'Look, we've already got rides out there.' "
Public land agency policies vary on the legality of using these trails - in places such as Boulder County Open Space, bikers are required to stay on designated trails at all times.
On Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management property, the rules are less clear cut: cross-country travel is legal for hikers, bikes and horses unless otherwise marked. Motorcycles and ATVs, though, only can be on trails that are specifically designated as open for motorized use.
It is illegal to construct bootleg trails on most all public land. The Forest Service, for instance, prohibits "constructing, placing or maintaining" trails without authorization.
If a person is caught building a renegade trail on Forest Service land, he or she is subject to a ticket and fine, about the same as a speeding ticket - about $75 currently. On Boulder County Open Space, fines begin at $50.
Riding on such a trail, unless it is signed, falls into more of a "gray area," though. While you're allowed to ride anywhere, you are not permitted to maintain illegal trails; riding on such a trail could be construed as maintaining it.
If a renegade trail is found, officials often will "obliterate" it, but they might ignore longtime social trails on Forest Service land, which aren't officially illegal - although they are not officially legal, either. Once travel management plans are completed, a process that will take several years, those trails will either be "in" or "out" of the system, and all illegal trails will be obliterated, resources permitting.
Some mountain bike enthusiasts have interpreted regulations to mean that it is legal to create new trails if you don't take tools to the land, relying instead on your bike tracks to tamp down the vegetation and using your hands to move aside downed branches and loose rocks that are in the way.
Ed Perault, recreation staff supervisor of the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho- Roosevelt National Forest, argues against such legalistic interpretations.
"Your hand is a tool, your bike wheels are tools," he said. "If you have the intent of going back and riding the same trail again, that can be interpreted as trail construction. You're breaking the law and you're tearing up the forest."
Vogel, who has a Ph.D. in environmental policy, believes these guerrilla trails are examples of why more sanctioned routes are needed.
While many renegade trails are beautifully built, contouring and rolling along hillsides to allow water to run off and control excessive speeds, others drop straight down the fall line, creating ruts and erosion problems and are cut through ecologically sensitive areas, disrupting wildlife and native plants.
One such route in Boulder County, the Cactus Trail, drops steeply down a hillside like an open wound.
"It looks like the Earth just vomited rocks onto its surface, with loose, red rocks tumbling down the mountain," Vogel said. "We need to figure out a way to build challenging trails that aren't an environmental disaster. Otherwise, people will build a trail like that; it will erode . . . and then, when it's not rideable anymore, they will build another one nearby."
Vogel instead would like to see cooperation along the lines of what developed in Whistler, British Columbia, where land managers, struggling to keep up with a proliferation of illegal trails, ultimately decided it was better to legalize and regulate the trails than to risk having bikers build new, unsustainable ones in environmentally sensitive areas.
"Now, Whistler is a mecca, a destination where thousands and thousands of people go to recreate on their bikes," he said, "and they don't have rogue trail-building problems anymore."
Local bikers have made some progress. In Boulder County, outside Nederland, the Forest Service incorporated the West Magnolia complex of social trails into its official system with the help and volunteer services of the local mountain bike community.
Local mountain bikers helped identify the trails and install kiosks and signs, and now bike patrollers such as Vogel assist the Forest Service in managing the trail system, passing out maps, aiding riders with mechanical or medical issues and educating them about proper trail etiquette.
Soon, the Boulder Ranger District, which is facing skyrocketing visitor numbers and increased user conflict and resource degradation, will conduct similar reviews in other popular mountain bike areas. The extent of the renegade bike trails officially adopted will depend on the participation and commitment of local bikers and available funding, as well as other priorities, such as resource protection and competing uses.
After the trail systems are updated, bikes will be allowed only on official system routes specifically identified for mountain bike use, and the current "gray area" of semilegal social trails will be off-limits to bikers.
"We aren't going to turn our heads anymore," Perault said. "Unfortunately, we don't have the financial resources to be able to sustain the trail system that the public
really wants. It's a tough scene, but the Forest Service is facing making some pretty serious decisions in the next few years, and it will affect a lot of folks."
