Archive for the ‘Regions’ Category

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Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011 Signed by Obama

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

On November 7, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011 (S. 382/H.R. 765). A version of this legislation was first introduced by Senator Mark Udall (D-Colorado) in 2008, and again in 2010. The bill was re-introduced in February 2011, and this year passed both the House and Senate. It has strong support from both the mountain bike community and the Ski industry. IMBA testified in favor of the act earlier this year and has signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the National Ski Area Association to help increase visitation and improve summer mountain bike experiences at U.S. ski areas.

The Act amends the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 and clarifies the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to “permit appropriate additional seasonal or year-round recreational activities and facilities on National Forest System land subject to Ski Area permits.”  The act goes on to specifically mention mountain bike terrain parks and trails, zip lines, frisbee golf courses and ropes courses as acceptable additional recreational activities for ski areas. It excludes activities such as tennis courts, water slides, swimming pools and golf courses.

This should make it easier for ski areas to get the required permits to operate mountain bike parks during their summer off-season. Year-round recreation at ski resorts is expected to create additional jobs and increase local commerce. Ski areas must still comply with environmental regulations when operating year-round, and their primary function has to remain snow sports.

In the Angeles National Forest there are four ski areas: Mountain High (East, West & North), Mt. Waterman, Ski Sunrise and Mt. Baldy. For a few short weeks in 2009 Mt. Waterman opened to bicycles in the summer, but was forced to abandon its mountain bike park plans because of the limitations of their ski area permit. The passage of HR 765 now allows the Secretary of Agriculture to issue permits for mountain bike parks to existing ski area permit holders.

This is a great step forward and one that will hopefully increase our opportunities for lift-access trails and bike parks in the years to come.

Posted in Angeles National Forest, Bike Skills Park, National | Comments Closed

November 5, 2011 Skills Clinic Photos

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

We had 20 participants in this month’s basic skills clinic at Malibu Creek State Park with cool temperatures under a cloudless sky. There was no water in the creek even though it rained a little the day before – everybody rode across in both directions! You can see all the photos in the November Skills Clinic Photo Gallery.

Posted in CORBA News, Free Basic Skills Clinic, Santa Monica Mountains | Comments Closed

Light Rain Provided Perfect Dirt for CORBA Kids Ride

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

Though it was a small group who showed up for the November CORBA Kids ride in Cheeseboro Canyon last Saturday November 5, their enthusiasm ran big.  Light rains the day before provided perfect riding conditions.   The summer dust was lightly packed, the skies were clear and blue, and the temperature was pleasantly brisk.

After our standard greetings, 3 adults and 3 kids saddled up and headed out. Dave rode up front with Ethan and Nolan, John rode with Josiah, and Kat was sweeper and some-time photographer. When we got to “The Bees,” John guided the kids one-by-one through a small water crossing; the kids did great! We continued on until we hit 3.25 miles before taking a break and turning back. Most of the kids were tired after a total ascent of 500 feet.

During the break, John demonstrated the strength of his Kevlar gloves. He dared the kids to hit his gloved knuckles with a rock, and they each took a turn. After watching a large group of adult riders negotiate some technical rocky areas, the group saddled up. Most of the kids were uncomfortable riding back down some of the rockier sections, so they learned another lesson in mountain biking: There’s no shame in walking! Once we got past “The Bees,” everyone enjoyed the mostly downhill ride back to the parking lot.

After the ride, the kids snacked on chips and cookies, while the adults compared bike racks.

Check out the photo gallery of this ride. Next ride will take place Saturday December 3rd in Sullivan Canyon; meet on the Brentwood side: http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/sullivan.htm . Hope to see you there!

