GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Jan 12 Meeting Minutes

Posted on February 1, 2016 by rahul

Website: http://www.gettinoff4x4.com . We meet monthly, every 2nd Tuesday in the patio area at Antonella’s Ristorante, 1701 Park Avenue, San Jose , CA 95126 (408) 279-4922. Park on Naglee Ave or in the parking lot across from the restaurant. Meeting minutes are distributed a few days after each club meeting.

7:00 PM – BUFFET DINNER: Salad, Pasta, Pizza, Bread & Soft drinks ($10). Attendees are encouraged to enjoy the buffet dinner or order from the menu to help Antonella’s recover the cost of using the patio area.

7:30 PM – Meeting start

WELCOME and BOARD REPORTS

President – Terry: Welcomed several new & returning guests & explained annual dues $60 ($15 to club, $45 to trial access orgs).
Vice President – Brian: no special news
Treasurer – Don: no special news
Secretary – Paul: Noted that comments from the public are needed to help guide Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit on recreation in the National Forest lands there, to keep you favorite motorized trial open to public use (See ‘Saving Our Trails’ below).
Members Attending – Brian, Chris S, Don, Eric, Gary,Joe, Lyle, Marco, Mario, Michael, Paul E, Paul H, Randy, Roger, Ron, Terry, Tom K.
Brand New Members this month –
Guests Attending – Mark (FJ), Grant (TJ), Stan, Erik & Heidi — Welcome all!

NEWS, ACTIONS & IDEAS

1) Ongoing: A few of our Yahoo Groups recipients may not be getting club emails, so perhaps check your spam folders. It was announced to contact or see Eric at the meeting if this is the case.
2) Fire Permits are available at http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/ for fires at developed & undeveloped camping spots. You must also check with the current local forest rules-in-force also.

VEHICLE PAINS & PROJECTS, STUFF FOR SALE

1) Joe: Fixed engine check light but needs new head due to bad valves. (wow, on a relatively new LJ?)
2) Chris S swapped in D60 & Sterling axles, preparing for 40″ tires. Has Rubicon axles for sale now. So he’s now ready for Fordyce, The Hammers or just about anything.
3) Eric has a set of 5 tires for sale, in good cond.
4) Brain: clutch parts broken, hard to order these things individually,etc.
5) Grant: Bought a new Warn “Zeon” winch.
6) Terry: TJ back from shop, works great.

RECENT RUNS & ‘CHANCES TO LOCK AXLES’

none reported.

UPCOMING RUNS

1) January 23 – Snow Run to Wentworth Springs Road (meet-up in Georgetown). Participants are invited to stay over Saturday night at Terry & Alane’s cabin in south Tahoe after the run. Look like we have about 12 rigs participating! – will be fun ! See email from Terry, just a few days ago.

2) Jan 31-Feb 5th King of the Hammers Race – Not a club run or destination this year, but noted for those interested. Watch full-on professional rock-crawling action in super race-built rigs, and wheel those some of the same trails with your rig on non-race days. There are extreme trails, but many others are not. (note: BLM has created some special rules for this year’s Hammers race)

3) February 12,13,14,15 – Join Randy & Lyle for overnight runs to Panamint Valley and explore trails & mines. Includes Defense Mine, Goler Wash and others. Camp at Area 53 along Slate Range Road off of Nadeau Rd at N 36°07.552′ W 117°19.250′ , or stay in the luxurious town of Ridgecrest (hey, it’s fine, actually) at one of many motels. Runs will be on Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Arrive Thurs night and leave Monday or set your own arrive/leave schedule. More info from Randy or Lyle coming. Trivia: Mining rights to Defense Mine are have or are being sold for ~$5K – this may be interesting.

4) Feb 20 (or was it the 27th? or March?)- Hollister Hills – ~~clarification requested~~. During dry weather only.

5) March – tbd.

~8:15 PM – Meeting adjourned.

If there are any corrections, clarifications or updates, please chime-in. If you are an active member your name should be on this list:
Aaron, Alicia, Brad, Brian, Chris W, Chris S, Dimas, Don, Eric, Gary, Genna, Jon, Joe, Lyle, Marco, Mario, Matt, Michael, Paul E, Paul H, Rahul, Randy, Roger, Ron, Steve, Terry, Tom K, Tom W.

