Mar 28

tandem captains wanted for blind vets

Categories:

Volunteer

by

I’m the Director of the Blind Rehab program at the Palo Alto VA. We have several soldiers returning from Iraqi with vision loss in our program that are interested in tandem cycling. We are looking for some experienced tandem captains that would be interested in doing some riding with them. We currently have one tandem mountain bike, however if you have your own tandem, that might even be better.

If you are interested in volunteering, Please contact me at 650-852-3431 or email me at elizabeth.jessen@va.gov

Thanks
Liz

This post has no tag

Mar 28

MROSD trail work season

Categories:

Events, Trailwork

by

We are working with MROSD to set up some ROMP/MROSD trail work dates to build and or maintain trail for Methuselah or Giant Salamander on May 20th. We will have additional dates in June, July and August.

These are great events limited to 12 volunteers. You get to work hands on with the pros, and are terrific learning experiences. Last year we started a major armoring project on the reroute of Giant Salamander. It involved some pretty cool Rock transportation using ropes and guernies.

Other projects will include El Corte de Madera creek trail, and these will result in hopefully only temporary closures this summer. They staff a number of Open Space Technicians who build and maintain trail as well. Craig Beckman and his team do a terrific job.

If you are interested in volunteering for the above please email Paul McKowan at volunteer@openspace.org. They may also have other trailwork events going on that are not specific to ROMP.

Also, they rely to a certain degree on volunteers to report deadfall, and other trail problems through their
trail patrol program.

Tags:

Mar 16

ROMP swap meet at Cupertino Bike Shop on April 30th!!

Categories:

Events, Swap Meet

by

For those new (& old) to Mountain cycling and don’t have the cash at hand for new parts, tools, tires, etc., you will really want to visit the ROMP swap meet.


Check out the pictures from the last year’s ROMP Swap Meet.
Each year ROMP hosts a swap meet. The swap meet is a fund-raiser for ROMP and a place where cyclists can purchase road and mountain bike parts, tools, frames, complete bikes, clothing and accessories. Per-person admission charge is minimal. ( Click here for details.)

The ROMP swap will be held the last Sunday in April, the 30th, from 10-3ish in the rear parking lot of Cupertino Bike Shop (www.cupertinobike.com, our sponsor shop) 10493 S. De Anza Blvd in Cupertino (two blocks south of Stevens Creek Blvd.)

If you volunteer 3 hours, you get in FREE, and have fun at our booth working a short shift selling food and beverages.

If you are short on funds, a student, or a penny-pincher (like me), the ROMP swap is the place to pick up some extra cycling items you just don’t want to pay retail prices for.

If you need extra mountain bike tires (which normally retail for over $25.00), you can find them at the swap for about $10.00. You should be wide open to the brand possibilities there. Maybe you’ll find it, maybe you won’t. However, we do have the largest bike swap meet in the San Jose area, with over 50 vendors selling new/used bike items.

Always wanted a spare pair of wheels but can’t shell out $200+ retail? Then, head to the swap meet for some used wheel sets for your mountain bike! Your seat hurt your bum? Last time you paid $75.00 it hurt the first ride. Head for the swap; various bikes seats from $5.00 and up. Shoes, socks, sunglasses, you name it.

It’s all at the ROMP/Cupertino Bike Swap meet.

BE THERE EARLY…the entry line starts at about 9:00 PM. No early birds. Swap opens right at 10:00 AM. $2.00 admission fee.

Bring plenty of cash (ATMS nearby)…no one takes plastic or checks!

Donations of items for ROMP to sell at the Swap Meet are welcome. Now’s a good time to clear out your garage and help ROMP. Contact swap@romp.org. if you have any donations to give to ROMP for sale at the Swap Meet.

You can have your own swap meet table by contacting cupertino bikes 408 255-2217 or www.cupertinobike.com ROMP makes their money on the # of swap meet selling tables there are. So the more we can list that Cupertino Bikes is open to more business tables the better for us.

You owe it to yourself to visit one time and come away with some great bargains for super prices.

Volunteers are required from 7.00am to 4.00pm. Contact swap@romp.org if you wish to volunter for this event. Email me for volunteer info.