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Posted in CORBA News, Los Angeles, Rides and Events, Santa Monica Mountains, Youth | Comments Closed

IMBA Trail Care Crew in Tehachapi Nov 18 and 19

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Our friends at the Tehachapi Mountain Trails Association will be hosting the IMBA Trail Care Crew in November. They are a group of non motorized trail users from the greater Tehachapi California area trying to make life better by providing more trails to more people in our own back yard. On Friday Nov 18th at 4:00 PM the Trail Care Crew will be presenting “Better Living Through Trails” in the Golden Hills Community Services District meeting room. The address is 21415 Reeves Street, Tehachapi, CA 93561. After IMBA’s Better Living Through Trails presentation they plan to begin the discussion of creating a cohesive greater Tehachapi area trails plan. They have confirmation from Kern County supervisor Scrivner’s office, Kern County Parks, possibly Kern County Roads, Golden Hills CSD, Stallion Springs CSD, Alpine Forest Board, City of Tehachapi, Tehachapi Parks Dept, and the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program.

The IMBA trail skills college is scheduled to start the next day Nov 19th in the same meeting room at 9:00 AM with the hands on portion to take place in Tehachapi Mountain Park that afternoon.

The sign up page is on IMBA’s web site at  https://www.imba.com/

CORBA members, supporters and other concerned trail users, land managers are invited and encouraged to attend.

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Posted in California, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study – Revised Draft Released

Friday, October 28th, 2011

The National Park Service is conducting a “special resource study” of portions of the San Gabriel River watershed and the San Gabriel Mountains. CORBA attended the previous round of public input sessions and reported on the process in 2009.  In the original study proposal there were three alternatives presented, A, B, and C.  We supported and recommended a combination of the areas proposed in Alternative A and the management strategies proposed in Alternative C.

In the recently released executive summary, the NPS reports that it has made the following determinations about the study area:

  • Natural and cultural resources of the San Gabriel Mountains and Puente-Chino Hills are nationally significant, in that they meet all four of the NPS criteria for national significance.
  • The study area is suitable for inclusion in the national park system because it represents natural and cultural resource types that are not already adequately represented in the national park system or protected by another land managing entity.
  • The NPS determined that a collaborative partnership based park unit which respects the complex mix of land use, ownership, and regulatory authority in the study area would be a feasible addition to the national park system. A large traditional national park unit, owned and operated solely by the National Park Service, is not feasible.
  • Need for NPS Management: NPS management in partnership with existing agencies and organizations is the best option for enhancing protection of significant resources, for improving access to recreational opportunities in the region, and for providing coordinated interpretation and education about significant resources.

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

My First Trail Building Experience During the COSCA Trail Work Day

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Contributed by Jesse Ettinger, North Ranch Mountain Bikers

I ride mountain bike trails for free. By “free” I mean “not withstanding any of my tax dollars that may be used for park & trail maintenance.” (In the Conejo Open Spaces, most of the trail construction and maintenance is done by volunteers, the exception being large-scale removal of chaparral and weed overgrowth.) So, with all the riding I do, it really was a no-brainer to me that giving back is something I can and should do.

Polaski

I feel such joy when I ride my mountain bike on a great trail, and wanted to experience the joy of building or repairing one so other bikers, hikers and equestrians can do the same. I had my first opportunity to do this on October 15th, and it was as rewarding as I could have hoped.

Roughly seven or eight of us from North Ranch Mountain Bikers showed up for the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency’s (COSCA) Trail Work Day. We were a small fraction of nearly 170 people  who felt compelled to turn out for the same reasons I described. Some of us had done this type of stuff before, many, like me, had not.

After checking-in around 7:30 am and receiving free sack snacks, we were shuttled in two buses from the Conejo Community Center to a trailhead off Erbes road, north of Sunset Hills Boulevard. We split into groups of fifteen, and were shown how to use the two main tools with which we’d become intimately familiar over the next few hours: The McLeod and the Polaski. (more…)

Posted in Conejo Valley, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

Annual IMBA Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

On Saturday October 1, 47 riders came out for the IMBA’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day at Malibu Creek State Park.  Riders on unicycles, trailer bikes, tandem bikes, and various sized mountain bikes dotted the trail on a pleasantly warm October morning.