Paul

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SAVING OUR TRAILS
Updates and New info in BOLD type. If you have new information feel free to send out an update. Though some are several months old, they are still active projects waiting for an official decision or completion.

1) Lake Tahoe Basin OHV. There are lots of OHV trails around and overlooking Lake Tahoe. The Forest Service is looking for public comments on future projects and management for the LTBMU, forested areas. You secretary has traveled many Lake Tahoe OHV trails with family, friends and the club. There are some real gems out there, with great views of the Lake, etc., besides the Rubicon.
To send comments before Jan 22. Check out:
http://www.cal4wheel.com/access-issues/northern-california-access-issues/675-input-on-eldorado-due-january-22 , and
http://www.corva.org/news/3746425 , and
https://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2016/01/05/california-send-comment-letters-fs-improving-ohv-recreation-ltbmu

2) There are several other urgent California issues bubbling up, that need public comments too; check out BRC & CORVA:
https://www.sharetrails.org/ (scroll down), and
http://www.corva.org/news

3) Popular Eldorado Trails still closed by the 42 Routes lawsuit (!!)
Deer/Clover Valley- expected to open Summer 2016
Pardoe’s/Squaw Ridge (‘Squaw’ renamed ‘Hungaleti Ridge Trail’) mitigation work starts Summer 2016.
Strawberry Ridge- expected to open Summer 2017
ENF’s overall route status is at : http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=fsbdev7_019037 . & http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=stelprdb5362046
A June 2015 update on the 42 Routes initially closed is at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3843438.pdf.

Many lessor-known routes are re-opened, but the best ones remain closed. Some of the route status in this update appear to be in conflict with Cal4’s Fall 2015 assessments. Deer Valley Route closures are now from Jan to July 31 due to Yosemite Toad (see previous Saving Our Trails and latest Eldorado 42 Routes closure news above) http://cal4wheel.com/access-issues/northern-california-access-issues/541-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-on-deer-valley-trail & http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/land-use-issues/1909145-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-deer-valley-trail-yosemite-toad.html

4) Potentially best president for public lands access: Jeb Bush. He is the only one who has formally stated any favorable federal-public land & recreation policy:
https://jeb2016.com/western-land-resource-management/?lang=en If you know of any others prez candidates with a similar public lands statement, let us know.

5) California Desert:
This is an important opportunity to contact the president & legislators about preserving multiple-use public access to areas in the California desert. CORVA, Cal4, BRC, and ARRA have sent out action alerts on this. Each has a slightly different take on the issue :

CORVA Background info & links: http://www.corva.org/email
CAL4 Background info: http://cal4wheel.com/access-issues/southern-california-access-issues/647-feinstein-to-host-public-meeting-on-proposed-desert-monument-designations
Action Link: http://cqrcengage.com/cal4wheel/app/onestep-write-a-letter?11&engagementId=136354
BRC- (BRC is using ARRA’s action alert page for this) Background info & link:
https://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2015/10/08/urgent-letters-needed-oppose-going-forward-designation

You can create a brief or extended comment using the CORVA links, and/or read the talking points from the Cal4 & BRC/ARRA links which have other detailed information. Keep comments respectful & professional. I took the suggested text from Cal4 & BRC/ARRA, re-wrote the text in my own words, and sent comments using CORVA’s links. CORVA’s links are generic, direct to Pres. Obama, Sen. Mukowski, etc, whereas Cal4/ARRA copy & forward your text & basic personal info to the president & legislators. I also copied Dept. of Interior.
Older Actions still in process

6) Carnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area near Livermore: UPDATE COMING; otherwise check CORVA.ORG
There have been attempts in the past to close it, but the riding public, CORVA, local Carnegie groups, and the Calif Dept of Parks-OHV Div have persisted to keep it open. A few years ago a new 4×4 obstacle course was created. Now, they plan to open up a new area, adding about 3000 acres with dozens of miles of new trails for motorcycles and 4x4s added to the existing 900 acres. CORVA created an entire web page for the expansion, which is chalk full of great resources and information: http://www.corva.org/Carnegie-SVRA-Expansion . It’s hard to know if this will be litigated, but it is moving that direction. In part these negative votes by Livermore & Alameda County were promulgated by the East Bay Regional Park District, who set up a false public expectation that this land could be acquired by them and converted to another regional (non-motorized) park. EPRPD has 120,000 park acres in Alameda & Contra Costa Cos, while Carnegie is the only motorized park in Alameda & Contra Costa Cos and is only 900 acres; (hopefully to be ~3900 acres). The SVRA owns the land, purchased by money from the OHV Trust fund, which comes from a tiny fraction of gasoline taxes and green sticker fees.

