July 30, 2004
Lucky
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I believe that you make your own luck. Having said that, I would rather be lucky than good. I am fortunate to have joined the Salinas Ramblers twenty seven years ago and to have so many friends to ride with. Last night during a break in the Club meeting I was talking with a fellow club member and he was bemoaning the fact that another of our friends in his late 50's was having some physical problems and was not riding much any more. I guess that I have been lucky that my body has held up so that I can continue to enjoy off-road riding.
I know a lot of older guys drop out of the sport because of physical problems or lack of riding partners. I realize now that as you age you have to work hard at your conditioning in order to enjoy riding. I can recall taking some friends my age out for a spin around Clear Creek after they had laid off for a while and it like to have killed them. They were sore for days and not real eager to go out with me again.
Fortunately, thanks to the internet, there are web sites that help to bring people together to go riding. ThumperTalk has it's Where, When, & Who to Ride With Forum and I have introduced several people to the trails of Clear Creek as a result of posts. If you are lacking a riding partner, this might just be the place to find one.
And remember - You don't quit riding because you get old, you get old because you quit riding!
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Reasonable - No, Uncompromising - Yes
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I understand that the BLM is trying to find someone "reasonable" in the Salinas Ramblers to discuss the national enduro routes with. For the uninitiated, "reasonable" is Big Brother Newspeak* means "compromising" and we all know that compromising means having to give up something. At this point I am unwilling to give anything up so that makes me uncompromising and thus unreasonable (and proud of it!).
I don't believe that we should compromise away any more of our precious OHV recreation opportunity, especially one of the top ten OHV places to recreate. In fact, we should demand more!
* complements of George Orwell - 1984
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July 28, 2004
Diversity
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Diversity is a good thing. After thirty years of being told so by the liberal left, I have finally seen the light and embrace it - at least as it pertains to the routes in Clear Creek.
According to the BLM database, the route classification are Improved, 4WD, Jeep, ATV and SST. Five different classifications. Then, within the last three, you have to consider degree of difficulty. For instance, there is a big difference between jeep route T125 (mislabeled as ATV) and and jeep route T143 (not evaluated but OPEN). A novice jeep driver could negotiate T125 but would probably have a great deal of trouble with T143. more...
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Fundraiser
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Fighting land use battles is not a lot of fun but you have to do it if we are to keep our riding areas open. In order to put a little fun into the equation, I am pleased to announce that a Friend of Clear Creek, Joe Wytman (Joe Racer Products) is organizing a one day dual sport ride starting at Bear Valley on September 19. All profits will be donated to the Clear Creek Legal Defense Fund managed by the Blue Ribbon Coalition. Information about this benefit ride may be found at the web site of Dual Sport Adventures. Come join Joe and I for a late summer Sierras ride and help with the fight to keep Clear Creek open.
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Where are the routes?
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Last December I spent a day with Jason, the person from the BLM office who has GPSed most of the routes in the current database. We recorded and assessed trails in the eastern portion of the riding area that the Ramblers were planning to use them on the 2004 Quicksilver. In addition to the routes I expressly needed, I led Jason around on a number of other trails in the same vicinity that I knew were not in the database but that had been used on previous enduros.
Now, seven months later, I find that the BLM has not included these routes in the DEIS. What gives? We used some of them last year! Where are they???
Should there be any doubt that the BLM had them in their database, here are scans of a map they produced after the work had been completed.
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July 25, 2004
Disingenuous
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As I am reading through the DEIS and making notes I find in Chapter 1 the following: (1.7 Constraints) "Public lands within the CCMA adjoin with private lands and lands managed by other agencies. The proposed actions and decisions only apply to lands managed by the BLM. The owners and managers of other lands may allow, close or restrict the use of segments of routes that cross their lands at any time." As I look through this document, I find instance after instance of the BLM evaluating routes that traverse non-BLM lands. In some cases, they leave the route open, in other cases they have it closed. Plus, in their inventory of open routes in both Alternative A and B are a number of routes the exist solely on non-BLM controlled land.