While families arrived and signed in, early-birds rode around the parking lot to warm up after readying their bikes. After reviewing trail etiquette,  fearless leader Hans Keifer, CORBA Kids Club members, and many new comers hit the trails.

 

The first challenge was a dry creek crossing, and the kids were troopers, as you can ssee when you view our photo gallery of this event.  After a short break where we waited for the slower members of the group to catch up, we headed back past the visitors center, and some riders rode up the big hill leading to the MASH site before heading back for a fine BBQ lunch!

If you liked this event, or you misssed it and you want to try riding with other families, please join us at our next CORBA Kids Club ride on Saturday November 5 from 9 to noon in Cheeseboro Canyon. 

Email kidsclub@corbamtb.com for more information.

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Posted in California, Rides and Events, Santa Monica Mountains, Take a Kid Mountain Biking | Comments Closed

Backbone Trail Just Got Closer to Completion

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Photo: National Park Service

The National Park Service has completed the purchase of another important land parcel along the route of the Backbone Trail, leaving just a scant mile or so still not open to the public. For more information, click here.

Posted in Santa Monica Mountains, Trail Access | Comments Closed

COSCA Annual Trailwork Day to Be October 15th

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Join CORBA, SMMTC, COSCA and other volunteer groups to work on the Conejo Open Space trails in Thousand Oaks. There will be a thank you lunch and prize drawings after the work. This is a great event with many volunteers. This year we will be revitalizing a trail in Sunset Hills that had become completely overgrown. If you hike or ride the trails in Thousand Oaks, come out and help maintain these trails! No prior experience is necessary.

This annual Conejo Valley event draws a large crowd and as always helps to put some very sweet trails back into good shape. Be sure to stay afterwards for the free lunch and raffle. Meet at the Conejo Community Center in Thousand Oaks (Botanical Garden Entrance off Gainsborough Road). Registration and board busses: 7:00-8:00 a.m. Things to bring:
• work gloves
• long pants and long sleeved shirt
• water, snack
• sunglasses and sunblock
Tools and instructions on how to use them safely will be provided. There will be a free thank-you lunch and free raffle afterwards from noon until 2:00 pm.

Directions:  Meet at Conejo Community Center Park in Thousand Oaks. Exit 101 Freeway on Lynn Rd. north, right on Gainsborough Rd., right at the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden sign (just past the 7th Day Adventist Church). Breakfast snack is also provided.

Check the COSCA Trailwork Volunteers web page for more information.

Posted in Conejo Valley, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

Take a Kid Mountain Biking October 1, 2011

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Saturday October 1, 2011 – Saturday October 1, 2011

1925 Las Virgines RD

View MapMap and Directions | Register

Description:

Take a Kid Mountain Biking

On October 1st, in conjunction with the IMBA Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, CORBA will be having a fun ride at Malibu Creek State Park at 9:00 am. This will be a ride followed by a barbecue. All ages are welcome!

If the kids are too young to ride, feel free to bring a bike trailer or trail-a-bike and tow them along. These can be your own kids, nieces, nephews, friends kids, neighbor kids… Kids must have their own bikes and helmets.

There will be a few different ride options for different age groups. Feel free to participate even if you don’t have any kids to bring.

Childhood obesity in the United States has reached an all-time high. Experts say that the current generation of U.S. children could actually have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. IMBA and CORBA believe mountain biking can help reverse this trend. We need your help to get kids back on bikes.

To get to Malibu Creek State Park, take the Ventura Freeway (101) to Calabasas, exit Las Virgenes Road/Malibu Canyon. Go south 3.5 miles. You will cross Mulholland Highway and go another 1/4 mile to the entrance to Malibu Creek State Park on the right.

From Santa Monica, take Pacific Coast Highway north to Malibu Canyon Road and turn Right. Go 6 miles to the park entrance on your left. Just past the ranger kiosk to the left is a large gravel parking …

Meet at upper parking lot.

 

 

Register

Posted in Rides and Events, Santa Monica Mountains, Take a Kid Mountain Biking, Youth | Comments Closed

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