7) Plumas National Forest lawsuit. (for details see previous editions of “Saving Our Trails” and go to Corva.org) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN3Xdy0CKM&feature=youtu.be and http://www.corva.org/FS.Lawsuit

—————
Know your Anti-Access Organizations – a sampler:
CSNC is the group that sued Eldorado National Forest and successfully convinced a judge to force ENF to close and/or repair trails. One of CSNC’s primary goals is to limit OHV. Website http://www.sierranevadaconservation.org/achievements/. While we generally have no issue repairing or re-routing routes around what have recently been identified as ‘sensitive’ areas, there was no need to close the entire lengths of all 42 routes for 2, 3 years or more. Many have re-opened, but many of the best still remain closed to public access until only small sections are repaired.
CBD is one of the most notorious and powerful anti-access organizations. They often tend to lump motorized recreation access in with all forms of habitat interference, even though 99% of OHV use causes very little or virtually zero affect on animal habitat & popluation. Sample: “… cumulative threats from our changing climate, predation, drought, disease, and off-road recreation; and other threats all support an endangered listing….” re: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/Gunnison_sage_grouse/pdfs/Gunnison_sage_grouse_NOI.pdf and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/off-road_vehicles/index.html. It’s very interesting they almost never mention other causes of habitat interferences such as: hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, hunting, wildfires, highways, fences, etc. But apparently off-road recreation is “equal” with climate change, predation, drought & disease ! CBD are also well known for launching a plethora of lawsuits, using the “Sue & Settle” tactic, thus taking millions of taxpayer dollars from the Forest Service & BLM to pay their attorneys: http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=301242 and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/
PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) http://www.peer.org/campaigns/public-lands/off-road-wreckreation/news-releases.html and http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2013/01/07/court-orders-tighter-off-road-plan-for-stanislaus-forest/
—————-
Let Amazon.com contribute a 0.5% of your purchase amounts to the Blue Ribbon Coalition. It costs virtually zero $. How do you sign up? 1) Sign-in to your Amazon account. 2) On another tab/window, Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/content/support-brc-while-shopping-online to read how it works. 3) Click on http://smile.amazon.com/, and you will see short list of charities. For BRC, type in “BlueRibbon Coalition” exactly as shown here, in the search box. The result should be “Blueribbon Coalition Inc” and “Categories: Natural Resource Conservation and Protection” and “Location: Pocatello, ID”. (Be careful–there are dozens of other ‘Blue Ribbon xxxx’ charities out there, be sure you have the right one.) 4) Click OK to sign-up, and BRC will receive 0.5% of your purchase amounts at no cost to you. To automatically donate, shop only at the “Smile” web address: https://smile.amazon.com/ (if you use Amazon’s normal web address, no donations are made). You can change charities or cancel anytime.
—————-
There are dozens of other, mostly irrational public land & road closures in the works by the enviro-left/elite, so we encourage everyone to check Blue Ribbon Coalition, Cal4wheel, Corva.org, and Pirate4x4 websites for the latest access news. Contact land managers and government officials and tell them public land is for everyone. The info above can help with the ‘why, who & how’ to contact.

Paul E

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Sept 8 2015 Meeting Minutes

Posted on October 18, 2015 by rahul

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Sept 8 2015 Meeting Minutes

7:00 PM – BUFFET DINNER: Salad, Pasta, Pizza, Bread & Soft drinks($10). Attendees are encouraged to enjoy the buffet dinner or order from the menu to help Antonella’s recover the cost of using the patio area.

7:30 PM – Meeting starts NOTE: the actual meeting start is 7:30 PM (not 8PM from the yahoo groups automatic reminder email).

WELCOME and BOARD REPORTS

President – Terry: Welcomed guests, spoke about recent & upcoming runs, held donations election.
Vice President – Brian: (away)
Treasurer – Don: brought T-Shirts ! (new members get a shirt & decal included with initial membership). 27 paid members.
Secretary – Paul: Spoke about the goals Cal4Wheel, CORVA, BRC and why we should support them.
Members Attending – Aaron, Chris W, Chris S(?), Dimas, Don, Eric, Gary, Jon, Lyle, Marco, Paul E, Paul H, Randy, Roger, Ron, Terry, Tom K.
Brand New Members this month –
Guests Attending – Alberto (JK) has attended a few runs & meetings. Liz & Mike (CJ-5), Josh (GM fullsize). Welcome returning & new guests!
(If I missed anyone who attended please let me know.)