Linda

This post has no tag

Mar 16

Mori Point Plan: Comments Needed to SUPPORT Alternative 3

Categories:

Advocacy, Meetings

by

Hey Peninsula MTN bikers,

The National Park Service (NPS) and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) planners have finished making their restoration and trail plan document for Mori Point in Pacifica.
If the planners get their wish (i.e. if their “preferred plan” is ratified), mountain bikers will lose. We have until March 31, to submit our comments on the plan. I ask that you submit your comments showing support for Alternative 3.

The plan has four Alternatives, each containing a restoration, trail alignment, and trail use designation component:

Alternative 1: “Preferred” Alternative (NOT PREFERRED BY ME)
Hiker-only designations would be in effect on all segments through, or leading to, steep and erosion-prone areas. Multiple-use opportunities (hiking, bicycling, and equestrian uses) were identified on the California Coastal Trail (CCT) and its main connector routes.

Alternative 2: Limited Multiple-use (THE WORST OF THE ALTERNATIVES, IN MY OPINION)
Under this alternative, only Mori Road, the California Coastal Trail,and California Coastal Trail Connector near the “bowl” area are designated for multiple-use. All other trails would be hiker-only.

Alternative 3: All Multiple-Use (THIS IS THE BEST OPTION!!)
All trails would be designated multiple-use, with no restrictions on biking, hiking, or equestrian use.

Alternative 4: No Action
Under this alternative, the GGNRA would continue with the limited restoration activities currently authorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No additional restoration, trail alignments, or use designation would occur.

The plan overview can be found here:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=13093

The plan details can be found here:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?projectId=13093&documentID=14041

You should especially read Chapter 2 which describes the alternatives and has maps. Also read Appendix C, on the Trail Construction Methods.

Public comment is open until March 31, 2006.
The online comment form is found here:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?projectID=13093&documentId=14041

A printable comment form is found here:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?projectID=13093&documentId=14041&mode=print

I urge you to submit your comments SUPPORTING ALTERNATIVE 3. !!!!!!!!!

The so-called “preferred” alternative (Alternative 1) will close many of the trails to bikes. We must state our opposition to Alternative 1 and 2.

We must inundate the planners with overwhelming support for Alternative 3!!!!

I’m also not particularly happy with their planned train construction methods which are classic GGNRA, as follows:

“New trails would be constructed so that they are outsloped from 2 to 5% to allow water to drain from the surface naturally. The CCT multiple-use alignment would be approximately six feet wide where feasible plus a one-foot shoulder on both sides. Other new trails would be approximately five feet wide, plus shoulders. Trail tread would be of a durable, appropriately colored material. Where trail alignments exceed a grade of 8-12%, construction of timber steps would be considered.”

Six feet wide trails!?!?!? Durable “appropriately colored” material!?!?! (Ummmm I prefer dirt color.) Timber steps!?!?!

Please, all you trail building experts need to refute the need to make six foot wide, orange paved trails with timber steps. It sounds like biking hell to me. (These horrible trail construction methods are standard procedure for GGNRA so I doubt we can change them.)

At the very least, please submit your comments supporting ALTERNATIVE 3, and please tell them that Alternatives 1 and 2 are BAD.

thank you,

Aaron DelloIacono Thies adt at sfmtb.com

Tags:

Feb 20

Adopt A Trail!

Categories:

Volunteer

by

Other ROMP volunteers have stepped up to the plate and adopted trails in other SC County parks, such as Grizzly Flat and Table Mountain in Stevens Canyon park. While I am not sure these adopted trails are only maintained by their adoptees, this may be the case.If someone could please adopt Rocky Ridge and / or Stiles Ranch, we would all be the better for it. YOU CAN DO THIS! You can do this yourself, or you have my full support if you want to adopt it in the name of ROMP. If you do adopt it in the name of ROMP, you will need to coordinate all the trail maintenance activities. I am happy to leand a hand, web site, email list to make it happen. Perhaps Charles and Paul would be willing to share some of their experience as trail adoptors.

