Archive for April, 2012

2012 Trails and Greenways Conference

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
Multi-use trail event.

Multi-use trails. We can and must get along.

CORBA was very much involved in last week’s California Trails and Greenways Conference. This annual event brings together land managers at the Federal, State, County and City levels, along with resource planners, volunteers, non-profit organizations and professional landscape architects and trail builders.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Navigating Radical Change.”  The most radical of all changes that land managers are facing is the shrinking of budgets for trail and open space projects. Another is the changing demographic of trail users.

Navigating radical change - mutli-use friendly pinch points

Navigating radical change - mutli-use friendly pinch points on Tapia Spur

Many sessions at the conference talked about the importance of engaging volunteers, of reaching out to foster public-private partnerships between land managers and non profit advocacy groups.
CORBA has already been putting into practice many of these principles, partnering with the Forest Service and State Parks to help maintain trails; partnering with the So Cal High School League to empower the next generation of off-road cyclists as advocates and stewards.

CORBA President Mark Langton participated in a rousing panel presentation on the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, a multi-use trail system that has worked successfully with minimal conflict for more than two decades.  An entertaining keynote address was given by conservation celebrity Ed Begley Junior. He treated the attendees to stories of how and why he came to be so ingrained within the conservation movement.

Among the volunteer groups in attendance, there were at least five bicycling advocacy groups represented. IMBA’s new regional director Patrick Kell was there, along with representatives from the San Diego Mountain Bike Association, Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers, Santa Barbara Trail Volunteers, CORBA, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and other groups.

Cycling trail advocates from across California

Cycling trail advocates from across California

On Friday morning of the conference, 8 bicycle adovocates joined Steve Messer and past CORBA board member Hans Kiefer in a tour of Rocky Peak. They had a great ride, showing once again that there is some great mountain biking around Los Angeles.

A conference such as this is vital for bringing disparate user groups, land managers and trail stewards together, where we always learn we have much more in common than we think. The fact that working together is often the only way anything can be accomplished was one of the most important take-home messages from the conference.

Everyone can get along

Everyone can get along

On Saturday, after the conference, Orange County’s Trails4All brought 6 equestrians, 4  hikers, and about a dozen mountain bikers from CORBA, SHARE, SDMBA, CCCMB together for a ride/hike/run/hoof event. We travelled together on the trails of Malibu Creek State Park, showing again that where there is respect and cooperation it is very possible for all user groups to co-exist peacefully on the trails.

Our since thanks to the organizers, the presenters, the sponsors, and to all our fellow attendees at the conference. These meetings underscore the importance of working together, and create at an atmosphere conducive to constructive and informative exchanges of information and viewpoints. We look forward to next year’s Trails and Greenways conference in Lake Tahoe.

Bikes, horses, hikers and runners

Bikes, horses, hikers and runners. We all love trails.

 

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Posted in Advocacy, California, Environment, Los Angeles, Santa Monica Mountains, Trail Building and Restoration | Comments Closed

Fixing a hazardous turn in Pt Mugu State Park

Monday, April 16th, 2012

On Sunday April 15, as part of National Volunteer Week, about 40 Amgen volunteers gathered in Pt Mugu State Park to work on the Sin Nombre Trail. Most of them worked on fixing ruts and cutting back overgrowing brush, but 8 of us, all but one mountain bikers, split off to fix up the dangerous corner near the top of the trail at Ranch Center Road.

The problem is at a dip to cross a very small stream, combined with a tight left turn.  After slowing to negotiate the turn at the stream crossing, the rider encounters a short but unexpectedly steep climb out of the stream. Because the trail has been downhill until this point, often people are in too high a gear and stall trying to climb the hill. When they put their foot down, they discover that the trail is also narrower than expected and there is little room for their foot, and they can fall about 6′ down the steep bank to the rocks of the stream. The problem is made worse by a rock near the middle of the trail at the start of the climb out that it high enough to bang your pedal on. Many riders have fallen at this turn; some were taken out by helicopter with serious injuries.

We widened the trail and fortified the outside edge with large rocks. Gaps were filled with smaller rocks, then everything was covered with dirt.

On Sunday, I enlisted a very experienced trailwork volunteer and crew leader for the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council to figure out what we could do to cut down on the number of accidents on that corner. His solution was to build up the outside edge of the trail with large rocks to make it a little wider, and to remove the protruding rock at the start of the climb out of the dip. So after a lot of digging and relocating really big rocks, the trail is almost a foot wider, all of it on the outside, so there’s more room to put your foot down if you stall out on the climb out. The rocks also armour the outside edge of the trail so it’s less susceptible to errosion and so will last longer.

As we were working, a large number of mountain bikers rode through, the vast majority of them thanked us for fixing up the trail. Some of them told us of stories of having fallen at the corner and injuring themselves. None of them appeared to be beginners.

