It was a perfect day to be riding in Malibu Creek State Park to participate in this month’s basic skills clinic. This month we had 18 riders and I’m sure eveyone had a great time! The creek is dry, of course, but maybe next month we’ll be back to riding through the water. You can see the photos in the November Skills Clinic Photo Gallery.
Archive for the ‘Regions’ Category
Skills Clinic Photos for November 3, 2012
Saturday, November 3rd, 2012SCE Construction on Brown Mountain Fire Road
Thursday, November 1st, 2012
TRTP Signs on Brown Mountain
Many people have been wondering about the signs that were placed along Brown Mountain fire road (FS 2N70) over the past few months. The signs are ESA notices (Environmentally Sensitive Areas) which state “No Entrance Permitted” and have been placed there by the Tehachapi Renewable Transmissions Project (TRTP).
This is one of the most popular trails for off-road cyclists in the Angeles National Forest, because of its proximity to JPL and the Altadena/Pasadena community. It lies in Segment 11 of the project, which includes much of the Angeles National Forest front country through La Canada and Altadena.
The TRTP Environmental Impact Report states that this fire road is not intended to be part of the project. Elsewhere along the transmission line project towers are being replaced by helicopter and in some cases, by road access. The towers accessed along Brown Mountain fire road are not being replaced, but they are being re-wired from the Chaney Trail road access to the east. The re-wiring will nearly double the power-carrying capacity of the transmission lines, helping bring more renewable energy from Kern County to greater Los Angeles.
When the EIR for the project was completed the fire road was a wide fire road and easily traveled by high-clearance vehicles. Since the Station Fire it has grown in to a narrow single track in many places, and is not accessible to vehicles. We anticipate the fire road will eventually be graded back to its original width, and if we learn of any plans, we’ll be sure to pass them on.
According to local SCE Public Affairs officer Shannon Widor, the following information was supplied by the construction team in response to our questions:
- There will not be full closures of the trails in the area of trail 2N70 and Brown Mountain Road as part of SCE’s Tehachapi project. While trails will remain accessible for trail users, there may be periodic, brief delays on trails in construction areas at times when work activities cross those trail sites.
- SCE’s work will also include the use of temporary guard structures (to keep wires elevated during installation) at street and trail crossings to enhance safety during construction.
- Additionally, SCE has no plans to grade Brown Mountain Road at this time.
We can only assume that the signs are meant to remind employees and construction workers of sensitive areas to avoid, and in no way indicate any intention to close the trail/s.
The project also includes an eastern corridor that will include Van Tassell Motorway and fire roads above the Monrovia/Duarte area, as well as Workman Hill and other Habitat Authority lands around Turnbull Canyon. Construction updates, in the form of quarterly newsletters, are available online. The current newsletter indicates that road improvements will be taking place in some areas in preparation for construction, and that re-wiring of Segment 11 between the Gould and Goodrich Substations will begin.
Double-Click the image for a larger version
The project is estimated to be completed in 2015, but for the moment we can continue to enjoy Brown Mountain fire road in its current narrow configuration for the immediate future.
Are You Part of the Problem?
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012By Mark Langton
CORBA has spent 25 years fostering a positive image for mountain bikers based on the fact that the vast majority of mountain bikers are responsible, and that irresponsible actions are few and far between. Yet in just the last year it seems that irresponsibility has increased, and 25 years of goodwill and effort are about to be undermined by disrespectful, selfish individuals who only care about going fast. In the last week the NPS has issued a press release stating that the increase in unsafe riding will be met with citations, and the Gas Company has closed Sullivan Canyon to all users because of incidents involving mountain bikers.
The problem with this situation is that the people riding irresponsibly know that it’s wrong, but they do it anyway. They are jeopardizing bicycle access to the trails, not to mention the safety of all trail users. I know that just saying it here won’t solve the problem, but my hope is that a few of the people who are riding irresponsibly do the right thing, and maybe spread the word. If you want to ride fast, go do it in a race or at a place where it’s set up for it, like Mammoth Mountain. Enjoy our local shared use trails in a way that is pleasant for everyone. Otherwise the actions of a few will mess it up for the majority of people who do ride responsibly.
Sullivan Canyon Closed to Public Until End of December
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012
The Southern California Gas Company recently released information regarding the closing of Sullivan Canyon to the public (see below for the press release).