They also state in Chapter 2.3.2 that they will contact private land owners during this process. Seems like they have put the cart in front of the horse. Why haven't they contacted these landowners before they released the document, back when they were doing their paperwork drill of evaluating route from the relative comfort of their office in Hollister. (Heaven forbid that they would actually leave the office to look at the land they are alleged to manage). So the BLM has presented us with alternatives with routes and barrens that they do not control and others on which the landowner may or may not allow use. What a bunch of crap.
I have sent an e-mail to Bob Beehler on behalf of the Salinas Ramblers asking that they redo their alternatives and analysis to restrict it to resources that they actually control after contacting the private landowners. How can the public give any kind of reasoned input in the absence of this critical information.
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July 24, 2004
Night Hillclimbing
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Two weekends ago I guided some fresh meat from the LA area around the creek. Our first ride was on Saturday evening starting at 8:30 PM. We rode out to Santa Rita Peak, accessing it via a major dirt access road that does not appear on any of the BLM's maps. (Yes, as hard as it may be to believe, a major road to a microwave facility is not in their route database. How do you spell "clueless"?)
It was warm, there was no moonlight and there were plenty of shooting stars. The view of the valley lights was wonderful. On the way to our second stop, San Benito Mountain (that the BLM now proposes to close to motorized access), we stopped at the bowl and I hit a couple of the big hills. My riding partners said it looked really cool the way the headlight beam bounced around and reflected off the trees. I found it really interesting to check out the ground in front of the headlight. When everything is dark around you, you see the world in front of you in a different light. More about this ride and some pictures can be found on Thumpertalk's Southwest Ride Forum - http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1211494/page/1/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1
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July 23, 2004
Response to Visitor Use
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On Wednesday afternoon I was speaking with Lesly Smith and she asked if I had seen the response that she had sent on the 20th. Seems that she mailed it to an old e-mail address that we rarely check. The response was to my question as to how they had calculated the user visits from 10/1/03 through 4/3/04. As I suspected, they had not divided the traffic counter readings by 2 in order to account for people both entering and leaving. Late Wednesday afternoon I sent another e-mail questioning the BLM about this oversight. As of today, I have not had a response. Here is their response to the questions submitted on July 9th.
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July 20, 2004
Extreme?
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I am an extremist, at least according to George Hill, for wanting to keep open the trails and barrens that I have been recreating on for the past thirty years. So are the Blue Ribbon Coalition, AMA District 36, Salinas Ramblers, California 4WD and CORVA. We're all extremists because we dare challenge the BLM over their management of Clear Creek.
Unbeknownst to me there is a huge segment of the OHV community out there who want the BLM to close trails and barrens arbitrarily and capriciously. I guess I must have missed them when they entered Clear Creek this past winter. George Hill, in the latest news article on Clear Creek, says that "Many of the people who recreate at Clear Creek understand that some type of compromise needs to occur to protect both OHV users and the natural resources." He goes on to say " The two extreme sides really don’t capture what most users believe.” (He is referring to the Center for Biological Diversity and the OHV organizations listed above)
I beg to differ and got news for you George - you're living in a dream world. I believe that, contrary to your view of things, OHV community is tired of giving up our trails and play areas and will not accept the DEIS as written. If it is a battle you want, then its a battle you shall get.
Day 11 and counting for a response from the BLM. Maybe they threw a dart at a wall full of numbers?
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July 18, 2004
Suggestion for George Hill
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According to the Hollister FreeLance article on Clear Creek from June 16, "Two meetings will be held to get public comment on the plan, most likely in August. The BLM hasn’t set a date or location, but the meetings most likely will be in the Hollister and Coalinga areas, Hill said."
Suggestion to George: Hey George, while you are at it, why not schedule the meeting during business hours when most people have to work to for a living. This way you will get the type of response and input you really want - NONE!
Day 9 and counting for a response from the BLM. How's the math exercise coming? Don't forget to divide by 2!
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July 17, 2004
Three for Three or Third Time a Charm?