CLUB NEWS, ONGOING ACTIONS & IDEAS

1) Some of our Yahoogroups recipients are not getting emails from the server (Chris W. (all) & Terry (not receiving Agenda/Minutes); CHECK Your Spam Folders !!
2) Yahoo’s auto-emails need to change our meeting start time from 8 PM to 7:30 PM (7PM dinner).
3) Fire Permits, when allowed, are needed for any fire or stove used outside of improved campgrounds in National Forest or BLM areas. Suggest http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/ .
4) Like last year, we elected to make our annual donations to CORVA, CAL4, and BRC. Paul spoke briefly about each group. Our funds will be mostly targeted to the groups’ legal accounts related to keeping Sierra trails open.

VEHICLE PAINS & PROJECTS, STUFF FOR SALE

1) Chris: Steering wheel alignment “slipping”; changed Pittman arm. Could also be steering box.
2) Aaron: Front section of Jeep all welded-up & repaired.
3) Paul: 15Amp running lights & dashboard circuit blows when headlight switch activated – headlights always ok. Happens 1 of every ~50 attempts! Replaced headlight switch – little or no effect. Went through the related wire harness and lamp sockets I could get to, nothing found. Well known on internet; but only solution is “replace fuse”. Doh!

RECENT RUNS & ‘CHANCES TO LOCK AXLES’

1) August 14,15,16 BBQ Run: Bear Valley Loop Trail. A few arrived Thursday to reserve campsites, and by Friday evening nearly everyone had arrived. That evening most of the group drove up Sardine Peak for a gorgeous view and to appreciate the fantastic restoration of the Sardine Peak Fire Lookout. It can be rented this year for free from Tahoe Nat’l Forest. On Sat morning we ran most but not the last few miles the 20-mile Bear Valley Loop trail, avoiding most of the manzanita, but ended up with little brush rash anyway. It’s a moderately difficult route overall, with a few bypasses at the steep spots. The 2nd winch hill caught a few rigs who needed the winch, mostly for traction but also to keep rigs on all fours. Other than the few winch-ups, a tricky rock garden or two, & Matt’s steering box leak (later fixed) the run went without a hitch. A young deer running nearly slammed into my front fender, as I only crawling along up a hill.

The BBQ went very well with plenty of great food. Deep fried twinkies were a favorite. For the Door prizes, the folding chair & slingshot were traded the most. A big thanks to every one for helping at the BBQ set up, cooking & clean up. Tim (Paul H’s buddy) and I were the last to leave the campground, and one of the bow-hunters camped nearby had to ‘shake our hands’ for cleaning the campsites so well. So kudos to everyone!

On Sunday we had a bonus run to Snake Lake. Tim & I ran just part of the trail, since it took some time to get to the trailhead using the Gold Lake lakeshore route on the south side. Yes it is a PITA because there are several stock pickups tip-toeing over the rocks & boulders trying to get back to the highway. It’s a beautiful place to camp along the Gold Lake shore. We saw great views along the way up to Snake Lake. We arrived at Snake Lake Loop at 12:30 pm and made it to Little Deer Lake about 1 hour later, about 1/4 of total the loop. Other than winch hill 2 at Bear Valley Loop, Snake Lake trail is rougher, with more steep climbs and rock-crawling. At 2 PM we headed back, and located the short cut route back to the Gold Lake highway, that (other Tim?) from Diablo Valley 4-Wheelers described. It’s much faster but has several turns. We got home about 8.

Photos of the 2 runs, with a descriptions of how to access Snake Lake is here: https://4door4x4.smugmug.com/Off-Road-Trips-1/Bear-Valley-Loop-BBQ-Snake/n-TBWq7z
(hint: use Sardine Road, a left turn off of Gold Lake Highway, about 1 mile before Gold Lake. Avoid the bumpy route via the OHV campground on weekends).