A comment was made on our blog alleging that the area had been closed due to an incident involving a mountain biker being seriously injured. According to Public Affairs Manager Krista Phipps, the area was not closed as a direct result of the incident, but in response to several factors. “I was told by the Project Manager that [the incident which caused injury to the mountain biker] did not occur at the construction site. However, it was serious and required the person to be airlifted out of the canyon. Overall, there have been a series of close calls in and around the construction site and we just do not want to risk injury to the public or our employees,” said Phipps.
Please note that Sullivan Canyon is NOT public property. It is owned and operated by the Southern California Gas Company which maintains it as open to the public unless work to the gas line is necessary. The Gas Co. can rescind permission to access Sullivan Canyon at any time. In this case, many users will be effected, not just mountain bikers. This surely will come down to a blame game with mountain bikers bearing the brunt of criticism, and to a large degree rightly so. All we can ask is that you ride safely for the conditions, and remember that your actions represent the entire mountain bike community.
————————————
October 29, 2012
RE: Sullivan Canyon Closure – Southern California Gas Company Pipeline Protection Project
Dear Neighbor:
In follow up to the notice of September 17, 2012 regarding the Sullivan Canyon Maintenance Project, this correspondence is to inform you that in spite of our efforts to complete the project without impeding public access, we have determined that in order to maintain public safety, Sullivan Canyon will be closed to the public during the hours of 6am to 6pm Monday thru Saturday, effective immediately. This schedule will be maintained throughout the duration of the project to ensure safe operation of two high-pressure transmission pipelines located in the canyon. The project is expected to be completed by December 31, 2012. Please note that this completion date is an approximation and may change due to the needs of the project.
Additional closures and/or further restrictions will be posted on the gate at Queensferry Road and at the entrance to the property off of Mulholland Drive in advance, to the extent feasible. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this necessary work to ensure pipeline safety and maintenance of a reliable natural gas supply to the Los Angeles basin area. SoCal Gas appreciates your understanding of the need for this maintenance work and temporary disruption of canyon access. It is our goal to keep disruptions to a minimum and we regret temporary inconveniences.
Safety is our first priority. We appreciate customers and members of the community keeping us informed on conditions surrounding our facilities. Please feel free to share this notice with your networks which have an interest in the canyon.
Thank you for your understanding while we perform this necessary maintenance and repair work. Should you have any questions, please call me at (323) 371-0011 or email me at kphipps@semprautilities.com.
Girlz Gone Riding Event Was Fabulous, Dawlings!
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012On Sunday, October 28th, GGR (Girlz Gone Riding), had it’s annual big event at Malibu Creek State Park with 100 girlz attending! GGR is a group of mountain bike girlz of all skill levels from beginner to Pro. We post all of our upcoming activities including rides, hikes, races and more on the GGR Face Book page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/350083721682365/
100 riders plus volunteers and vendors enjoyed the day at Malibu Creek State Park
The annual GGR event was a very special day for women only and our mountain bikes! A day of learning new skills, networking, support, guest speakers, demo’ing bikes, learning new trails, finding new women to ride with, and getting some AWESOME swag and raffle goodies! We had 5 levels of cross country rides, mini skills clinics, raffles, auctions, a swap meet, demo bikes, free tech support to adjust your bike, fabulous swag and MUCH more!
This event we tried some new things that were a huge success and everyone seemed to just love!
The biggest hit of the day was a new element introduced during the event. A mini beginner skills clinic! The 1st event, we noticed that many of the beginner girlz needed help with everything from proper position, braking, shifting and more. Since the 1st GGR event turned out to be 50% beginner riders, we really pushed to make this happen. And thanks to our own GGR coach spectacular Christine Hirst….it happened. Christine knows her skills and is an outstanding instructor! She is a pro down hiller and certified Better Ride Instructor.
We had over 50 beginner girlz signed up for clinics, so we split them up. The advanced beginners went on their ride first, while the beginner girlz learned some new skills to work on prior to their ride! We had 8 year old girlz to women in their late 60’s and everyone of them looked like a different rider at the end of their clinic! It was so amazing to see everyone smiling, having fun and REALLY improving their basic skill set so they can not only apply it on the trails, but now have more confidence and fun because they have those skills.
For the advanced riders this year we added the NEW MILLENIUM trail and finally got a NEW, Updated switch back count! Drum roll please………………………….91! YES! I said 91 switchbacks! O yeah, u girlz asked for a challenge! You got one! WELL DONE!
