PV: The axe is falling.....

[wanhand]

I was there along with other MTB supporters. I stayed until 10 and left due to other arrangements.

I'm sure somebody will post the Minutes here.

[ssisyphus]

It didn't go well. The advisory committee is not where we will win for our cause.

Please be sure to respond to the Daily Breeze "question of the week" mentioned in PVT's post on page 12.

The 12th hour is approaching - let's give it our best.

Thanks, Jim

[drclark]

Here is the updated map after last night.



We lost access below ishabashi and lower slalom will be combined with ishabashi (most likely following ishabashi).

Next meeting is 1/16/08 and they hope to have all the trail planning done 1/30/08. They decided to defer discussion on whether or not grand canyon is a viable trail until Kurt Loheit (trails expert) can attend. If they decide to keep it, it will most likely be ped-only.

There is recognition among the committee that this trail map may be too restrictive, concentrating too many users on too few trails creating more habitat and user issues. THey discussed possibly adding back some trails at the next meeting. The usual suspects were obviously against this idea citing that this is a nature preserve not a recreation area and that only passive recreation is allowed... Whats the definition of passive recreation, who knows...

Another idea that seems to be gaining a bit of favor is the concept of time sharing the trails. That would only work for us if multi use area are expanded. Also note that the current time sharing concepts only apply to bikes. I.e. peds/horses get to use multi use trails all the time. Bikes would be limited to certain days/hours.

This map has not been affirmed yet so there is still time to make motions to change the designations. However, I'm not sure how successful Troy will be in winning back any ground. It may be time to focus our efforts on the public hearing and city council decision.

Also someone from the city or rolling hills was there to complain about the "huge increase" in non-resident cyclists in their community and how they are going to be forced to step up enforcement of their "no cyclists on trails" ordinance. And they also promised to close the "loophole" of walking bikes through... Ugh There are some things I'd like to say but would probably get me arrested or something.....

Lastly, the "temporary" closures were discussed again this week. Apparently they will go into effect sometime next week and would close the majority of trails off of Burma Rd to ALL users. I can only hope that these closures will upset the user base to the point where the city council starts feeling policital/voter backlash against the conservancy.

drc

[roadkillross]

hey good work out there dr. clark and otehrs who spoike. made some very good points. like the whole "splitting the baby" crap. i was there from bit after 7 until 10:15ish. could hardly stand the amount of bickering and jokling around that theses people do.

[superstock]

Originally Posted by drclark

The usual suspects were obviously against this idea citing that this is a nature preserve not a recreation area and that only passive recreation is allowed... Whats the definition of passive recreation, who knows...
drc

The Subarea Plan (which was drafted in order to obtain state and federal funds) defines passive recreation in section 6.2.5:

Passive
recreational activities (e.g., horse riding, hiking, bicycling, and bird watching) are anticipated within the
Reserve and are generally compatible with conservation goals.

This document can be found here:
http://www.pvplc.org/land/portuguese...UBAREAPLAN.pdf

Looks like I'll have to get out there for a ride this weekend before it gets shut down

Thanks for everyone who attended the meeting.

S

[Flat Broke]

Well...
If there's one thing I've learned from going to the meetings; it's to never assume any trail's fate cast in stone. Eva was visibly angered over how things went at the previous meeting, and the our multiuse win came with a slim margin leaving the door open for her to do what she did last night.

Time of day restrictions are a recipe for disaster as the Conservancy has no bandwidth/budget/means to enforce such a scenario, and the first time a kid is out on a trail on his bike outside the designated time; the event will be relayed back to the Conservancy with extreme prejudice and exaggeration to support the idea of a widespread ban on bikes. I understand that John and other committee members are just trying to find ways to deal with the issue, and I'm happy they're open to trying to solve the problem. But I still have such a hard time understanding why the PUMP committee can't just say, "the area has been shared by all users for decades, why not leave it that way and just have the Conservancy close trails/areas when habitat needs a break". Every time they hear this argument from the public, they retort with rhetoric about the habitat and safety, but when you ask them to show you facts supporting their claims about those concerns, none are too be found. Or even worse, you get Eva with her picture book making assertions that are false and only serve her wants. At what point do the people of the State of California have a right to demand that the individuals making the recommendation for the use of an area purchased largely with state bond measure funds, use common sense and facts supported by authorities on the subject matter, as opposed to personal bias and prejudice?

