Archive for August, 2010

Newer Entries »

Inaugural Youth Adventures ride at Paramount Ranch

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
Park entrance on Cornell Road, Agoura Hills CA

The Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area’s Paramount Ranch became a new location for CORBA’s Youth Adventures program rides. The first ever ride at this location took place on Saturday, August 7th, 2010.  If you have ever had a chance to visit Paramount Ranch then you already know the beautiful landscape that surrounds this area. The Youth Adventures program was created to share this beauty with  inner city children. And what is a better way than taking them bike riding through the rolling hills and share the rich history of this place with them?

Youth Adventures began in the summer of 1993 and operates twice per month year-round, serving over 350 kids annually. It was implemented as a way of reaching out to groups of children that have had limited exposure to public parklands. Mountain bike rides are scheduled with organizations that serve disadvantaged, inner-city or at-risk youth from ages 8-17 and are held in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. CORBA supplies the bikes, helmets, gloves, water, snacks and transportation. Rides are operated by Mountain Bike Unit volunteers. For more information visit Youth Adventures web page. 

Taking to the trails

Taking a break watching a radio controlled airplane

 
 

Tags: , ,
Posted in CORBA Youth Adventures, Santa Monica Mountains, Youth | 1 Comment »

Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa Announces Aug. 16 As Date For City ‘Bike Summit’

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

From LAWeekly

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on Tuesday that his aforementioned “Bike Summit” would happen Aug. 16 (from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the board room of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, One Gateway Plaza, downtown).

Bike activists, city officials, transportation planners and police will discuss a 1,600-mile city bike path plan, police enforcement of traffic laws as it concerns cyclists and integration of “bike ways” with the area’s bus and rail network, according to the mayor’s office. Mountain biking is illegal on unpaved roads and trails in all LA City parks.

“Let’s get together and talk about what we need to do to make the streets safer for cyclists,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “Whether you depend on your bike for commuting or just take it out for fun, I invite you to come to the Bike Summit to talk about your experiences and learn about what we’re doing in Los Angeles to make streets safer for everyone.

Mayor Villaraigosa first announced his plans for the Bike Summit in July.

Villaraigosa was famously involved in a bike-versus-cab accident earlier this month that left him with a broken elbow and newfound respect for cyclists’ rights.

Posted in Los Angeles, Road Riding, Trail Access | 2 Comments »

$700,000 sought to fix trails, roads destroyed in Station fire

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

From the Glendale News-Press and the LA Times 

An incinerated car sits in the devastated hamlet of Vogel Flats, which is along Big Tujunga Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest, in September of 2009 . Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Roughly $700,000 has been earmarked for improving the forest roads and trails that were destroyed last year during the Station fire, officials said. 

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) secured the earmark in the Interior Appropriations bill for restoring the 160,577 acres of scorched landscape that’s in severe need of restoration. 

“The roads and trails have been eroded and degraded,” said Richard Toyon, former forest ranger and president of the local nonprofit Volunteers Organizing in Conserving the Environment. 

Trekking on some trails in the forest is challenging because they eventually disappear, he said, and some roads and trails are no longer recognizable. 

The bill must still pass the full House and Senate before reaching President Obama’s desk, said Schiff’s spokeswoman, Maureen Shanahan. 

If the bill is approved, the funding would be allocated to the U.S. Forest Service to handle the restoration work. 

“This funding will help repair the roads and trails that were damaged in the fire to restore safety and access for families to enjoy one of California’s greatest natural resources,” Schiff said in a statement. 

Engineers for the Angeles National Forest have estimated that about 300 miles of roads and 225 miles of trails were harmed during the Station fire, according to Schiff’s office. 

Damage to roads and trails worsened due to erosion and landslides during the winter. 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Feb. 11 declared the footprint of the fire a disaster area. 

Some of the roads have been closed due to the extensive damage, and trails that have been deemed unsafe for hiking have been off limits. 

Officials are planning to focus the funding on the most critically damaged roads with the largest access points. 

Some road improvements include installing retaining walls, reconstructing low water crossings, grading surfaces, repairing drainage, repaving and restoring signage, according to Schiff’s office. 

Trail improvements include drainage repairs, re-stabilizing slopes and restoring walking surfaces. 

 

Posted in Angeles National Forest, Trail Access, Trail Crew, Trail Hazards | 1 Comment »

Newer Entries »