One fellow fell in and hit his neck. He couldn’t move, being paralyzed in all his limbs and with no feeling in them. That lasted for what must have been for him the longest 10 minutes in his life, before feeling started to come back and he could move again. It turns out he’d sprained his neck. Talk about a close call!

Another rider said he tore his shoulder and broke his collarbone when he fell there.

We believe the trail is safer after our work, but it is still risky to people who are taken by surprise by the steepness of the climb. The trail is wider so it’s easier to put your foot down on the trail, but if you’re riding too close to the edge, you can still go down the bank. So always be careful on this corner, and advise less experienced riders to get off their bikes and walk!

You can see photos of the work on the VenturaCountyTrails.org photo gallery.

Posted in Santa Monica Mountains, Trail Crew, Trail Hazards | 4 Comments »

Upper Brown Mountain Trailwork with the SoCal High School League, April 7, 2012

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Upper Brown Mountain before the 2009 Station Fire was a wide fire road in generally in good shape.  The rains of two winters and eighteen months without public use because of the forest closure have allowed nature to re-claim much of the old fire road. Many large drainages were completely washed out, the hillsides had slid into the road bed, trees were down, and brush was growing back with a vengeance.

Banner gives a safety talk and JHA

Banner gives a safety talk and JHA

Though still officially closed, the Forest Service closure signs have been gone for some time. People have been venturing up there to explore the now dead-end fire road. The fire road has narrowed to a singletrack for most of its length, narrowed by a combination of slough from above, severe erosion from below, and vegetation. Several of the newly narrowed sections were within inches of the edge of the old fire road, a potential hazard when two people are passing each other, or if riding the area at night as the edges were hidden behind grass. There was at least one large tree down, and several killer “snags” dead trees that were partially fallen, leaning against or resting on top of other trees along the trail. These can give at any time, and are a major safety concern on all trails in the burn area. Now two and a half years after the fire, many of these burned trees are rotting and weakening, and the likelihood of them falling increases with time.

Saturday’s trailwork was led by Banner Moffat of the Friends of El Prieto, and all the SoCal High School League teams and their coaches were invited to participate. Though there were only 35 RSVP’s, 52 people came to the event, a few ready to hike in, but the vast majority ready to ride up to the work site. A few stronger students and a couple of coaches towed BOB trailers full of tools.

Towing the tools up the hard way

Towing the tools up the hard way

Split into crews led by Mitch Marich and Matt Lay of the Mount Wilson Bicycling Association, Steve Messer of CORBA, St. Francis coaches Lee Bird and Joel Sercel and others, the crews spread out along the length of the trail from the Ken Burton trailhead, all the way down to saddle. Downed trees were removed, killer snags taken down, and some drainages were rock-armored and reinforced. The student athletes got a lot done covering most of the sections from the Ken Burton down to the saddle.

The forest service is considering opening Upper Brown Mountain in its next revision of the forest closure order. Without some attention to safety and a demonstration that the community is willing to maintain it as singletrack, it might be a candidate for reopening until graded back to a fire road.

There were in total at least 54 people who volunteered their time. Of those ten were women and 41 were high school students. Teams represented included Crescenta Valley, St. Francis, San Gabriel Composite, Burroughs Burbank, and independent riders from South Pasadena and other areas.

CORBA is proud to support the SoCal High school league, and we applaud their efforts to create a high school program that includes such a balanced mix of teamwork, sportsmanship, competition and stewardship of our trails.

 

 

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Posted in Angeles National Forest, High School League, San Gabriel Mountains, Trail Crew, Trail Hazards | Comments Closed

Shared Use Event at Malibu Creek State Park April 21

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

On Saturday, April 21st at 10 AM will be the annual Shared Use Bike-Hike-Horse-Run  event at Malibu Creek State Park that follows the State Trails and Greenways Conference (www.parks.ca.gov/trails/conference) . Registration is required for the conference, but the post conference event is open to all.

The event is intended to show that trail users of all types can enjoy trails together safely. There will be a short 7 mile option and a longer 13 mile opportunity. The ride will begin at upper parking lot and head into the park on Crags Road. Both routes will turn around at the MASH site, get the rare opportunity to exit Malibu Creek State Park through the Salvation Army gate on Mott Road and then return to the park on the newly refurbished Tapia Spur Trail.  The event will be followed by lunch. Please rsvp to Jim Meyer at JMeyerT4A@aol.com.

Posted in Rides and Events, Santa Monica Mountains | Comments Closed

Skills Clinic Photos for April 7, 2012

Saturday, April 7th, 2012

What a beautiful day to be riding in Malibu Creek State Park! Twenty-seven riders came out to enjoy the fabulous weather today and participate in this month’s basic skills clinic. With such a large class, we were running a little behind so we skipped the steps and the splash in the creek. Even so, it was a great class with lots of action-packed photos! You can see them in the April Skills Clinic Photo Gallery.