Similar reviews are being conducted for other Front Range forests, and the resulting restrictions won't just apply to bikes. That means no more camping outside designated campsites, no bushwhacking on your horse and no more unfettered renegade trail riding.
"Very few people understand that this era is coming to an end," Vogel said.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Riding in the rain...
John Allison and I went out for a Patrol Saturday July 8 and boy was it wet. But wet in a good way considering how dry it has been all season. It was nice to see puddles all over since we knew the terrain needed the water, but we kept off the Hobbit since we felt we'd do more damage than good on our patrol. We gave a few folks the 'ride through the middle of the puddles' talk to encourage them not to widen our sweet single track up there. But on the RTD bus up from town we ran into Adam Massey, the new host of the Boulder Show and ex-executive director of the Boulder Off-road Alliance (now the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance - our sponsoring organization) and city councilman Shaun McGrath. We rode with them for awhile and managed to help Adam repair his bicycle. John had his camera on hand, so I think we just got our first picture of the patrol actually helping out a trail user. Once Adam becomes a famous TV personality, we'll trade in on his good name to advertise the patrol or something. In the mean time, we'll have to earn our stripes the old fashioned way - one trail user at a time.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
June 25 accounting
dusty sandy;
nice day on a horse
mine is steel
rain struggles
woods quiet climb
singletrack flow
aspen green
and columbine blue...
flat tire okay
nice day on a horse
mine is steel
rain struggles
woods quiet climb
singletrack flow
aspen green
and columbine blue...
flat tire okay
Sunday, June 25, 2006
IMBA Summit in Whistler
Hey all,
I just got home from the 2006 IMBA Summit/World Mountain Bike Conference in Whistler, British Columbia. First off, the riding in B.C. kicks some serious a$$! I had much fun and got to see some of the most intense natural, enhanced natural, and man made trail features on the planet. I'll add some pics to this post when I get them in. There was lots of learning to be had, but most importantly from a bike patrol perspective, I spent a good bit of time riding and making friends with Barbara, the director of the Diamond Peaks Bike Patrol in Fort Collins.
For those of you that have "big vision" for cooperation of front range bike patrols, we've got at least three patrol directors open to the idea: me, Barbara of Diamond Peaks, and Keith Clark of the Front Range Moutnain Bike Patrol. I hope to keep these contacts going and increase cooperation over time. But those of you with the vision should send me a line or post your ideas. Once we're serious and have good reason to meet up, I might be able to schedule a ride with all these patrol directors to see what everyone thinks about cooperating at some greater level of organization - maybe a federation of front range patrols. I already intend on applying for a grant through the RTP program for the Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol, perhaps this is somehing that should be incorporated then. Importantly, the human and financial resources of each patrol differs significantly. E.g. while the Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol might benefit from some financial resources, the Diamond Peaks patrol has a good source of revenue already. This could present challenges or opportunities for cooperation. Mull it over and post your thoughts.
On a side note, my final day of riding in Whistler included a massive wreck. I've got the skin on the left side of my body pretty well shaved off and painful impacts to my ankle, hip, and rib cage. The skin is healing up quickly, but the ribs and hip feel pretty bad and may take longer to heal. I'll post a good pick of my injuries when I get it as well. It's pretty gnarly!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
June 3 pictures
Yeah, this is way late, but here are some pictures from June 3. Mitch and I had a fun, uneventful day- just answered some directional questions. Came across the 355I reroute- the bit of wide/road/berms at the end are closed with a new bit of singletrack to access.
Mitch rolling on Hobbit/Habit.
Mitch rolling on Hobbit/Habit.
Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol
Saturday June 17 afternoon
Lovely day in West Mag - dry as hell.... saw a steady stream of riders today and one mechanical that required some help. A rear v-brake had a broken spring on one side and was rubbing into the rim. We did the best we could to make it ridable but there wasn't much to do except limp back to their car.
Fire is gonna be an issue. I was asked by some campers if campfires in the designated sites are okay.... the answer is NO. I even came upon a smouldering cigarette butt lying in the duff along the road; a motorcycle had just driven by.
We can't look the other way with fire. phone the sheriff at 303 441 4444 if you see one during this fire ban. For me, it's a zero tolerance situation.
