UCSC-What do we do now?

Carl Hungus · Feb 11, 2009

I joined about 30-40 people last night at the Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz to discuss the future of the UCSC trails. State Parks Ranger Gary Brennan, the man behind the impending crackdown was there, as was CA IMBA guy Tom Ward. I think Tom Ward's presence at the meeting illustrated the importance of these trails to the greater mountain biking community. I don't have time to write a detailed blow by blow but I'll try to address the main talking points...

1) The Crackdown. It's coming this weekend and it's for real. The reasons for it are numerous. Too many injuries. Too many trails. Too many close calls with cars on Highway 9. Too many of us flaunting the fact that we are riding "illegal" trails. Gary Brennnan said that for the first time in about ten years Henry Cowell SP is fully staffed with rangers. According to Brennan, they will now be able to do what they feel they should have been doing all along...ticket people for riding "illegal" trails. He said they will NOT be standing at the bottom of every entrance waiting for riders. He alluded to the fact that riders may even receive warnings at first. But if you're riding those trails in the next couple of months and you see a ranger, don't be a surprised if you get a ticket. For those of you who don't live in Santa Cruz County and may not know this, the rangers at Henry Cowell have challenging jobs(my opinion). Dealing with homeless encampments and heroin and meth trafficking is a usual occurrence for them. I don't think they get off on busting mountain bikers. Unfortunately, I feel that WE in the mountain biking community have forced their hands here and WE need to assume some of the responsibility for this crackdown.

2)What's Next? Without going into a history lesson that I am not qualified to write, Ill just say that there were a fair number of people at last night's meeting that are very frustrated with the mountain bike access status quo in Santa Cruz county. A few people referred to last night's meeting as a "galvanizing moment". I realized that I myself need to do more. I know that many of you out there will hope that this whole issue goes away in a couple of months and you can return to riding these trails. I can't really argue with you. Unfortunately, I think that some day, whether it's sooner or later, this issue is going to have to be dealt with. Wouldn't it be cool if we could actually ride some of these trails without fearing a ticket? Hopefully, last night was just the beginning of a long conversation about the future of these trails. Will it be arduous? Yes. Will it be a long drawn out process? Yes. But if you've ever had the pleasure of riding these trails, don't you owe it to yourself to do what you can to see that at least some of these trails stick around? What do you think?

mrtoadsc · Mar 9, 2009

District Super Chet Bardo's response to the open dialog request

Ride&Surf said:
What was Chet Bardo's response when you followed up via phone?

Funny you should mention that. I just summarized and posted the response to the mbosc public list which I will paste here.

Greetings,

Last Wednesday I had a conversation with the District Superintendent
Chet Bardo for the Santa Cruz area State Parks to follow up from the
letter we submitted
(http://www.mbosc.org/2009/02/2009_02_22.chet_bardo_open_dialog.pdf)
to him and his two superiors. We made a request for an open dialog
between Chet and the mountain biking community so that he can hear our
concerns for additional access. The objective of the open dialog was
to see movement on our existing proposals. This letter was really
effective in getting his attention and he gladly took my call. We had
an amiable conversation for about an hour.

The bottom line was that Chet said NO to an open dialog but I'm
pleased to announce that we have achieved our objective without having
to rent a space and rally a critical mass of 100-200 mountain bikers.
Chet has agreed to move forward with some of our existing proposals to
open new trails to mountain bikers. The letter accomplished two
things:

1. He finally read and is currently responding to our trail conversion
request: http://mbosc.org/2006/11/trail_proposal/mbosc_trail_conversion_final_Ver2.pdf.
He has asked the Mountain Sector Superintendent to contact me (more
later).

2. He actually pulled and read the Gray Whale file. The issues are
complicated but he has a broad understanding of the issues associated
with opening the trails on Gray Whale.
http://www.mbosc.org/advocacy/wilder.html

There were a lot of constructive discussion points and most of them
sounded favorable to mountain biking (given his audience) but there
are three specific points that he wanted to make to the mountain
biking community:

1. Chet is one of our better recreation advocates within this State
Parks District in many, many years. I agree and so other bike
advocates who have worked with Chet while he was at previous position.
He seemed slighted from the letter and he took it personally that the
tone of the letter implies that this district is unsympathetic to
mountain biking - which was true under previous District Supers.

2. His number one priority is to keep the park operations functioning.
Very challenging in this economic climate so don't expect quick
progress.

3. There are a lot of new people in the district and there has been
some promotions. There is a great opportunity to create positive
working relationships with the staff. The new staff is going to try
different ways to manage the properties. Enforcement is one such
action (as we are all aware).

Some other points which were made:

* The Big Basin general plan is starting up again. Mountain bikers
should be engaged in this process to ensure that we are not excluded
from the property and we may be able to make inroads on future trails
and re-designations of existing trails.