Posted in Free Basic Skills Clinic, Rides and Events, Santa Monica Mountains | Comments Closed

Meet Supervisor Tom Contreras

Friday, April 6th, 2012
Steve Messer, Jim Hasenauer, Tom Contreras, Mike and Robin McGuire and Banner Moffat at Brown Mountain Saddle

Steve Messer, Jim Hasenauer, Tom Contreras, Mike and Robin McGuire and Banner Moffat and Beau at Brown Mountain Saddle

Tom Contreras took the position of Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest in August 2011. Already he’s making an impact, and a very positive one at that.

Tom started his career in 1976 in Utah, and has worked in National Forests all over the western states. He served as the Winter Sports Specialist for the Intermountain Region, where he oversaw ski areas. His most recent post was supervisor of Mendocino National Forest.  His hands-on approach is refreshing and welcomed.

At the first Forest Service Volunteer meeting he attended, he was overwhelmed by the number of people present. Forty-one volunteers, representing many different volunteer groups welcomed him at that meeting. “It was far above my expectations for a volunteer meeting,” he said.  He asked to be invited to visit and work with each group. Today, April 6, 2012, we took him up on that offer.

Mike and Robin McGuire of the Angeles Mountain Patrol, Jim Hasenauer of IMBA/CORBA, and CORBA board member Steve Messer of joined Tom for a ride up Brown Mountain to the saddle. Along the way we were caught by Banner Moffatt of the Friends of El Prieto. Banner was prepping for tomorrow’s trailwork on Upper Brown Mountain. Tom is still learning the forest, and though he’s seen most of it from the air, there’s nothing like getting out on the trails on a bicycle.

Already the impact he’s having on the Forest is visible through his direct engagement with the volunteer groups. He can see the passion the many volunteer groups have for the mountains and the trails, and his passion is equally evident. He brings a new sense of urgency and passion to solving the many problems faced by the forest, and we are confident the forest is in good hands.

We look forward to working with Supervisor Tom as we continue to restore and maintain trails within the Angeles National Forest for the enjoyment of all.

 

Posted in Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel Mountains | Comments Closed

April eTerraTimes published April 5

Thursday, April 5th, 2012

The April edition of CORBA’s monthly newsletter, the eTerraTimes, was published today, April 5. If you don’t get it by email, you can view it online.

As always, the eTerraTimes has all the latest news for mountain bikers in the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding areas.

Posted in Rides and Events | Comments Closed

CORBA Board Member Bennett-Taber Resigns

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

It is with great sadness that we must announce CORBA’s Treasurer and one of its Directors, Danusia Bennet-Taber, has resigned her positions due to health concerns.

Danusia has been the backbone of CORBA for the past four years, keeping our books organized and up to date. She was also pivotal in navigating the transition to becoming an IMBA Chapter, working diligently with IMBA’s IT department making sure our interests were represented. Additionally, for many years Danusia has been deeply involved with CORBA’s programs including Youth Adventures, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, the Fat Tire Festival, and leading Beginner Rides. She has also been an active and avid member of the Mountain Bike Unit (MBU). We are losing a truly dedicated mountain bike advocate and wish her all the best in her future endeavors. We will “see her on the trails!”

Posted in Rides and Events | Comments Closed

CORBA to Participate in Malibu Adventure Games April 28-29

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

The inaugural 2012 Malibu Adventure Games is a 2-day event featuring the XTERRA Malibu Creek Trail Runs, the Mountain Bike Poker Ride, the Sport Climb Knockout, and the Geocache Hunt.

The MTB Poker Ride takes participants past the park’s most important landmarks, including the filming locations of Planet of the Apes and M*A*S*H. Riders start at their own discretion between 9:00 am and 11:00 am. It is a fun, 14-mile ride to five checkpoints where riders build their poker hand. The best poker hands win prizes. All participants will get the Malibu Adventure Games technical shirt.

The fun-filled XPO includes CORBA (Concerned Off Road Bicycling Association) Mountain Bike Skills Classes, a kids obstacle course (ages 2-7), rock climbing walls, outdoor and eco-friendly exhibitors, BBQ food, and FREE outdoor activity demonstrations, including climbing for beginners, wilderness camping, and slackline.  State Park Docents will also be leading nature walks around the beautiful park throughout the day. Stick around for Movie Night at the park and watch the Planet of the Apes.

Proceeds from the Malibu Adventure Games benefit the Malibu Creek State Park.  Volunteer opportunities are available as well.

For more information please visit www.MalibuAdventureGames.com.

Posted in Rides and Events | Comments Closed