In case you can't tell, I'm a little frustrated and a just a touch aggravated.

Chris
[FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT]

[ssisyphus]

Print Email

Most readers favor shared use of nature trails
Daily Breeze Question of the Week
Article Launched: 12/13/2007 10:02:53 PM PST


Although I am a biker (road type), I do not believe that hiking/horse trails should be shared with mountain bikers, and the environment is not the reason. Mountain bikers are all about speed on the downhill, and hikers and walkers are obviously on a different pace. Mixing them is a recipe for injuries.
- BOB YOUNG
Harbor City
Obviously you've never been on a horse path before or never had a horse spooked by somebody jumping on a bicycle in front of you. It's crazy to mix bicycles and horse riding. Horses do spook. Good way to break your neck. No bikes.
- RANDY SCHOONOVER
Torrance
I live in Upper Portuguese Bend and my wife and I have been biking, hiking and riding horses on the trails in that area for years. Compared to other places we have experience with, the folks we meet are very pleasant and generally demonstrate a real concern for the environment.
This is evidenced by the lack of trash and litter on the trails.
Because we use the trails for hiking, biking and riding, we are not biased toward any one group. It is our opinion that you can cause damage in any format. You cannot solve the problems with regulation. We need to communicate our concern, educate the users (all disciplines) and post rules of good conduct.
- JIM LEGGE
Rancho Palos Verdes
A few hikers and a few mountain bikers are a problem. The many other hundreds of hikers and mountain bikers are happy to
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share the trails and don't forget the horse people also sharing. There seems to be an issue with a few power-hungry people (who believe) the trails are theirs. Remember, the land is for everybody, not just a few people. Does anybody realize that people need to get out and ride or walk every day for the health of themselves and society as a whole? Without naming certain names, a few have created a lot of stress to ban mountain biking. These few should go visit the rest of the planet and see how lucky they are to live where they have open land and to share it with (others) who know they are lucky to have the open land and enjoy it.
- MITCH BERGER
Torrance
Yes, mountain bikes should be allowed on the trails. Mountain bikes do no more harm to trails than hiking, and less than horses. (There are many studies to support this.) Damage to trails, whether it be from mountain bikes, hiking boots or horse hooves, can be mitigated and repaired. Banning mountain biking from the trails is prejudicial and has shown to exacerbate conflict. And it wouldn't do much to mitigate damage to the environment.
As a member of Conejo Open Space Trails Advisory Committee (in Thousand Oaks) I know that mountain biking can absolutely coexist with other trail users because there is open dialogue, inclusion and cooperation, not an atmosphere of exclusion, bans and conflict.
- MARK LANGTON
Newbury Park
I think it should be strictly foot traffic. It's just too much otherwise, and the environment would be so much better.
- CAROL BARKER
Hawthorne
Science and ecological studies have shown that, with very few exceptions, well-designed public trails support mountain biking without any abnormal or unusual wear.
As a mountain biker for years, and an early member and longtime coordinator for the volunteer trail maintenance program of a nonprofit group, I believe those of us from all user groups who have at heart the love, respect and quest to go out and enjoy our natural surroundings should work together to keep the outdoors open to us. We might even be helping invite the next generation out to take part in what we've found.
- RICH PINDER
Van Nuys
Mountain bikes do little harm to the trails, much less than a horse, and about as much as a hiker. The weight of the rider and bike is spread over two wheels with a wide contact area to the trail, which results in a low impact to it. Regular trail use by mountain bikers helps keep existing trails accessible to hikers.
- GREGORIO DE HARO
Torrance
Not only I am a mountain biker, but (I am) also backpacker, hiker and Sierra Club member. I have been mountain biking in Palos Verdes for 15 years. During that time I have never had any conflict with hikers or equestrians and have found pleasant hellos to be the norm.
The current concern in the area is a number of unofficial trails that have been made and the corresponding erosion caused by this. Unfortunately, as in any group, there is a small number of individuals who, usually through lack of knowledge or etiquette, give a group a bad name. A mountain bike, when ridden under control, causes no more damage than a footprint, and significantly less than a horse. The main cause of erosion in our trails is water runoff. The mountain bike community has already volunteered significant hours to assist with trail maintenance and has rerouted trails in the preserve to minimize erosion.
Once the trails have been officially designated and posted, we can patrol the area and continue to educate users. Banning bicycles from this area would be akin to banning hikers on all trails because a small handful of them shortcut on switchbacks. By and large, all user groups have successfully shared this area for a long time and should be able to continue to do so.
We need to all work together and not have access denied to anyone because of a small handful of kids on bikes (not mountain bikers) or a small group of angry hikers.
- STEVE KERR
San Pedro
The National Park Service's own reporting shows that damage from mountain bikes is negligible (if riders stay on the prescribed trails) and that in some cases horses can be far more damaging.
Any erosion caused in the Portuguese Bend area by mountain bikers is done by a small minority of bikers, and the mountain bike community has begun to actively "police" these riders from continuing the type of riding that would damage these trails.
- ANDY TANKERSLEY
San Pedro
I firmly believe that mountain bikers should be allowed on the nature trails on the Peninsula, and in particular on the trails in the Portuguese Bend area below Del Cerro Park. These trails have been shared by hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers for more than 20 years now.