Also new this year was a swap meet which was such a huge success that instead of going under 1 tent it ended up getting spread out over a MUCH larger area! EVERYONE brought stuff! We swapped gear and got some SMOKIN deals on everything from armor, tubes, jersey’s , forks and more! We will need 3 tents for the swap meet NEXT year!
We were also lucky enough to receive so many incredible product donations this event, we were able to have a silent auction! Darn wish I got to bid! Great stuff!
Thanks to CORBA & Hammer Nutrition, & Thorne Performance, we were able to have a FUEL station this year too! Ice water, fruit, cookies and lots of incredible drink mixes from Hammer Nutrition and Thorne Performance!
Yet one more incredible addition this GGR event was the LIV/GIANT demo truck! Liv/Giant brought a TON of all WOMEN SPECIFIC demo bikes for the ladies to try INCLUDING women’s 29rs!!!!!! It is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to try ANY women’s specific bike at our local shops, so this was such a treat!
There were so many wonderful supporters for this event, I have to mention them all. I thank them so very much for supporting women’s cycling & this incredible annual event for women!
CORBA, Cycle World Chatsworth, LIV/Giant, Hammer, Thorn Performance, Ryders Eye Wear, Luna, Shredly, Loeka, G-LOVES, Skin Car by Marla, Road ID, Dirty Girl Designs, Trek Woman, Cotz Skin Care, Lara Weithorn MFR, Paceline Products, Fogtech, Zoic Clothing, Polar, Team Sparkle.
CORBA has photo galleries of this event for you to view.
To purchase your incredible pictures from the event, please go to one of the following websites and support the wonderful photographers who volunteered their entire day to capture these moments for us!
http://www.precisemomentsphotography.com/girlzgoneriding2012
http://auphotographysales.net/#/gallery/girls-gone-riding/au-ggr-2/
From Wendy Engelberg and Kim Cofield, GGR Event Coordinators.
IMBA Trail Care Crew comes to the Angeles National Forest
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012The weekend of October 20, together with the Mount Wilson Bicycling Association, CORBA hosted the IMBA Trail Care Crew for a visit to the Angeles National Forest. By all measurements, the visit was a great success, even as over 180 volunteers, 30 of them from CORBA, helped build trails in the Conejo Open Space on a conflicting event.
IMBA Trail Care Crew Visit with CORBA
Jesse and Lori, Night Ride
Jesse and Lori, natives of Missouri, are six months into their two-year tour as the IMBA Trail Care crew. Their visit to the San Gabriels started with a Thursday Night ride on the most recently re-opened singletrack trail in the San Gabriels, the Rim of the Valley Trail on Mount Lukens. This trail has undergone extensive restoration by a dedicated crew of City of Glendale volunteers, with earlier work done by CORBA’s former Trail Crew leader, Hans Kiefer a professional trailbuilding contractor and owner of Bellfree Contractors. The trail was in the best condition it has ever been in, aside from a burnt and mangled bridge near the bottom. The volunteer crew were able to cut a narrow trail around the bridge, though for most it will be a hike-a-bike. It’s a steep trail, with lots of very tight switchbacks and cliff-side exposure, definitely not for everyone.
Friday, October 19, day two of the visit, Steve Messer, and the TCC’s Jesse and Lori were joined by Gabriel Wanderley who is touring the country to learn about trail issues to take back to his native Brazil. He is hoping to get IMBA Brazil up and running over the coming year, expanding IMBA’s international presence. The four went up to Strawberry Peak Trail, for which CORBA has received a generous grant from REI to help rebuild, to map out a re-route. Messer had previously hiked the general corridor of the re-route with the Forest Service archaeologist, after the previous planned re-route was found to pass through a sensitive area. As the crew familiarized themselves with the terrain, the general route was marked and rough-flagged in prep for the following day’s class.
Ride Safely: Your Access to Trails Depends On It
Tuesday, October 30th, 2012
The below press release was issued today by the National Park Service (NPS) in conjunction with CORBA.
CORBA has learned that NPS administrators were ready and willing to temporarily close trails in reaction to the issues of increased complaints and collisions listed in the press release. However, due to the trust and reputation that has been fostered and maintained through CORBA’s advocacy efforts with NPS, trail closures were not implemented at this time. Let’s show that we are a responsible user group by slowing down and showing courtesy to our fellow trail users. It’s simple: Slow down, solve the problem.
