The new Clear Creek restrictions...

[Knew2KTM]

Here is what someone posted in the D-36 forum

http://www.salinasramblersmc.org/EIS_Protest.htm

[RetSenior]

Sometimes it amazes me that there are riders out there that are a where of the fight going on that clubs like the Salinas Ramblers, Timekeepers, District 36, BRC and many more clubs and originations are fighting to keep riding areas open and then they also have to recon with the unruly riders that want to help feed the fire to close it. If one didn’t know, we could teach. But the ones that do know and still do it are hurting the fight that these clubs and originations are doing. When the fight is over and nothing can be done then I will ride beside you but until then I will oppose you with all my friends in this fight to keep our riding areas open. Most know me as "RetSenior" but for those that don’t my name is George Lowery. A District 36, CERA and BRC Lifemember in the fight to keep riding areas open.

[superslyko]

? The rest of your paragraph makes no sense either, are you drinking tonight?

Pot calling the kettle black?

All kidding aside, when I was young and brazen I only rode where it was illegal. Only concern I ever had was, "could I get away from Smokey?!" Sounds like it's getting like that again.

So, 1) I give to the Blue Ribbon Coalition. 2) I write letters & emails to our representatives regarding OHV concerns 3) I watch parks close for "conditions" but they let loggers destroy the same ground.

Well, it looks like we're losing this fight. I do have a family that wants 100% of my time and a job that requires 70%. Making a meeting just to get slapped in the face doesn't sound like an effective use of my time.

What else can I do? If anything.

[Howard_Huge]

WAKE UP! It's our money they are spending as it is. One of the most frustrating parts of this kind of problem is that they use our tax dollars to defend themselves and their dumbass decisions. We have to spend our hard earned after taxes money to fight our tax dollars. ??

I agree with you that it is our money. What little we get of it is squandered away on bullshit EIS surveys and political crap to reduce the trails by half more like 80%. And we have to fight it with donated dollars not really a fair fight if you ask me. I will do my part and stay on marked trails as a matter of fact I will do better than that. If we have to ride marked trails all day long I will just join the millions of riders at Hollister at least they are directional for the most part limiting the chance of head ons. Besides the trails that are routed at Clear Creek are two way dangerous trails. You will see the number of head ons and fatalaties grow exponentially in the near future.

If you think for a minute that people riding Clear Creek for thirty plus years are going to stop riding their favorite trails marked or unmarked than your nuts.

On a final note. Hopefully we get some input on the final 270 miles of trail that will be left for us taxpayers to use. If you think for a minute that the special use permit thing is going to stay the way it is then you sir are blind. They are only letting the Salinas Ramblers have their pick of trails to smooth over the reaming we are getting to put it nicely. If they shut down the Quicksilver enduro that would bring a little more attention to the cause than they are ready for AT THIS TIME. Give them time and they will slowly widdle away at the all mighty Quicksilver too just like they did with the 49er Qualifier. When is the last time you rode it by the way? Some 4 years ago. Its all but gone. Its just the beginning of the end my friend.

Clear Creek was perfect the way it was and no EIS is going to tell me differently.

[bigbob 901]

yep............so glad I got Les and ET and others to force me down the nasty trails. been there done that, now it's gone. I don't like non stop nasty trails, but I do like a good hard trail mixed in with the hillsclimbs and open trails and the beauty of it all............now I won't be traveling 4 hours one way to CC 4 & 5 times a year no more...maybe one trip a year now........so I won't be adding to the crowd.

I give to BRC and I work hard to maintain trails at Georgetown. that's my contribution.

[fremontguy]

Bob, the cow trail at cc has a big fat numbered sign at its entrance. 10 miles of happiness in the canyon of doom. Worth a 4hr drive!

[bigbob 901]

Bob, the cow trail at cc has a big fat numbered sign at its entrance. 10 miles of happiness in the canyon of doom. Worth a 4hr drive!

naw........you can ask gsxrjason and his buddy from alabama, we were on trail 184 I believe which is true over there by spanish lake, but there was no number sign at that drainage rut to the right of the wide trail which began our decent into the cow trail...........no way. I think fremontguy you are in denial, because these new restrictions totally lock down your whole gig at CC. all that new timekeeper's stuff above oak flat, the tunnel of love, the shoulder high rut, the left trail off 104, your single track days at CC are numbered, no they are history, ..............all of it is closed now.........and watch just to be sure to drive home the message like a stake in your heart...soon they will place those little closed trail signs at the entrance of every rabbit hole they find.

its over, you may as well go down to home depot, buy by some rope, then go up to goat mountain and hang yourself.