Up until now, this land has been a big "vacant lot" with basically no rules. Once the Public Use Master Plan (PUMP) Committee (in Rancho Palos Verdes) decides which of the existing trails should remain open, I believe that it will be in the best interest of everybody that all of these trails be designated "multi-use."
Just in the last year, this same process has been implemented in the Forestall Preserve with most of the trails being designated multi-use, and there has been no evident harm to the environment from mountain bikes.
Mountain bikers will respect posted signs and will stay on designated trails if they are allowed on most of the trails, just like what has happened in the Forestall Preserve.
- BOB ENDICOTT
San Pedro
Having a diverse trail user community is healthy and reflects the people and their recreational preferences in the surrounding neighborhoods. Bicycles have been using the trails on the Palos Verdes Peninsula for more than 20 years. Mountain bicyclists from the surrounding communities have provided many hours of volunteer trail maintenance and shown their value as caring and involved constituents.
Excluding bicycles would only create a huge challenge for the agency that is tasked with managing the local trails and parklands, taking away from their ability to maintain trails and keep them safe and beautiful for all users, while alienating a longtime user group.
- PETER HEUMANN
Calabasas
Mountain bikes should be allowed on all trails in Palos Verdes. They inflict less trail damage than equestrian trail users. Mountain bikers in the area ride respectfully. Please share the trails.
- CHAD FLYNN
Hermosa Beach
I have been an avid hiker for years. I have never had a problem with mountain bikers at Del Cerro. The ones I have met have been very polite. I know that some can cause trouble but in that regard, I have scolded other hikers for intentionally littering and have seen hikers going off trail.
It's like driving in L.A. - most people are good but sometimes someone is an idiot! I believe that multi-use trails can work. They should not be closed to anyone unless it rains. Then horses and bikers should stay off.
- LIZ KURTZ
Los Angeles
Mountain bikers should be allowed to share the land with hikers and equestrians. And no, bikes do not do "too much harm to the environment." I have been a hiker and mountain biker in that area for more than 10 years, and the most damage I've seen was due to water and horses being ridden on trails right after rain.
Downhill sections of trail would have deep imprints from the horses shoes, due to the softened dirt.
- LARRY LINDSAY
Torrance
We are all stakeholders. This land now belongs to the community, so everyone should be allowed to share these trails. The bike community has been working to make sure everyone knows the rules. There is no evidence that bikes impact trails any differently than other users if they stay on designated trails.
Cyclists have done more trail work than any other group. We deserve respect. I've volunteered to repair trails throughout the Southern California. We deserve to ride them. I've been riding these trails for more than five years now. Walking your bike in hazardous sections is a common practice we use. Cyclists can control their bikes even on the steepest trail. I've never had a bad encounter with hikers or horses.
- VICTOR CASAS
Glendora
Using a dirt trail leaves marks no matter what the mode of transportation. If the trails are dry, neither bikes, pedestrians or horses cause any actual damage. But when it rains, we should all stay away for one or two days until the trails dry out.
Regardless of who uses them, trails need periodic maintenance, and bicyclists are usually the group most willing to spend a Saturday morning working on the trails. When I volunteer at organized trail work days in PV, we bicyclists outnumber everyone else.
- DAVID THOM
Torrance
The controversy implied by the question stems from activities while the land was private property and without any form of management. A city-ordered study of all uses in the Forrestal Nature Preserve strongly suggests that the implementation of management will provide the controls necessary to accommodate bike use.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy study concluded that bikes had no more impact on habitat than other users and added that no user complaints were reported. As a member of the Forrestal Nature Preserve Advisory Board, I concur with the conclusions.
Focusing on unmanaged activity neglects all of the proven mitigation methods that are available. I am also a member of the Rancho Palos Verdes Public Use Master Plan Committee that is nearing completion of an updated management plan. I am hopeful that a year of good management will allay concerns about bikes and other uses.
- TROY BRASWELL
Rancho Palos Verdes
By prohibiting bikes from using the Peninsula trails, the city will cause more damage to the environment than good. Mountain bikers will be forced to drive to other trails, leading to more local air pollution and traffic congestion. Many mountain bikers, who also ride road bikes, would be forced to ride on the streets more often, in turn slowing down traffic and potentially leading to increased traffic accidents.
In this era of global warming, bicycling should be encouraged in our community, not discouraged by special-interest groups that have misperceptions, axes to grind and/or special agendas in regard to a great sport.
- AL MARTINEZ
Rancho Palos Verdes
The trails should be shared by all parties. The hikers should have the right of way but not exclusive use. The equestrians have always been somewhat limited, and I agree that not all trails should be open to horses.
As for the environmental impact, a horse in not indigenous to North America and has a much, much higher unit loading on its hooves than that of a mountain bike tire. The unavoidable manure from a horse spreads nonindigenous plants. These plants have a negative impact on the area by choking out the native plants.
These are evident on trails not used by mountain bikers. Is this really an environmental issue, or is it an elitist, exclusive land grab?
- JOHN HALL
Rancho Palos Verdes