Lovely day in West Mag - dry as hell.... saw a steady stream of riders today and one mechanical that required some help. A rear v-brake had a broken spring on one side and was rubbing into the rim. We did the best we could to make it ridable but there wasn't much to do except limp back to their car.
Fire is gonna be an issue. I was asked by some campers if campfires in the designated sites are okay.... the answer is NO. I even came upon a smouldering cigarette butt lying in the duff along the road; a motorcycle had just driven by.
We can't look the other way with fire. phone the sheriff at 303 441 4444 if you see one during this fire ban. For me, it's a zero tolerance situation.
Monday, June 19, 2006
June 18th patrol
Lotsa friendly folks out on the West Magnolia system on a beautiful clear day. Trails were in decent shape but could use some rain, getting very loose and dusty for this early on in the season. Also the horse stables are firing on all cyclinders so the trails near that operation are starting to fill in with horse crap. Seems like the horses like to lighten the load right before a climb, which makes sense to me. Didn't see a whole lot of traffic while riding but every rest stop saw about a dozen bikers roll past. Andria and I gave out a dozen maps or so and were thanked by at least three seperate groups for being out there. One good suggestion was to name the trails vs the numbering system. The new gate is up on the south side and looks tank-proof. Another sign which might be useful would show the various parking areas. Cars were double parked and jammed in the corners at the Peak to Peak-West Mag lot while the other lots were almost completely empty. -Matthew
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Hello, my name is Matthew and I'll be your patroller today! Please keep your hand inside the windows at all times, do not feed the bears or Rainbow Family members and ride all stunts at your own risk. After three or four weekday patrols I'm ready to go for my first 'official' 2006 tour, in fact I'm gonna patrol the sh*t out of West Mag so get ready Andria. Bring it on!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol
Latest Info About the School Bus Trail
While on patrol on sunday the 4th, I rode up to the Champion Mine/Phoenix to visit with Fred and his wife, the owners of the site.
They are generally pleased with the mountain bikers; they have embraced the trail reroute and visits to the mine site has dropped off considerably. They continue to have problems with motorized users and are working with the Gilpin Sheriff to address it.
Fred told me that members of the Toll family paid him a visit recently to "lecture" him about how he was letting mountain bikers across his property and into their property. Fred saw it as an attempt at intimidation, which didn't work.
He was told that The Toll family is hiring off duty sheriffs to patrol and write $200 trespassing tickets. We don't know if this is real or blowing smoke, but it is worth spreading the information to other users. The situation seems to be escalating.
The root cause of this problem is a wonderful trail dead ends into private property. We need to find out where the public land ends and private property starts, and then route the trail away from that private property and stay on public land.
I am pressing the Boulder Ranger District for that information. Stay tuned...
BTW, lots of people on the trails Sunday, I saw that in campsite #2 there were freshly fabricated gates laying there waiting to be installed. the evolution continues....
While on patrol on sunday the 4th, I rode up to the Champion Mine/Phoenix to visit with Fred and his wife, the owners of the site.
They are generally pleased with the mountain bikers; they have embraced the trail reroute and visits to the mine site has dropped off considerably. They continue to have problems with motorized users and are working with the Gilpin Sheriff to address it.
Fred told me that members of the Toll family paid him a visit recently to "lecture" him about how he was letting mountain bikers across his property and into their property. Fred saw it as an attempt at intimidation, which didn't work.
He was told that The Toll family is hiring off duty sheriffs to patrol and write $200 trespassing tickets. We don't know if this is real or blowing smoke, but it is worth spreading the information to other users. The situation seems to be escalating.
The root cause of this problem is a wonderful trail dead ends into private property. We need to find out where the public land ends and private property starts, and then route the trail away from that private property and stay on public land.
I am pressing the Boulder Ranger District for that information. Stay tuned...
BTW, lots of people on the trails Sunday, I saw that in campsite #2 there were freshly fabricated gates laying there waiting to be installed. the evolution continues....
Friday, May 26, 2006
On-line calendar to sign up for patrol dates
Thanks to Marcus Berggren who set up this on-line tool.
http://funkbus5.com/bouldermountainbikepatrol/month.php
You can still email me your preferred dates, but this website will let you know which dates are already
taken.