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There is a new Clear Creek Project Manager in the Hollister Field Office. His name is Brian White and he transferred in from a BLM position in Montana where there are fewer OHV in the entire state than there are in the city limits of Hollister.
If you are keeping score, Brian is the third project manager to work for the Hollister Field Office in a little over two years. The first was Karl Buermeyer, who lasted just around three months - May to Aug. 2002. I think he was scared away by the confrontation with the public at the BLM open house meeting in June, 2002. He found a more satisfying position working on the sudden oak death syndrome. Karl is a professional tree hugger (forester) by trade so this was right up his alley.
Next was Robert Lafleur who transferred to the BLM from the Corp of Engineers in Louisiana. I think he started in Jan. 2003 and departed in April of this year. Robert joined the Fish and Wildlife Service working out of Sacramento. Since he works in the same building in Sacramento as Mike Pool, I wonder if Mike did an exit interview as I suggested to learn the reasons Robert left the HFO??? Robert can't seem to stay away from the creek though. Saw him down there last weekend keeping company with Nikki Allen, the Park Ranger (guess they are still an item).
Now we have Brian who told me today in our first conversation that he likes to ride motorcycles but is a self-professed wilderness advocate. Talk about a split personality and he is already pointing out that he had nothing to do with the DEIS, so don't blame me.
It is a little known fact that I applied for this position in the Fall of 2002. I had just taken a voluntary layoff from a high-tech firm in the valley and figured that this would be a good way to get the BLM off their ass and get the ROD implemented. I even told Bob Beehler that if he hired me he could stifle one of his biggest critics. Well, they blew their chance - didn't even call me for an interview. Someone asked me later if I was bitter. My reply was that I was relieved. It would have been a labor of love working in the HFO with that cast of characters. Must have been crazy or at least temporarily insane.
Day 8 and counting for a response from the BLM. How's the math exercise coming? Don't forget to divide by 2!
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July 16, 2004
Very Sad Day for Clear Creek and the OHV Community
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Spent last evening sending e-mails to dealers and publications notifying them of the 90 day comment period. As the daily tag line says, this is a very sad day for the OHV community. A bunch of bureaucrats who hate OHV users and who don't have a clue as to what goes on in Clear Creek are trying to steal our trails and set the stage for the eventual closure of Clear Creek.
They tried this before, in 1995, and the OHV community fought back and won what we thought was a victory when then State Director Ed Hastey approved a record of decision favorable to the OHV community. Now, after dragging their collective feet for over five years, they have forced us to fight again. This time we must not only win this battle but also seek a replacement for the failed leadership of the Hollister Field Office.
Day 7 One week and counting for a response from the BLM.
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July 14, 2004
Hate Crime: Where the perpetrator’s prejudice against any identifiable group of people is a factor in determining who is victimised
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After giving the BLM's Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Clear Creek Management Area (DEIS) a cursory overview last night, these are the best words I can think of to describe it. It seems apparent to me that the BLM so hates the OHV community for daring to file a lawsuit and for daring to show up at a public meeting to confront them over their illegal actions in Clear Creek, that despite the dire need for added OHV recreation opportunity in Central California, they would propose to close approximately 60% of the routes in Clear Creek and destroy one of the greatest OHV recreation opportunities in the entire United States.
Day 5 and counting for a response from the BLM.
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July 13, 2004
270
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If you had had the chance to review the running battle with the BLM over the trail and barren designations on the Salinas Rambler web site, you most certainly will have seen the number of 270 miles of trails come up over and over again. In fact, this number was recently mentioned again by George Hill in the interview that he gave to the Hollister Freelance last month. What he probably neglected to tell the reporter was that the BLM was only going to propose an alternative with 270 miles of designated routes, not recommend it. And, of course, he also probably neglected to mention that, of the 270 miles of designated routes, there would be 25 miles for administrative use that would not be open to the public. more...
Day 4 and counting for a response from the BLM.
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July 12, 2004
Do as we say, not as we do.