If you would like to adopt, contact heidi.mcfarland at prk.sccgov.org

Here is more information from the SC COunty Parks Volunteer page:
http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/parks/menuitem.311b6004a2316af82b9900dd5a30a429?path=%2Fv7%2FParks%20and%20Recreation%2C%20Department%20of%20%28DEP%29%2FVolunteer%20and%20Job%20Opportunities&contentId=b6b698ba77784010VgnVCM10000048dc4a92____

Josh

This post has no tag

Feb 20

ONGOING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Categories:

Volunteer

by

Please email or call (408) 355-2254 if you are interested in one of the ongoing volunteer opportunities listed below

  • Adopt-a-Trail – Do you have a trail you use that you would like to help maintain? Do you have a group that is looking for some good, physical service work in a beautiful outdoor setting? If so, we’d like you to adopt-a-trail. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers, after completing Department training, will take care of a trail, or section of trail, within a County Park. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers conduct trail brushing/pruning, litter/debris removal, routine trail tread/drainage clearing, and major trail problem reporting. Participants who agree to participate for one-year will receive in-park signage acknowledging their commitment.
  • Trail Crew Lead Volunteers – We’re looking for some good people who would like to be highly skilled trail “hot-shot” group members. Trail Crew Leads will be provided with in-depth trail-building and maintenance training, and will then assist park staff with major trail projects. Trail Crew Leads will also oversee adopt-a-trail groups and Trail Day events for scheduled trail projects. Per State law, fingerprinting for this position may be required.
  • Trail Watch – County Parks is looking for hikers, bikers and horseback riders who use, or would like to use, park trails and want to help Ranger staff by patrolling, providing visitor information, providing basic services in emergencies, and correcting or reporting park violations. All candidates must complete a 16-hour training academy, and a training hike/ride prior to being activated. Volunteers are asked to provide a minimum of 48-hours of service annually once active. Uniforms are provided to all volunteers. The next Trail Watch Academy is scheduled for Spring 2005- sign up early- these Academies fill up quickly!

    • Josh

    This post has no tag

    Feb 20

    Protect the trail from sanitization

    Categories:

    Land Management, News

    by

    Technically challenging trails give mountain bikers a lot of funs and that’s what mountain biking is all about. So, it’s shocking to find a trail once so challenging gets smoothed out. That’s what happened to Stiles Ranch Trail at Santa Teresa Park.
    When Shane posted a warning sign of trail sanitization, it triggered a series of online discussions among ROMPers. Here are some excerpts from the thread. To protect the fun trails from sanitization, mountain bikers need to come out, speak out and get involved in trail projects with other trail users and organizations. At the same time, we need to think of all types of trail users in mind to share the trails in harmony. What do you think?

    There’s a thread on mtbr about a group called the Trail Center. They are apparantly getting a little overzealous with their “trail work” and in the process making the stiles ranch trail too smooth for many peoples liking. I normally do a lot of trailwork in demo this time of year so I don’t have a lot of availability. If some other people could step forward and make an effort to get out to the next trailwork day that this group is putting on so we can have some mtn biker input on the type of work that goes down that would be great.
    -Shane

    P.S. I just sent an email to info at trailcenter.org stating that I liked rugged trails with uneven surfaces and that I was not pleased with their techniques.

    http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=165264
    http://www.trailcenter.org/trailbuilding/projects/2006/santateresa2006/santateresa2006.html

    I just checked the MTBR thread. It sounds like the trail may have suffered some dumbing down from the comments made. Last year we really really tried to keep the trail’s technical aspect alive. The last time I was there on Stile was Jan. 21 and the trail was pretty much as we left it after the ROMP/IMBA event there at the end January 2005, last year.

    Just to make things clear, I am all for keeping trails technical and making tame ones more challenging. When we did the Stile Ranch trail project a year ago retaining the technical character of the trail was foremost among the goals. This was understood by the IMBA TCC and the Santa Clara Co park staff involved, and we were all on board.

    …

    I’m sure some folks out there have made negative comments about the quality of the trailwork that gets done, by me, and others. If there are criticisms they should be contributed. If mistakes are being made they can stop if someone communicates. Folks should not be worried about offending me or Charles or Berry or any other trail workers. We need to know this stuff. Chances are there is a simple explanation or remedy as long as it is in accordance with the land manager’s policy.

    Personally I love trailwork. All of the work I do is held to standards which I do not neccessarily agree with. However I believe it is worth toeing the line and working within the system to make changes. It takes a lot of patience and persistence. One of my goals is to increase our liberty in trail design.