[matt113]

?????

thats all i have to say.. rode cc for 4 days last weekend and it was the best trip i've ever been on. too bad that will never happen again

[Mudflappus]

God's country has just been demoted from "one of the top 5 places in the Country to ride" to just another road bound, quad trail California OHV ride park, 80% closed off, widowed down, designated, regulated and vanquished, terminated...........zero'd out cashed in, reserved for the bugs, weeds and the year 3000......gone .....off limits to humans.

I hope the plants are happy.

A big fat double amen to that brother!!!

[far182]

This news is depressing. Isn't it ironic that we help these people build fences to close areas. ? Only to have them completely close the whole place down anyway. They don't deserve our help closing riding areas. They must really be laughing with comments like; we actually were able to get a bunch of knuckle head dirtbikers to build fences to keep them out of their own riding areas. ? I am sorry but if they want to build fences then they are going to have to pay the whole way parts and labor. Lets see if they can get the plan past thru if it costs them alot more money.

It sounds to me like making a map with designated routes is alot of work. So if they make the map with fewer trails and wide easy ones at that, then it will be cheaper and easier for them to maintain. Like they maintain the trails there anyway.

We should propose an area map showing the trails we would like to use (basically all of them) get them penciled in on a map and submit it as our proposed riding area. This showing routes and trail numbers (including all the good single track). I would volunteer to this kind of community service but building fences no-way.

The way it is now if you ride an unmarked trail now, you could and would eventually be cited. Which means more law enforcement with officers having to write tickets to fill there quota. The last time I was there two sherrifs spent the whole day patrolling trails in their suv's writing citations to people riding off the main road in (limited riding areas). That my friends is the future of Clear Creek. Install weak ass signs saying trail closed when you are caught riding in said area you will be cited. The more closed area the more opportunity for citations and more revenue for the county. I am suprised there is not an add in the paper for Sherriffs wanted to patrol old ass asbestos mine and write citations to off highway enthusiast. Its a matter of time before the Sherriffs are on dirt bikes making their rounds hiding behind the trees looking for outlaw dirtbikers. Talk about the ultimate game of cat n mouse...

Good luck with this battle, if there is anything I can do to help let me know.

Howard

I was there helping with the fences. Still have a few blisters on my hands from it.

This new change is a joke. Who wants to save an asbestos pit from the dirtbikers? Crazy I tell ya.

[Sephw]

naw........you can ask gsxrjason and his buddy from alabama, we were on trail 184 I believe which is true over there by spanish lake, but there was no number sign at that drainage rut to the right of the wide trail which began our decent into the cow trail...........no way. I think fremontguy you are in denial, because these new restrictions totally lock down your whole gig at CC. all that new timekeeper's stuff above oak flat, the tunnel of love, the shoulder high rut, the left trail off 104, your single track days at CC are numbered, no they are history, ..............all of it is closed now.........and watch just to be sure to drive home the message like a stake in your heart...soon they will place those little closed trail signs at the entrance of every rabbit hole they find.

its over, you may as well go down to home depot, buy by some rope, then go up to goat mountain and hang yourself.

Hey Bob - did you actually read through the EIS and look at the actual trails that are closed? Didn't think so - too easy to just bitch and moan. The trail the TimeKeeper built above Oak flat is now called T198. That's right...it's a numbered trail and will continue to be open. The Tunnel trail has been closed for at least 4 years. Shoulder high ruts? No problem. There's more LEGAL single track in CC then any where else in CA. You can put together a LEGAL route in CC that is more challenging and has more single track than the vaunted Trail 6 at Foresthill or anything at Elkins or Kennedy Meadows.

Instead of wasting all your time bitching and moaning, why doen't you actually do something constructive. Contact the Hollister Field office and request a copy of the EIS. Read through it and see what is actually available. Then take note part of the e-mail Brian White just sent out:

The 30-day Appeal period begins upon publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

Spend an hour or two writing a protest letter. Quick show of hands here - how many of us actually wrote a protest letter when the BLM first presented this plan last year? Less than 300 protested the original study. I don't have the exact number of protests written once then new plan was announced, but I'd bet that it was less than 100.