* Chet belongs to a group of local park professionals (Mid-Pen, POST,
etc...) who regularly hold "what have you got" meetings and try to
pool resources and strategies. They all agree that multi-use trails
should be used to connect adjoining properties.

* He thinks that mountain bikers are going to be important allies and
recognizes the importance of the mountain biking community.

Getting back to the outcome of the letter: I received a voice mail
from the Mountain Sector Superintendent (employee reporting to the
District Super Chet). We have been trying to have a conversation but
we have been playing phone tag. Hopefully I will have a chance to
connect next week. I will be working with the Sector Super to find
common ground, look at the role of mountain biking and see what
projects he is willing to staff which will be beneficial to mountain
bikers. I will be discussing the existing enforcement program,
converting limited use trails to multi-use (as per our proposal) and
I'll validate the rumor that the stunts and trails at Cowell are
currently being dismantled.

This is good news. A little bit of progress.

Prettym1k3 · Mar 9, 2009

Awesome!

snowjnky · Mar 9, 2009

good job

SpecRider96 · Mar 9, 2009

SWEET! And thank you Mark for all your hard work!

GoGoGordo · Mar 10, 2009

SpecRider96 said:
SWEET! And thank you Mark for all your hard work!

Ditto. You Da Man :thumbsup:

firerake · Mar 12, 2009

jail 'em

do you guys/girls even live up here/there?...currently (last seen on tues 3/10) there's a group of 5+ punks building up huge kickers on Z's, & hauling in area rugs to cover the take-offs & landings...the little f**kers broke thru a locked gate to an old skid road and are driving up to the trail behind some homes off the toll house road above glengary...this type of blatant dumbassed behavior is only geeting the state park cops riled up even more...hopefully when caught these idiots will see some jailtime and huge fines for habitat restoration...oh and they will be caught...cops (seen patrolling Z's on horseback 3/11) have placed game cameras out in the woods so be warned as you/we are being filmed when in the area...

MTBShane · Mar 12, 2009

dude.....as much as I agree with you on all this, jailing them is absurd. I dont want to pay for some dumbass to go to jail/prison with my tax money! People should go to jail for crimes that warrant it - and this simply is not one of those. They should get a MASSIVE fine and ridiculous amounts of community service. Both of those things actually help the community, sending someone to jail to serve time with true criminals does not benefit anyone.

Thanks for contributing!

firerake · Mar 12, 2009

habitat, vegetation destruction, altering the land in a state park is a felony...felony trespassing with their truck????...one of the pricks was mouthing off about his dad being a lawyer and the rangers and the people at the top of scenic can go f!!k themselves...god damn shuttlers...go to northstar or aptos but get the hell out of my/our backyard...else get a double chainring and learn how to ride uphill....!

CHUM · Mar 12, 2009

beaverbiker said:
....Make them pay in other ways...

make them freeride in lycra?.....goggles with skinsuits?.....ride fixed in capris sporting a white hipster belt drinking warm PBR from the can?...

MTBShane · Mar 12, 2009

firerake said:
habitat, vegetation destruction, altering the land in a state park is a felony...felony trespassing with their truck????...one of the pricks was mouthing off about his dad being a lawyer and the rangers and the people at the top of scenic can go f!!k themselves...god damn shuttlers...go to northstar or aptos but get the hell out of my/our backyard...else get a double chainring and learn how to ride uphill....!

This is another case of having the right idea but the wrong attitude. You need to take a breath and step back for a minute. Yes - they are idiots/punks/ignorant/inconsiderate etc, etc. The problem is the punishment must fit the crime (what a concept) and you are derailing the purpose of this thread with a rant. I AGREE with you, but I think there is a better way to get your point across. Bashing DH riders etc will certainly only cause more problems.

Again, I am not arguing with you, simply trying to point out that your point would be more well received if you were being constructive in a solution. I was curious about the ranger comment though, did they also do something "weird"? As for the smart-ass kid.......remind him how easy it is to get lost out there and NEVER found again! Ok, ok - just joking!:thumbsup:

GoGoGordo · Mar 12, 2009

fi...cops (seen patrolling Z's on horseback 3/11) have placed game cameras out in the woods so be warned as you/we are being filmed when in the area...[/QUOTE said:
Also known as Americas funniest hometown videos.