———————————————–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kate Kuykendall (NPS), 805-370-2343 or Mark Langton (CORBA), 805-558-1606
National Park Service Teams with Mountain Bikers to Promote Safe Riding
New technology may play role in increased complaints and collisions
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In response to increased complaints and collisions on local trails, the National Park Service (NPS) has teamed with the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclist Association (CORBA) to promote safe and courteous riding in the Santa Monica Mountains.
“We’re thrilled that there is great demand for the public to enjoy the beauty and public health benefits of our extensive trail system,” said Melanie Turner, law enforcement ranger and mountain bike unit coordinator with Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). “For the benefit and safety of all users, we ask people to follow proper trail etiquette and observe the 15 mph speed limit.”
Rangers report an uptick in visitor complaints regarding cyclists who are riding too fast or in restricted areas. Particularly on busy weekends, the effects can be dangerous. In the past year, accidents at Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon resulted in several helicopter extractions, though the problem is not limited to that site.
Turner, who is an avid mountain biker herself, wonders if a new website that allows riders to publicly post their times on specific trails has led to an increase in violations. Strava (www.strava.com) shows speeds of up to 35 mph, with average speeds of 25 mph, on some trails within the recreation area. Made aware of the problem, Strava is working with Turner to prohibit users from posting times on certain trails, along with a message about trail regulations.
As part of its mission to promote safe riding, CORBA is working closely with SMMNRA, a unit of the National Park Service, to inform its members about these concerns and remind them about responsible riding tips.
“If you just slow down around other users (including other cyclists), you create a win-win for everyone,” said Mark Langton, president of CORBA. “Speed is subjective; what one person might think is slow might still be too fast. Even at 10 mph you can startle someone and disrupt their enjoyment of our open space. If you slow down, you literally solve the problem most people have with bicycles on the trail – that they go too fast and scare other users.”
Turner attended a recent CORBA meeting and is visiting local bike shops to let the community know that rangers will be stepping up patrols and issuing citations. Both organizations hope the efforts will result in a safe and enjoyable trail experience for all users.
About Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area:
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.
About Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association:
Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association was founded in 1987 to serve the mountain bicycling community of Los Angeles and surrounding areas including southern Ventura County. CORBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to gaining and maintaining public trail access for mountain cyclists and the public at-large. CORBA encourages and promotes the safe and environmentally responsible use of unpaved roads and trails for bicycling and to educate the public about all aspects of off-road cycling and trails. www.corbamtb.com.
###
First Girlz Gone Riding Photos Posted
Monday, October 29th, 2012The Girlz Gone Riding event, held October 28 at Malibu Creek State Park, was a huge success! If you were unable to attend, you can get a feeling for the excitement through the photo:
Other galleries of photos will be published over the next few days so keep an eye on the photo galleries home page to catch the updates!
100 riders plus volunteers and vendors enjoyed the day at Malibu Creek State Park
Welcome SMMNRA Superintendent David Szymanski
Thursday, October 25th, 2012
Craig Sap introduces Superintendent David Szymanski
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) has a new Superintendent. After a ten-month search to fill the position, David Szymanski has taken on the post to oversee the SMMNRA. His prior post was at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park in the Pacific northwest.
About 60 dignitaries gathered Thursday at Will Rogers State Park to welcome the new superintendent to his position in an informal meet-and-greet. There are many different agencies who work with the SMMNRA in a unique collaborative management of this treasured public land, and all had representatives here to welcome Szymanski. State Parks Angeles District Superintendent Craig Sap introduced Szymanski to the gathered crowd, and was joined by County Supervisor Zev Yaraslovsky, MRCA’s Rorie Skei, and several others to welcome him. Also present were representatives from several non-profit agencies who work with the SMMNRA and State Parks, including CORBA.
Woody Smeck, whom Szymanski half-jokingly referred to as “Saint Woody,” set a high standard for his successor, having managed the SMMNRA with a fair and competent hand for more than a decade. The recently announced changes to National Park Service mountain bike policies have come about through the efforts of IMBA and NPS staff at the Federal level, with the SMMNRA’s multi-use policy under Woody and our relationship with him as one model of success. Both David and his predecessor are familiar with IMBA’s Jenn Dice and the successful efforts to streamline the NPS policies for mountain bikes nationwide.