BTW, the Greenies HATE this plan every bit as much as we do. Think they aren't going to write their protests?

The new restrictions make me sick. You ride there (sorry - rode there) 3 or 4 times a year? I ride there 2 or 3 times a month. Used to do it year round until the BS Summer closures. It would be easy to just throw up my hands in disgust. If that's the route you want to take, be my guest - the parking lots and trails are already getting too crowded.

Seph

[fremontguy]

I didn't want to argue with MorningBob:cry: the amount of open trails at CC as it is a waste of tt space and my time. Hope you will stay happy up north riding circles in the mud puddles of Prairie City.

[Sephw]

I didn't want to argue with MorningBob:cry: the amount of open trails at CC as it is a waste of tt space and my time. Hope you will stay happy up north riding circles in the mud puddles of Prairie City.

Maybe he should change his name to MoaningBob.

?

[Sephw]

Here - I'll make things even easier. Link to the ROD/EIS

You don't even have to contact the BLM.

[yzwiley]

I didn't want to argue with MorningBob:cry: the amount of open trails at CC as it is a waste of tt space and my time. Hope you will stay happy up north riding circles in the mud puddles of Prairie City.

You only wish you knew where the OTHER Prairie Cities were.

[bigbob 901]

there is a method to my madness, yes I have the EIS. great topic for TT in my view

[Zorn]

I recently started riding Clear Creek and fell in love with the place. It pains me to learn about the new ruling on the case. Can the BLM really patrol and enforce the new marked trails only policy? What is next? If they can't enforce it, another lawsuit from the same 2 groups will seek to close CC completely to OHV use. And what about the EPA? The perceived asbestos threat may prove to be the final blow. The recent testing resulted in an unprecedented summer closure. Now I fear the BLM will be "forced"(sued) into closing the area once they have proven themselves unable to enforce the marked trails only policy and the EPA gets involved. I'm trying to stay positive but the more I know the more frustrated I get. ?

[Howard_Huge]

Clear Creek is getting a facelift. Trails with ratings, a large portion closed. Single track that we ride to keep open will now be allowed to overgrow or reclaim. Its going to be a giant Hollister hills. Which I guess is a good thing. It looks like it will take years for them to come up with new trail designations so this will allow ample time for the vegetation to reclaim the trails making it more difficult to reopen them in the future.

That was a long winded well writen EIS. Our Green sticker money at work.

By the way they are doing the same thing to Elkins Flats.

[ADAM_3rd]

Clear Creek is getting a facelift. Trails with ratings, a large portion closed. Single track that we ride to keep open will now be allowed to overgrow or reclaim. Its going to be a giant Hollister hills. Which I guess is a good thing. It looks like it will take years for them to come up with new trail designations so this will allow ample time for the vegetation to reclaim the trails making it more difficult to reopen them in the future.

That was a long winded well writen EIS. Our Green sticker money at work.

By the way they are doing the same thing to Elkins Flats.

"a giant hollister" you think its a good thing you can't be serious ?

[Plant Guy]

I agree with Seph on this one. I have watched this shit go on for almost 30 years! Guys bitch, then go on with their lives… Yet, how can you blame someone for putting his or her family and job before fighting an unresponsive government? We will never get anywhere with less than 300 protest letters.

I have received so many bullshit, rhetorical responses (like Seph posted) my head spins. I still try to engage these administrators who are protecting me from my self. It’s like they are saying; Never mind the facts, I know what’s best for you so just fall into line like a good little citizen. All the while I get the impression they are somehow covering their ass or trying to justify their bullshit job (Robert Beehler).

I dread the final blow is going to be, as Zorn puts it. “I fear the BLM will be "forced"(sued) into closing the area once they have proven themselves unable to enforce the marked trails only policy and the EPA gets involved.”

I like many, am VERY frustrated. But I will continue to be a thorn in the side of these people trying to protect me from myself. I would hope more riders would join in as well. DT

I just looked at Ed Tobin’s blog. DITO! DT

http://www.salinasramblersmc.org/Tobin/Blog/blog.htm