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I was guiding some riders from the LA area around Clear Creek yesterday and today and I came across I sign I don't recall seeing before. It was obvious from its condition that I had been posted for a long time; I guess I have just missed it before. It said "Respect Private Property". I found it posted on the Aurora grade, R001 after you leave R011. As I rode past it I thought, "These guys sure have some nerve telling US to respect private property." You see, I had just ridden past a kiosk, signs and a huge steel gate that the BLM had situated on Futures Foundation property, most likely without their permission. They buried the largest pot bust in California history a few years ago on a parcel of private property without asking that owner. They have constructed fences and posted signs on other parcels of private property inside Clear Creek without the owners knowledge or permission.
So it seems kind of ironic that they would be admonishing us to respect private property when they have treated it with utter disregard for the owner's private property rights.
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July 10, 2004
Indians
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During my interview with Kate Woods for the Pinnacle newspaper article on Clear Creek, I made a comment that the OHV community were "like indians, and you know what happened to them". Well, if you think about it, we are. Back in the 1990's the government was threatening to take our trails away and put us on a reservation. This reservation would have been the Clear Creek OHV park envisioned in their initial EIS scoping process. After numerous years of skirmishes and the threat of a lawsuit, the government created a treaty (Record of Decision) in 1998 that we accepted. Now the great white father in Sacramento is going back on the word of his predecessor and again trying to steal our trails.
My fellow warriors, the time will soon be at hand for a new uprising like we had in Hollister in 2002 and Sunnyvale in 1991. We are going to need a huge turnout for any public meeting the government dare schedule. So get your war paint ready and start sharpen your spears and arrows (pencils and typing skills).
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July 9, 2004
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Sent off the following e-mail to the BLM today after reviewing the information they sent yesterday:
Bob,
I replied to George Hill yesterday that I would still like to see the specific formula and the actual data that went into the development of the number that you published for YTD visitor use in your most recent grant request, i.e. 48,392 visitor use days from Oct. 1, 2003 through April 14, 2004. The information you provided yesterday, while interesting, does not help me understand your calculation process.
I would also like to know why your office has now published three different VUD counts for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 that I know of. Here is a table listing the numbers you have published:
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| 7/8/2004 Reply | 42,966 | 47,237 | 49,425 |
| 2005/6 Grant Request | 33,373 | 40,002 | 42,905 |
| 2004/5 Grant Request | 44,814 | 47,348 | 50,811 |
Thank You,
Ed Tobin
It will be very interesting to see their reply to this one. The figures they gave me yesterday, mainly, were vehicle count numbers without any logic or math applied. In other words, raw data.
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July 8, 2004
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
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I know that some of the things that I have written and some of the things that will appear in the future may be hard to believe but I want you to know that everything I write is the truth, at least the truth as I have experienced it and I will be willing to take a lie detector test anytime, any place to prove it.
Day 31 and I finally got some answers this afternoon from the BLM in an e-mail from George Hill. The EIS will be out on July 16 (2004, I presume) You can read the other answers here. I have to review the response and will have some comments tomorrow.
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July 7, 2004
Readers Write
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I draw inspiration and ideas from the readers of this dribble, I mean, blog. A couple from the past Independence Day weekend:
"Like the blog. Wick would approve."
Keep the notes and ideas coming. But please, no Dear Eddie material. You can send that to Hertfelder at ducttapes@yahoo.com.
Day 30 and counting for a response from the BLM.
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Hertfelder
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I mentioned earlier that Bob Wick (Mr. Dirt Alert) was a person I admired for his bulldog attitude. He was the self-designated "bad cop" in the early days of the Clear Creek fight. Another influence has to be my friend, Ed Hertfelder. I grew up in the same town in New Jersey where Ed lived but I did not know about him until I started to ride enduros in the mid-1970's and read his column in Cycle magazine. It was his articles, in part, that inspired me to promote the sport of enduro and convert the Quicksilver from a second-rate local event to a first rate, national calibre enduro. Of course, I have had a LOT of help with this from my fellow club members over the past 26 years.