BS - Shuttlers call his bluff

The South shall rise again boys.
Hell this is almost as bad as the Bernie Madoff thing.
Definitely should be some jail time for these crimes against humanity.
G-out

firerake · Mar 12, 2009

ahh now you're ranting?!...i used to be a believer in violence cutting thru the bs, but nowadays both parties get jailed for fighting...sorry about the language and such but i'm reeeeeeeeeealy pissed about what's transpired up in our playground over the last couple of years...digging pits in the middle of existing trails and using the dirt to build a double???...what's wrong with the natural terrain?...bypassing turns to straighten out the line??????...go find someplace else (not you mtbshane) new and build your own trail...but that's too much work...too easy to hijack somebody else's trail...

as to the downhiller threats...good luck!!!...besides, I learned early on that you've got to ride up in order to go down...as such you don't have to pay for all the gas...and the neighbors don't get pissed...but, downhillers do need a place to do their thing I agree, just not there...the area's way to small for that...hell magic carpet is only a mile long...dead camper probably less...with hwy 9 right there and the park, and the hood, the shuttling's waaaay to obvious & obnoxious...then again the taquaria and the cowboy love your business and that's a good thing!!!

firerake · Mar 12, 2009

gogo....the cams are there...one is up top pointed at the turnout at the twin gates...they get you on film so if you fight the ticket, they've got some prior evidence

GoGoGordo · Mar 13, 2009

firerake said:
gogo....the cams are there...one is up top pointed at the turnout at the twin gates...they get you on film so if you fight the ticket, they've got some prior evidence

Paintballs?

firerake · Mar 13, 2009

anarchy in the sc

good idea...maybe innovative can make a chuck for the little co2 cannisters...single shot w/presta???..."saturday morning special"...

ARider · Mar 13, 2009

bye bye Z's

It looks as if Z's is no more. Tons of debris piled on the feeder trails and rumor of a bulldozer doing its business.

Cameras in the trees to catch the shuttle rats, huge jump trail plowed, rangers at the dumbass drop in points on 9; I actually kind of like this crackdown. It is weeding out the weak links.

Berkeley Mike · Mar 13, 2009

It is always a mistake to ignore blatant stupidity.

That is what the Darwin Awards are about.

In this case if our Rangers ignore these abusers, who are treating this resource with contempt, they look really stupid. Further if we as mountain bikers allow this sort of behavior to propagate, in spite of how much we profess to be environmentalists and good citizens, we are no better. We just end up fostering the very negative identity we seem to enjoy in the society in general.

They're only kids having fun? Give me a break. I'm so tired of those sorts of rationalizations which people use to evade their own role as adults involved in authority. Instead of being sneak thieves and vandals, be a part of the solution and force them to man-up. I say bust 'em and make them take their medicine.

firerake · Mar 13, 2009

too bad they used machinery...I would've done it for free, but was afraid of getting hassled by the cops + potential for having a smackdown w/ the idiot kids...mtb'ing ain't worthy of jailtime!!!

bdamschen · Mar 13, 2009

Firerake- You sure talk a lot of cheese about other riders for someone who rides the same illegal trails. So you don't go off "huge kickers", so what? You're still out there contributing to the general masses riding around gathering attention.

If you think everything's going to suddenly be warm, fuzzy and legal as soon as all the shuttlers leave, you don't have a very good grasp on reality.

firerake · Mar 13, 2009

maybe roaring camp would be willing to allow some of their property to be used as such?...just don't do that kind of sh$t in a state park as it does make all of look bad...you get caught riding in the playground this weekend the cops ("California State Parks Peace Officer" not ranger) might try to pin some of Z's on ya...

firerake · Mar 13, 2009

never said anything about warm and fuzzy...truthfully i'm impressed by the stunts those guy's pull off...me, i'm too old to pull off crashing like they do!!!...I go off small when it comes to hucking!...as for the masses, me and the bro's didn't expect the masses when magic carpet (aka tree hugger's) was re-opened in '94...the masses were driving from the pit to nisene...and wilder...specialized wasn' doing photo session here either back then...

bluedemo8 · Mar 14, 2009

I found a bunch of loose nails about a inch long in front of the jumps at the bottom. :nono: :madmax:

gonzo · Mar 16, 2009

Disregard for the law

I rode SC Saturday and had a few groups of big bike riders drop into Henry Cowell while I was taking a 15min. break at the tree. They were dropping into Henry Cowell and I assume they were dropping all the way to hw9.

On my way out driving past the hw9 drop out, I saw a group dropping on hw9.

What will it take for folks to keep out, a WARNING?:eekster:

firerake · Mar 17, 2009

nice...vandalism against vandalism...a better statement would've been to tear the sh!t apart...booby trapping's just as illegal...hopefully you were running stans...

snowjnky · Mar 17, 2009

gonzo said:
I rode SC Saturday and had a few groups of big bike riders drop into Henry Cowell while I was taking a 15min. break at the tree. They were dropping into Henry Cowell and I assume they were dropping all the way to hw9.

On my way out driving past the hw9 drop out, I saw a group dropping on hw9.

What will it take for folks to keep out, a WARNING?:eekster:

hopefully nothing...and whats up with the meth head smiley :eekster:

UCSC-What do we do now?

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