I think this appears to be a landslide in our favor

[DDB@OCR]

Two weeks ago I got my new Gaint Alliance at Smith's.

At the same time, a riding buddy (PV resident) and total hammer-head was picking up his Gaint Anthem Advanced as well.

We hooked up last night for some throw down and pain.

Starting off we hammered over the east side of the hill on the pavement, did a nasty lil down and up hike-a-bike to more asphalt transport and then hit the dirt fa-lying.

2 solid hours of hammering, non-stop, on every trail we could find, both sides of the canyon and in the 'other preserve' as well. Lung scorching, leg-searing, steep and sick. It was as if it was our last ride on most of these trails, and, it may very well be.

We only paused once to watch the sunset on Catalina, which is always dramatic and never gets old.

We reflected on the gallons of sweat and blood left up there and the decades of fun and challenges we've had on the Hill.

We reflected on how things have changed- a lot. And not for the better. Devolpment, arm-chair advocates, old money and hate.

We refelcted on how ignorance and bias is the norm now, and not the exception.

We reflected on how the trails we just rode, more like devoured like hungry wolves at a last meal- are most likey going to be closed for the first time in forever.

A bitter sweet moment, a mix of stoke and frustration.

It seemed to fuel our fires a little as we took off for the backside and home, smashing down on the pedals, totally in the red zone the whole time and not giving each other any quarter. It was a last lap, bar-to-bar duel. Tucked and on the front of the saddle, spun out in the big-ring we took turns pulling on the asphalt- him doing the lion's share, then the sprint to the line and a frozen (it was BUTT cold by then and dark) colllapse on the driveway.

It was the best ride I've ever done up there. Maybe the last of that caliber.

Hopefuly not.

Viva The Hill.

[drclark]

I was very frustrated when posting the updates from Wednesday's meeting. It was all I could do to post the information and stay on the high road.

Today's article in the dailybreeze has made me feel better and regain a bit of hope for a postive outcome in the end. "Thank you" goes out to all who wrote letters.

Hopefully the RPV city council will be reading this article and we can generate enough response at the public hearing to force a broader multi-use plan. I still feel that there are lots of casual users of all groups that will be shocked when they see the amount of trails that will be closed.