Szymanski is a cyclist, and has already begun exploring the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains both on foot and on a bicycle. In our brief and friendly discussion, it was clear that he is an avid cyclist, but that his responsibilities to the mountains will preclude any favoritism towards one user group over another. However, he understands the issues we face, and we expect him to do well in his new post. He is still in the orientation phase, learning the unique challenges that the SMMNRA faces, for the next few weeks. His position is as much about managing partnerships as it is about managing public lands, but all of those partners are clearly eager to work with him.
We welcome Superintendent Szymanski to his new position, and look forward to continuing our good relationship with the SMMNRA.
CORBA Welcomes Superintendent Szymanski
Rim of the Valley Corridor Preliminary Findings – Public Hearings in November
Thursday, October 25th, 2012
The Special Resource Study for the Rim of the Valley Corridor has been released. While we have not yet had a chance to look at the proposed alternatives, we will do so in the coming weeks and after the first round of meetings. We reported on the ROTV corridor study’s release of Scoping comments in 2011. The alternatives presented in Newsletter #3 should address and consider these comments.
The four alternatives presented are:
- Alternative A: No Action (A continuation of current management)
- Alternative B: Cooperative Conservation Partnership
- Alternative C: Connecting Urban Parks – Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment
- Alternative D: Connecting Natural Habitat – SMMNRA Boundary Adjustment
While all these alternatives have their advantages and disadvantages, there is an overlapping study for the San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study. It’s unclear from these preliminary documents how these two studies overlap, and how much of the effort in each is a duplication.
It is within CORBA’s mission to help protect and preserve our open spaces and public lands, in addition to providing access to those public lands through natural-surface, shared use trails. None of the alternatives presented in this newsletter outline any specific actions with regards to the Rim of the Valley Trail, but rather, provide an outline for the role the National Park Service might play in its future development and management.
We’ll look over these alternatives and publish our comments, and strongly encourage others to also comment by the January 7 deadline.
Below the break is the meeting schedule and offical notice for the study, which can be downloaded here.
——————————————————————————————————————
Preliminary Findings & Alternative Concepts Newsletter Available for
Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study
Dear Friends,
We are happy to report our progress on the Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study, and we invite your feedback on the preliminary ideas which are presented in our recently published Newsletter #3. The newsletter includes preliminary study findings that address whether resources of the study area are nationally significant, and whether they are suitable and feasible for inclusion in the national park system as a new park unit or as an addition to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). Based on these preliminary findings, four preliminary alternative concepts are also presented in the newsletter for your consideration. Please send us your comments by January 7, 2013.
The four preliminary alternative concepts presented in the newsletter illustrate different ways of providing protection and public enjoyment of resources that have been identified as potentiallynationally significant. They include different levels and types of involvement by the National Park Service (NPS). Most importantly, these preliminary alternative concepts serve as a starting point for discussion and public input.
Please tell us what you think about the alternative concepts. Do you like one particular concept more than the others? Do you like various elements of each of the concepts? Do you have an entirely different vision of how the area should be managed? Your comments will help us refine the concepts and will ultimately lead to a recommendation to Congress.
We have scheduled seven public meetings extending through the month of November, concluding with a final meeting in early December. During these meetings, we will update you on our progress on the Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study and listen to your thoughts and ideas. Dates, times and locations of these meetings are listed below. The NPS will also host a virtual public meeting online. Information on the virtual public meeting will be posted on the study website.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Wednesday, November 7, 7 – 9 p.m.
Conejo Recreation and Parks District, Community Room
403 W. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks,CA 91360
Thursday, November 8, 7 – 9 p.m.
George A. Caravalho Santa Clarita Sports Complex, Activities Center Building
20880 Centre Point Parkway
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Tuesday, November 13, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.***
Pacific Community Center
501 S. Pacific Ave.
Glendale, CA 91204
Thursday, November 15, 7 – 9 p.m.
Mason Recreation Center
10500 Mason Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Tuesday, November 27, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Encino Community Center Women’s Club
4935 Balboa Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
Thursday, November 29, 7 – 9 p.m.***
Moorpark Community Center
799 Moorpark Ave.
Moorpark, CA 93021
Saturday, December 1, 10 a.m. – noon
Eaton Canyon Nature Center
1750 North Altadena Dr.
Pasadena, CA 91107