    The opinions on MTBR may be correct or misinformed. I can’t tell without looking at the trail myself of hearing it from someone first hand. One thing for sure, I have seen a number of instances where trailwork performed by others has disappointed another user group or a group from another area. (From the first day I started riding trails I started complaining about trails.) The Stile Ranch Trail problem is another one of these conflicts. More communication would help; Communication within and between user groups and other trail advocacy groups and the land managers, especially before a trail work event.

    This is a really important topic, trail conditions. We don’t address this much but we should. After all, trails is what ROMP is all about.

    One thing I wanted to get done in ROMP, but still hasn’t happened, was to make as complete an inventory of trails according to the mountain bike community, to be kept by the mountain bike community, to include trails we cannot legally ride on but would like legal access on for all sorts of reasons, and to rate them or their sections in qualitative terms, and to prescribe maintenance standards we would support. One problem with our land management agencies is that they maintain uniform trail standards. Luckily, as everyone knows, the landscape itself has more of a say about what a trail will ultimately be than a set of standards written in a policy.

    I could go on and on. Let the land speak.

    -Paul

    …

    When I visited Santa Teresa a few weeks ago it was without my bike and my trip consisted of a speed hike in boots up Stiles. I was planning the Coe TCC visit and was on my way back home from a meeting at Specialized in Morgan Hill. I was racing to catch the sunset from the top. I used to trail run in the 80’s a lot before I got a mountain bike, and as a trail runner type experience I thought the tread on Stile’s was great. I’d be surprised if there was complaint.

    The other thing I want to add while I can is that when ROMP does trail work on a multi-use trail we have to consider all trail users. Mountain bikers sometimes forget, let’s say for example when we are brushing, that someone on a horse needs a higher corridor than a cyclist. Experience shows that you can’t brush back the trail too much. After a good brushing the trail will lose that nice closed in feeling we like; but the flip side is that the shin and arm scratching stuff will return later rather than sooner.

    Multi-use trails may never be able to provide the technical experience many of us crave, unless they happen to be that way by poor location and design as many of our legacy trails are (especially in Coe). Hence we may have to consider advocating for single use trails eventually. The main problem I have with the latter course is that by the time any materialize I may be too old to try them!

    -Paul

    I had a chance to explain is detail, in person, to Shane, but the rest of you might have some interest.

    Paul’s right about the varied interests & concerns about trail quality issues, and the various conficts those difference can create.

    The Trail Center has been around a long time & pride themselves on being the most knowledgeable and professional trail building/maintenance group around. In my experience they do have higher standards and their finished product is more highly polished than that of any other group I know of, INCLUDING MROSD! They are total perfectionists. Back in the day their trail building was their main source of income, building to contract for MROSD & others. That work has gone away of late and many people haven’t heard boo about them for nearly 10 years.

    …

    The issue is: Is that what SC CO Parks wanted? Quite possible they like the work IMBA & ROMP did a year ago, but got complaints from hikers or runners that the surface was too rough and moderately hazardous.

    …

    If we want to be able to continue working with them, we don’t want to get into a sniping war w/ the TC over trail tread quality.
    My .02,

    –Berry

    I encourage everyone to write to the trailcenter about how you would like your trails maintained. Be prepared to back your words with action however. I did not find an obvious phone number or email for Dave Croker, the project coordinator, and member of the trailcenter board. However, writing to info at trailcenter.org or volunteer at trailcenter.org should reach somebody, as these addresses are listed on their web sites. Their web site suggests that Greg Bringleson, the park maintenance leader, is involved or cognizant of the trail work the trail center has done.

    In addition, I encourage you to volunteer for their next trail work day on April 22. They are starting at 8:30 AM. I reckon being there on the ground, in the trenches, will be the best way to influence how this trail work pans out.

    -Josh

    Saturday, April 22, 2006 – Stiles Ranch Trail – Earth Day Event!

    Activities: Celebrate Earth Day with the Trail Center as we repair the Stiles Ranch Trail in Santa Teresa County Park. Required are enthusiasm, flexibility, and the ability to use implements for digging and dirt moving. Technical skills for trail creation and maintenance will be taught by qualified experienced trail builders. A BBQ will follow the trail build for those interested in attending.

    http://www.trailcenter.org/trailbuilding/projects/2006/santateresa2006/santateresa2006.html
    http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/opp_detail.jsp?oppid=245123

    This post has no tag

    Older posts «

    » Newer posts