That being said, I would be willing to accept a time-sharing plan (despite the obvious drawbacks and challenges) if it is the ONLY way to broaden the multi-use picture. At least it is on the table as a possibility. It means that the enough of the committee recognizes the map as it stands does not serve the needs of the public and the cycling community and some are searching for a better, more fair solution.

I think that the ultimate solution is to continue to push for the "funzone" as an outlet for the more "extreme" riding styles. The resulting reduction in bike traffic should then allow for a broader multi use plan in the preserve.

drc

[DDB@OCR]

FWIW-

I'm getting the impression the whole thing is going to be closed to everyone sans Burma Rd. for re-veg purposes. I could be wrong....and How it will be enforced is beyond me.
Whatever happens, expect a lot of posted restrictions.

Veg- Things will bounce back fast after a good mid-late winter soaking or two, albiet mostly with 'non-native' species. But habitat is habitat.

Most forget when this happens half the 'trails' will disapear, like they always do, in a matter of days. I know 90% of the trails I rode yesterday will be overgrown and literally impassible. Hopefully when this happens things will lighten up and we can get some 'regular established' trails back- if same are closed as suspected.

*** Cooler, moister weather also brings out the Equine's.
Regardless of 'their' impact etc...
I continue to yeild (read- stop, to the side) to them politely and remain still and quiet- I've yet to have an altercation when doing this.
I always sincerely compliment the rider on their mount as well and they appriciate it. I enjoy a good raport with Equine riders there, even if some mounts are skiddish and not trail worthy.
*Please make a note of this- cooler weather = more horses. You do not want to upset or mess with these people. Work with them or get the boot. Slow down around blind corners.
You wanna haul ass? Take it to Mammoth.
Slow down.
Period.

And- restricted access = more congestion/errosion in non-restricted areas due to increased concetrations of traffic.
E.g: Yesterday- heard of two Trail Nazi hikers going off on riders.
Theriders were pulled over for the most part to let them by, and for no appearent reason they got the : 'you damn mtn. bikers blah-blah-blah!' finger wag and speech.
Obviously these Peds have climbed on the 'hate train' started by others whose entitled, 'I'm exclusive' elitest tracks were laid in ignorance.
I'm pleased to say the riders took the high-road and there were no altercations.

Again- slow down, esp on the weekends!


Regardless of whom or what- from what I sense pretty much everyone is gonna get the boot off the 'trails' for re-veg, if anything goes down closure-wise and regarless of what PUMP wants done to 'us'. I could be wrong and things might change but....who knows...

And I'm not sure why, but I'm getting the impression the Council is seeing through the 'agenda of hate' some Committee members are enrolled in. Maybe it is wishfull thinking on my part from hanging around the watercooler but I can't help thinking cooler heads prevail down at City Hall.

It's a miracle 'we' are not altogether banned, and same is a direct result of many here and others- esp Troy.
Your voices and logical facts, calmly presented in the face of obsurdity and outright lie's, made the difference IMHO.

*

Did 3 hours out there on my rigid, Cutrlo SS yesterday.
P.V. is perfect for SS'ing. No flat stretches, just steep and tight.
Suspension and gears is a tad overkill for the most part in this area, IMHO. But- what a treat: technical riding, on a hi-perf, rigid SS, with killer views and prefect weather.

Wow.

Viva The Hill.

[Flat Broke]

As some of you may know, there is growing support within the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to create a technical riding area on some otherwise unusable land to the south of what we commonly call Del Cerro.

Since we're in a semi-holiday lull, I went out there yesterday with Hack Job to hike around the area and get some pictures of what's out there, since this is largely unexplored turf for most folks. I took a gps and a camera and we marked waypoints and took a picture at each point. Sometimes we took two pics from the same relative area to give different views, but even still, the terrain came out looking too flat in most of the pictures. My biggest disapointment is that most of the drops came out looking small in the pics from above. For the most part, each of the pictures of a ledge or drop is at least a 4-6' vertical drop to near flat. On the up side, the soil is loose ( and very workable with the current moisture level) and can easily be manipulated to work some trails. The downside is that because the soil is workable, anything built there would probably need more TLC than trails on firmer ground.

The good news is that if the City decides to go ahead with this idea, the area has some natural features that offer some potential. The downside is that the land is truly unstable and extra attention would need to be given to erosion mitigation when constructing trails/features.