Now, I realize that many of the younger readers will not know of whom I speak but Ed Hertfelder is a cult classic, so to speak, to my generation of enduro riders. You can still find some of Ed's entertaining stories on the web at trail rider magazine. There are also a number of the stories on-line at Motorcycle.com. One of my favorites was the "Clint Eastwood Invitational Enduro". My numero uno favorite piece was his Dear Eddie article, wherein like Dear ABBY, he would address readers questions. For instance: Dear Eddie, My husband goes riding almost every Sunday. He says that he is enduro riding but I think he is cheating. How can I tell which it is? Reply - If he has scratches on his face he has been enduro riding, if he has scratches on his back he has been cheating.
Anyway, the purpose of today's blog entry is to offer a copy of Ed's book "Duct Tapes 80" to the first person (not an organization) who donates $1,000 to the Clear Creek legal defense fund. We have had a lot of people donate between $100 and $250 individually since we started the fund raising. I would like to reward that first person who ponies up a grand and what better way to do it than with a classic Duct Tapes book.
Day 29 and counting for a response from the BLM.
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July 4, 2004
Signs
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Sign, Sign, Everywhere a sign.
Blockin' out the scenery. Breakin' my mind.
Do this. Don't do that.
Can't you read the sign?
(Lyrics from "Signs" by the Five Man Electrical Band)
If you haven't already guessed, the theme of this week's editorial is - SIGNS. I hate signs. I hate fences too but I hate signs more. I want to be able to ride around Clear Creek the way a hiker can walk through a wilderness area, without seeing signs. more...
Day 27 and counting for a response from the BLM.
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July 2, 2004
Riding Alone
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I don't recommended it. What if you fell in a ravine that was deeper than your bike, on a hot summer afternoon, no water, 15 miles from camp and you are alone? Been there, done that. I don't recommend it! Having said that, I do it all the time (ride that is). I still don't recommend it for the average Clear Creek visitor. Even with a map, you can still get lost out there and it is no fun hugging your motor (assuming it runs) all night to stay warm in freezing weather.
So, what do you do if you want to go to the creek and don't have a riding partner. For one you can check the ThumperTalk's Southwest "When, Where &Who to Ride With" Fourm to see if there is anyone else looking for a riding partner at the Creek or to see if anyone has organized a ride.
Another alternative would be to patrol with the BLM ranger. William Schwarz is always in need of a riding companion when he patrols on his KTM as he does not like to go out alone. With their OK, I plan to start using ThumperTalk's forums to organize volunteer efforts in Clear Creek this fall and one of them will be to accompany the BLM ranger on his patrols.
Finally, if you are out of riding partners, consider joining a club as a way to meet new riding partners. A list of AMA District 36 clubs can be found here.
Day 25 and counting for a response from the BLM. Guess I'm good for 28 days since I know they won't respond over a three day holiday weekend.
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July 1, 2004
Good Cop, Bad Cop
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Just as I was leaving work I saw another story about the LA police beating someone with a flashlight, again. You would think by now they would have learned to check for video cameras before they whup somebody's ass. (By the way, that's great song - "Whup Somebody's Ass" by Paul Thorn. Got it on KPIG's Greatest Hit, Vol.1) Anyway, when they aren't beating you, they sometimes employ a tactic called Good Cop/Bad Cop when interrogating you. John Haaker (Los Alto Dirt Bikers) and I employed this approach in dealing with the BLM. I was the designated asshole (bad cop) and John would try to be their friend (good cop) and I think this was hard for John to pretend and be nice to them.
Contrary to what the BLM will tell you, I am a pretty nice guy in every day life, but on the subject of Clear Creek, watch out. I was trained by Bob Wick (RIP), Mr. Dirt Alert back in the early 1990's and I guess you could say that this blog is an outgrowth of that experience. I take a very dim view of a bunch of bureaucrats, who sit around the office collecting paychecks, never visit the area, and who don't have a clue as to the needs of the OHV community making decisions about Clear Creek. When was the last time that Bob Beehler or George Hill were in Clear Creek? On a weekend when there was OHV use?
Anyway, thanks John for playing a role that I know you utterly distained!
Day 24 and counting for a response from the BLM
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