If a date has two names already listed, it is taken. If a date has a header "+2" we still need two
patrollers to sign up for that date. If a date has one person's name followed by a "+1" then we still
need one patroller to sign up for that date.
If you prefer, you can click on the "+" in the upper right hand corner of any day and simply add your name
to the main subject line of a new entry instead of emailing me the dates you want. Your name *WILL NOT* appear on the calendar automatically. I'll still have to approve all entries to make sure we don't have any double bookings, but I'll confirm with you when the date is approved.
http://funkbus5.com/bouldermountainbikepatrol/month.php
You can still email me your preferred dates, but this website will let you know which dates are already
taken.
If a date has two names already listed, it is taken. If a date has a header "+2" we still need two
patrollers to sign up for that date. If a date has one person's name followed by a "+1" then we still
need one patroller to sign up for that date.
If you prefer, you can click on the "+" in the upper right hand corner of any day and simply add your name
to the main subject line of a new entry instead of emailing me the dates you want. Your name *WILL NOT* appear on the calendar automatically. I'll still have to approve all entries to make sure we don't have any double bookings, but I'll confirm with you when the date is approved.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Public perception problems
Hey all,
I've gotten several indications that local Nederland riders have a mistaken perception of what the Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol is out at West Mag for. These misperceptions include thinking that we are there for enforcement, that we're trying to turn West Mag into a tourist attraction, that we're out there spying on local riders, and generally a bunch of, in my opinion, paranoid stuff. Nevertheless, we've got to allay these suspicions if we want the patrol to be successful. We need local riders to understand that we're out there to solve problems. First off, we're just helping people out like we always did. Flat tire, out of food, lost, etc - we're there to help. But were also there because private property issues have started heating up. By organizing as a patrol we're putting a positive mountain biking presence on the ground. Without that, the few riders that antagonize local land owners could turn land managers against bikes. We're there to form a solid relationship with the Forest Service by providing a real assest to a resource-starved land management agency.
Local riders need to understand that what we're doing actually benefits them most of all. Instead of taking the paranoid and unconstructive position of lambasting the patrol, we've got to break through that misperception and get the local riders on our side. I spoken with Randy Ruhle, the owner of Happy Trails, and Mike Barrow has spoken with Grant and Mary of latitude 40 fame. This was an attempt to get some info in the hands of people who matter up there. It's obvious to me now that isn't enough. Several folks have made suggestions about how to nip this issue in the bud. While I agree that needs to be done, I do not have the time to make it happen - I'm finishing my doctoral dissertation over the next month, so my life is hell. One or more of you can make a huge difference here by taking the initiative to get more info into local's hands. This might include getting Randy to post info about the patrol at his shop, contacting the Mountain Ear (the local paper) to get something in print, posting more detailed info on the West Mag kiosks (Although many locals seem to hate the kiosks), or anything else that might occur to you. If you are interested in doing this, take the initiative and do it, or email me and we can talk in more detail.
Check out the hate: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=189441
I've gotten several indications that local Nederland riders have a mistaken perception of what the Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol is out at West Mag for. These misperceptions include thinking that we are there for enforcement, that we're trying to turn West Mag into a tourist attraction, that we're out there spying on local riders, and generally a bunch of, in my opinion, paranoid stuff. Nevertheless, we've got to allay these suspicions if we want the patrol to be successful. We need local riders to understand that we're out there to solve problems. First off, we're just helping people out like we always did. Flat tire, out of food, lost, etc - we're there to help. But were also there because private property issues have started heating up. By organizing as a patrol we're putting a positive mountain biking presence on the ground. Without that, the few riders that antagonize local land owners could turn land managers against bikes. We're there to form a solid relationship with the Forest Service by providing a real assest to a resource-starved land management agency.
