Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

. Cranston ~timulus to the area's economy; he ing for a trail rider's dream, among said American travelers key on namagnificent high-mountain scenery tional parks when they plan vacaof lush green cattle-grazing meadows, tions. According (0 Asumus, howplacid brooks, and trees handlebar ever, the proposed park would provide width thick? Care to help shape your little in the way of economic benefit riding future where you still can? from tourist dollars. Asumus pointed Sequoia National Forest's Kern out Baker has gained little benefit Plateau i the place, and the 1986 equoia ummel' eriesaretheevents from being the gateway to Death Valley. He said a scenic area is preferable to let you do it all in a unique and to a national park because it allows pastoral environment. more fonn of recreation and u e. Established by concerned riders in conjunction with the Forest Service Tilden said the California Mining in 1978, when the entire area was As ociation oppose the bill berause By Farren Williams considered for complete OR V trail it will block mineral exploration and LONG BEACH, CA, MAY 21 closure due to alleged lack of Forest probably would nullify existing minervice manpower to maintain them, ingclaims within the proposed bountTong opposition was voiced the nine-year-old volunteer program daries of the park. "Where are we wAlanCranswn'sU.S.Senate .has achieved remarkable successes. going to get minerals if we lock out Bill S.2061 during a special Proof that you, the user make the big all the lands?" he asked. public forum on May 14 in difference. ot only have ORV trails The bill also would prevent renewBarstow, California. Sponsored jointbeen rebuilt, renovated, and relocated al of 10 existing grazing leases in the Iy by the Barstow City Council and (often with better placement and more East Mojave, according to Fisher. He the area Chamber of Commerce, the mileage), but several new ones added said it would be "gro sly unfair" to forum gave off-road enthusiasts an by volunteers: Lower Jackass; Middle force desert cattlemen out of busiopportunity to protest Cranston's Jackass; Upper Bitter Creek (connects ness, especially since ranchers proSierra Club-backed legislation, which the main two ORV campground, vide approximately 90% of the availcould close more than nine million Troy and Fish Creek); Mahogany able water in the region. acres of Cal ifornia desert- to motorcySouth (hooks up Rattlesnake); and Fred Rosenberg, owner of local clists and other o(f-road enthusiasts. Fish Creek Trail (hooks up Fish businesses Barstow Station and BarThe vast majority of the more than Creek Camp by trail direct to Lower stow Station Too, said tourism is 350 people attendi ng Ure ~Pecial meetJackass). Barstow's biggest industry,~ and a ing cheered and applauded when The 1985 Labor Day ea on-closer, national park would pack in the invited speakers critiCIzed Cranston's with the help of the Phantom Duck, tourists. Brashear disagreed, comCalifornia Desert ptoi.ection Act of was by far the most successful volunmenting that under Cranston's bill, [986, according to a front-page report teer event to date. A beautiful and "Nearly everyone who does anything printed in the Barstow Desert Dishighly-engineered trail ection was in the California desert loses access to patch. Of \ II questionnaires turned in tailed just north of Trout Creek about 75 percent of the desert." he in from the audience, 105 opposed Cabin. Tom Crimmons' Forest Seradded that creation of a park wouldn't the bill and six supported it. Accordvice crew had logs bucked, rockpiles mean more visitors because, "There ing to AMA D-37 Sponsor Coordinaready for crushing, rebaI'. netting, are no facilities, no campgrounds, no tor Dana Bell, 300 of the 350 persons vi itor centers, and no funds likely to , drills, generator, and all r,ther needed present opposed the bill. tools ready in advance, and 253 voluncome soon," she aid. even speakers, making presentateers showed up. A po t-work drawBob Haw o(.the Los Angele Detions in timed [O-minute sessons, ing di tributed over 4000 in quality partment of Water and Power, speakargued for and against the Desert merchandi e and certificates donated ing from the audience during the Protection Act, which includes a proby [9 far-sighted companies, includpublic response portion of the meetpo ed Mojave ational Park in the ing American Honda, Banzai Brothing, said his agency opposed the bill Barstow area. Officials who spoke in ers Racing, Duralube Oil, Graydon because utility-line routes would be opposition of the plan included WilPro-Line, Flanders Co., J.P. Enterblocked, seriously aHecting the transliam Tilden of the Ca Iiforn ia Mi ning prises, Jones Optical Co., Kal-Gard port of water and power into the Association, Dave Fisher of the High Lubricants, Metzeler Tire. Malcolm urban areas of Southern California. Desert Cattlemen's As ociation, Bob Smith Products, D park Plugs, According to California De ert Ausmus from the Baker (California) Sidewinder Sprockets, inisa[o USA, Coalition spokesman Steve Kuehl, Chamber of Commerce, and H. Marie SuperTrapp/Moller Corp., Uvexevery question from the audience Brashear, Chairperson of the National . Winter Optical, Van Leeuwen Enter"hammered" both the Sierra Club prises, O' eal USA, and L.A. Sleeve. Outdoor Coalition. Speaking in favor and Mojave National Park propoof the proposal were: Peter Burk, Ticket-holding volunteers were eliginents. The vast majority of those in president of Citizens for a Mojave ble. attendence opposed the bill, accordNational Park, Sierra Club ConserThe 1986 Sequoia Summer Series ing to Kuehl. volunteer program will include trail vation Director, Doug Scott, and local "This is the best thing that's hapbusinessman Fred Rosenberg. maintenance July 5-6, August 3 and pened in years," Kuehl said. "Bu t According to Jane Sievers of the August 31. we've got to keep the pressure on. Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce, Start £lag drops at 10:00a.m. for all Cranston has received approximately po ition papers and resolution anevents, at the mouth of Troy Mead70,000 pieces of mail, but he wouldn't nouncing formal opposition to the ows Campground. The Forest Sergive us a pro and against breakdown." plan were collected from several orvice will escort the ORV caravan to For more information contact Marie ganizations, including the Needles work sites, and supply most tools, Brashear, California Desert Coalition, (California) Chamber of Commerce, including PoLaskis, rakes, McClouds, 6191 Magnolia Ave., Suite D, Riverthe Barstow Development Corporachain saws, gabien boxes, tree saws, side, California, 92502, 7 I 4/684-6509. tion, the Bureau of Land Manageand not enough shovel (bring your Letters of protest should be sent to: ment Desert District Advisory Counown and label it): Campgrounds are Senator Alan Cranston, 5757 West cil, and the lnyo County Board of no charge, but first-come, first-serve. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CaliforSupervisors. There are always plenty of spots in nia 90045; Senator Pete Wilson, 11000 The Senate Bill would turn over to over([ow areas. Ticketholders from Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calithe ational Park Service most of the any event will be eligible for the big fornia 90024; and to your local Con1.5-million acre East Mojave National season-closing drawing al 3:30 p.m. gressman, House Office Building, Scenic Area, would add 1.7 million August 31, on Labor Day Weekend. Washington, D.C. 205[6. • acres to the Death Valley and Joshua Please pick up your free ticket at signtree national monuments, and would up. create 82 protected wilderne s areas, About the longest-running and totaling 4.3 million acres. most successful program in the United According to the California Desert States, the AMA's Roy Jansen has Coalition, the act would eliminate stated: "The Sequoia ummer Series most recreational and business activhas rewritten the rulebook on volunteerism in America. While we wereities in the desert, incl uding hunting; camping, rockhounding, sightseeing, all sitting around talking about it, photography, minining, grazing, and youguysjumpeci in and made it happen." back-country exploring. It would seDespite the recenr large loss of outverely curtail or eliminate vehicle standing multiple-use areas in Cali- . access to 9.4 million acres of the CaliCornia's forests won by the politics of fornia desert, effectively turning major radical environmentalists, riders saloff-road access routes, like the Mojave vaged exactly half of what they wanted Road, into bicycling and equestrian By Bill Herndon in acres. In mileage, we came out betleI', 177 now, 219 before. But considertrails. LO ANGELES, CA, MAY 9 ably more is forthcoming with CaliforBurk, who has encouraged the esWondering where in California tablishment of a park in the East h' . 0 nia registration Green ticker bucks Mojave sin e 1976, claimed during to go t. IS summer ~It~ R V and volunteerism. Make your future the meeting hat a Mojave National I~Creatlon. area. shnnJ<1ng OT happen, and then enjoy the best ridPark would provide I'1ch-need¢ - • - -disappeanng alt6gether? Looking 0 your life.. - blast 5.2061 ~ -.::t' v I:: ~ ~ Volunteers to repair California trails 38 Directions: East Side - just north of tiny lown of Pearsonvi11e on 395, go west on Kennedy Meadows sign up "Nine-Mile." Go left at Kennedy Meadows General tore (approximately 25 miles from 395). Go approximately nine miles to Fish Creek Camp, or II miles to Troy Camp. Ask for Bar Bender West camp sign up in one of the two back loops of Troy. Call or write Bill or Kathy Herndon at213/255-5 15,1633 Hill Drive, Lo Angeles, CA 9004 I for further details or information. • THE NATIONAL PAPERS By Roxy Rockwood (Continued from last week) New Orleans (Louisiana) Mile: Aft('r a three week breather from lhe dirt lracks, the riders resume action at a new ('vent. Motorcycles have never run here before. Word is that the track has either some sand or limestone, or both. No mile event has been run in the Deep South for many years now, so mile fans from afar get their chance to view one of, if not the mo t popular type of racing in this county. The facility i rated as a first class complex for the fans and hopefully it will become an annual event. Pocono (Pennsylvania) Road Race: The same weekend that the dirt trackers are in New Orleans, the road racers will return to the resort area of Pennsylvania for their annual appearance, the only one in th€ Quaker Slate. Ten road race have been run here orr and on si nce the earl y '70s. The last six years have produced annual events. Baldwin has won here four times, but he's in Europe and that means Pocono will produce a new F-I winner. Rainey returns for the first time since 1983 to try and win his second Superbike final and Merkel is again going for three straight in the same event. Rainey still holds the Superbike track record on the combined oval/infield course which makes for excellent viewing. Santa Fe (Illinois) TT: The IT takes place at Santa Fe Park in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale where National races date back to 1961 at this southside speedway. Seven past winners will be there for the only Friday night National on the schedule each year. It's the shortest TT on the circuit which makes for urprises in the winner's circle. Alex Jorgensen hs never won this one, but Jorgy will be ready and fresh from his recent Ascot TT win. teve Eklund and Mickey Fay are the only two-time winners. Doug Chandler is the defending champ. Lima (Ohio) Half Mile: Running for the third time, the first two outings saw Scolly Parker and Steve Morehead come up winners, giving Harley-Davidson the nod as pre-race brand favorite. The event, running the night after the Santa Fe TT, feature a wideopen black dirt oval that has produced some fine racing. The only problem here the past two years is the lack of seats for all of the fans that jam their way into the grounds. tanding outside the turns here can create thrilling and often chilling experiences. •

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