Below will be a series of pics starting with the overview map the a picture corresponding to every waypoint marked on the map. There's a brief descrption of each photo. One important thing to bear in mind; the ground is far more fractured and rife with fissures and crevices than shown in the Google Earth overview map.

Main Overview Map


[FONT=Arial]First waypoint [FONT=Arial]looking north back up at Portuguese Bend/Canyons ER/Del Cerro[/FONT] [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Second waypoint [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]looking[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial] southeast towards the beach club, just using the sign as a point of reference for others that may want to check the area out.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT] [/FONT][/FONT]


[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Third waypoint [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]looking[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial] southeast towards the beach club and the trail leading down from PV Drive.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT] [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]


[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Fourth waypoint [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]looking[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial] south. In between the ridge in the foreground and the ridge running in from the left of the frame there is a 6- deep ravine[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT] [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Fifth waypoint [FONT=Arial]looking southwest across the entire area towards the archery club[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Sixth waypoint looking south trying to show another 4-5’ ravine between the ravine in photo 4 and where someone is grading pads on the area that I think would fall inside of where we are looking[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial]Seventh waypoint, trail leading down into a shallow ravine on the west side of the area[/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Arial]Eighth waypoint back up at the road looking south along the archery club side of the area[/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Arial]Ninth waypoint looking south at another drop in the 4-6’ range[/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Arial]Tenth waypoint, 6+’ drop to flat with a crevice at the base of the drop. The soil at the top was real shaky[/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Arial]Eleventh waypoint, same drop as photo 9 but more to the west showing the crevice at the base and how it’s opened up[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Twelfth waypoint looking south at the wall of another gully/ravine before the next plateau and subsequent drop[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Thirteenth waypoint, the corrugated drain spans some severely eroded areas with 5’+ deep crevasse underneath and to the sides. The drop at the end of that section of drain is 6+’ and a mess below. The clearing on the right of the photo is part of the archery club.[/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Arial]Fourteenth waypoint, this is the drop to the drain in photo 13, from where I was standing taking photo 13 [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Fifteenth waypoint, the end of the line for today. I was in vans and shorts and couldn’t find an inviting line down from the end of that drain to the lower 1/3rd of the area. Next time out, I’ll probably wear boots and possibly pants to contend with the brush.[/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]

So there it is, the area that no one wants, no one can build on, and we'd be happy to have to try and create a productive environment for the freeride segment of the community to embrace. I can easily see ladders, drops, and other technical features being implemented into the area to keep trails rideable in the face of the shifting terrain, and to mitigate erosion issues that already plague the area. If anyone remembers the old "roller coaster" run on the southeast side of the funzone along side the Pt Vincente Lighthouse fenceline; there are similar undulations in the terrain here, and the total elevation gain/loss is about the same from what I can remember. One of the differences would probably be a need for bridges in the gullies, but I have no problem runnin a saw or swingin a hammer to build a well crafted place to ride that speaks well of those who use the area.

This area is no replacement for the loss of trails like badlands and slalom, but it is a rare opportunity (if it comes to fruition) to enhance a natural envrionment for the sole purpose of technical mountain biking.

If you haven't really cared to endure the PUMP committee meetings because you were pro-stunts/ladders/drops etc. Here's your chance to win some ground. Start comming to the meetings and echoing the sentiment that you'd like to be part of the solution, not the problem, and you'd be more than happy to dedicate time to an area like the one posted above.

I hope everyone has a Happy Hollidays, and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next meeting.

Chris[/FONT]

[AlphaMog]

Chris, great job with the pics and write up, hopefully the plan does come to fruition. Just curious though... with the unstable or shifting land how does one stabilize it? is that something that would require bull dozers or some kind of earth mover?

[Flat Broke]

Earth movers aren't going to fix the problem in Portuguese Bend. If they could have, there would already be houses or golf courses in that spot, as well as the entire Del Cerro/Canyons ER area. Basically trails would need to be routed in such a way to avoid additional erosion issues, and then we'd just have to come to grips with perpetual trail maintenace as the land continues to slide into the sea. On the bright side, it may be an ideal place to show how proper implementation of ladder systems can help keep sustainable access in a very dynamic environment.

Chris