Local riders need to understand that what we're doing actually benefits them most of all. Instead of taking the paranoid and unconstructive position of lambasting the patrol, we've got to break through that misperception and get the local riders on our side. I spoken with Randy Ruhle, the owner of Happy Trails, and Mike Barrow has spoken with Grant and Mary of latitude 40 fame. This was an attempt to get some info in the hands of people who matter up there. It's obvious to me now that isn't enough. Several folks have made suggestions about how to nip this issue in the bud. While I agree that needs to be done, I do not have the time to make it happen - I'm finishing my doctoral dissertation over the next month, so my life is hell. One or more of you can make a huge difference here by taking the initiative to get more info into local's hands. This might include getting Randy to post info about the patrol at his shop, contacting the Mountain Ear (the local paper) to get something in print, posting more detailed info on the West Mag kiosks (Although many locals seem to hate the kiosks), or anything else that might occur to you. If you are interested in doing this, take the initiative and do it, or email me and we can talk in more detail.
Check out the hate: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=189441
Features & stunts at West Mag
Last weekend (5/13) was a good training day, but as I looked at John's pics of the poorly constructed ramp I rode two things occurred to me.
1 - I may not be the best role model in the world. Kids, don't try this at home - it's stupid to ride features and/or stunts that haven't been constructed well. As soon as I got over the hump of the log and I put my weight fully on the back side, the entire ramp gave way and I had to bail.
2 - West Mag has great potential for developing some features in the future. If you look at that pic, the feature is made of completely natural, unobtrusive materials. Hopefully we can develop a good relationship with the FS that allows us to build in a few features to the trails over time. If we can help maintain the safety of such features, wrecks like the one pictured here will be less frequent. People like me are going to keep riding stuff like that whether it's safe or not - we might as well manage it and improve the quality and safety of those features.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Lovely evening at West Mag - Bullwinkle!
Rode up the School bus yesterday evening. The place was empty. The Trail was clear, save for one drift on the Champion Mine property, all the way to the top of the climb. Two pieces of deadfall above the Champion.
Once I got to the top, I dropped down to the doubletrack and made my way to the singletrack that takes you to the toilet bowl. I was stopped by a 5'+ drift right where the trail dives back into the trees. It was time to turn around....
On my way back, I stopped at the very top of the School Bus for a break. I noticed two red and white striped survey flags that were just off the top toward the doubletrack. I don't know what their purpose was.... could this be where the public land stops and the private property starts? I'll be following up with the BRD about finding out exactly where the private property is up there.
So I enjoy the bomber downhill and I'm back into the loops. I take the route that runs by the pond and over to the Lookout Trail for a sunset moment. While finishing the loop, I'm riding by the pond again and there's a phucking moose having dinner in the pond! No rack, but a very healthy critter! I'm not sure if it was male or female, but it was watching me with great interest, so I just kept riding as to not give the impression of a challenge.
Once I got to the top, I dropped down to the doubletrack and made my way to the singletrack that takes you to the toilet bowl. I was stopped by a 5'+ drift right where the trail dives back into the trees. It was time to turn around....
On my way back, I stopped at the very top of the School Bus for a break. I noticed two red and white striped survey flags that were just off the top toward the doubletrack. I don't know what their purpose was.... could this be where the public land stops and the private property starts? I'll be following up with the BRD about finding out exactly where the private property is up there.
So I enjoy the bomber downhill and I'm back into the loops. I take the route that runs by the pond and over to the Lookout Trail for a sunset moment. While finishing the loop, I'm riding by the pond again and there's a phucking moose having dinner in the pond! No rack, but a very healthy critter! I'm not sure if it was male or female, but it was watching me with great interest, so I just kept riding as to not give the impression of a challenge.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Training Day
No Denzel or Ethan, our day last weekend was a nice ride. We met at Happy Trails bright and early. See Chuck and his Alan cross bike.
Jason made sure we knew where we were.
Nicole coming down the trail.
Adam's turn.
A rest stop with a view.
These kids are all right.
The log ride is missing a flume but still had some excitement.
Jason made sure we knew where we were.
Nicole coming down the trail.
Adam's turn.
A rest stop with a view.
These kids are all right.
The log ride is missing a flume but still had some excitement.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Rule #1- Being safe starts on the way to the trailhead! The Magnolia - Peak to Peak intersection, all of East & West Magnolia Rd., riding thru Nederland and at the Ned HS Trailhead are all potential danger areas from cars & trucks so take caution and turn your 'radar' on as soon as you hop on the bike.
Monday, May 01, 2006
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