UPCOMING RUNS

1) Sept 12 -13 – Deer Valley & Twin Peaks trails. We’ll run the Twin Peaks route near Sawmill Pond , and parts of the Tahoe side of the Rubicon on Saturday. You can stay Friday & Saturday nights at Terry’s new place in South Tahoe off Hwy 89. 33″+ tires & 1 locker recommended. Arrive at Terry’s Friday evening or early Sat morning. Most are arriving Friday eve. Contact Terry for directions if you did not raise your hand Tuesday.

2) NEW DATES: Sept 18-19 – Run the Rubicon with Chris W. Contact Chris directly; and perhaps cc: yahoo club email too: go4x4club@yahoogroups.com.

3) Sept 26-27 – Barrett Lake Trail is open! See http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3847114. This will be an overnight run. Camp at Wrights Lake Friday night, On Saturday run Barrett Lake one way and camp there Sat night. Run the trail back out Sunday morning. There are other options that are possible. This run needs a trail boss & final plan. 33s & rear locker minimum.

3) October 17 or 24 – Sourgrass Adopt-A-Trail run. Hwy 4 Protocol (per the Adopt-A-Trail run) .

4) November 25-29 – Death Valley / Panamint or somewhere else in the desert run (Calico Hills & area?).

5) December – Toys for Tots & Christmas dinner.

***Summer season: It is possible certain National Forests may “close” OHV mid-to-late summer due to fire hazard***.

8:30 PM – Meeting adjourned.

If there are any corrections, clarifications or updates, please chime-in. If you are an active member your name should be on this list:
Aaron, Alicia, Brad, Brian, Chris W, Chris ?, Dimas, Don, Eric, Gary, Genna, Jon, Joe, Lyle, Marco, Mario, Matt, Michael, Paul E, Paul H, Rahul, Randy, Roger, Ron, Steve, Terry, Tom K, Tom W.

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Recent Actions

*:-w waiting Here’s the latest on our cherished yet closed Eldorado trails, direct from Jeff Blewett, Cal4 Wheel’s Natural Resource Consultant for No. Calif.. Cal4 appears overly optimistic , while ENF has just published its own status.
Deer/Clover Valley- Cal4: “late summer” ENF: “Fall 2016 or Summer 2016”
Pardoe’s/Squaw Ridge(‘Squaw’ renamed ‘Hungaleti Ridge Trail’) Cal4: “by the FS it is open”; ENF “mitigation work starts Fall 2016 or Summer 2016.
Strawberry Ridge- Cal4: “Summer 2016”; ENF “Summer 2017”
*:D big grin Barrett Lake- Cal4: OPEN !! – Finally…See http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3847114
ENF’s overall route status is at : http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=fsbdev7_019037
Finally a June 2015 update on the 42 Routes initially closed is at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3843438.pdf
Many lessor-known routes are re-opened, but the best remain closed. Some of the route status in this update appear to be in conflict with Cal4’s assessments:
There are apparently no “public” links from the ENF Home webpage to the 42 Route Project web page, but it’s at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=stelprdb5362046

*:-h waveCarnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area near Livermore. It has been controversial from a “greenie/enviro” perspective. There have been attempts in the past to close it, but the riding public, CORVA, local Carnegie groups, and the Calif Dept of Parks-OHV Div have persisted to keep it open. A few years ago a new 4×4 obstacle course was created. Now, they plan to open up a new area, adding about 3000 acres with dozens of miles of new trails for motorcycles and 4x4s added to the existing 900 acres. A city council meeting in Livermore held an advisory (non-binding) vote on wheather the city will support the expansion or not. I sent my comments to the entire Livermore City coucil (though Livermore residents carry more “sway”). Three voted against the expansion and two voted in favor. CORVA created an entire web page for the expansion, which is chalk full of great resources and information: http://www.corva.org/Carnegie-SVRA-Expansion . BRC’s Don Amador has a blog too: http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2015/05/code-red-carnegie-action-alert-update.html . Dan A, Cal4 & CORVA also asked us also to contact the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to vote in favor of the expansion and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement contracted out by the Calif Dept of Park, OHV Divsion. I did. The county supervisors voted 100% against the DEIS and expansion of Carnegie SVRA on an advisory vote. It’s hard to know if this will be litigated, but it is moving that direction. In part these negative votes by Livermore & Alameda County were promulgated by the East Bay Regional Park District, who set up a false public expectation that this land could be acquired by them and converted to another regional (non-motorized) park. EPRPD has 120,000 park acres in Alameda & Contra Costa Cos, while Carnegie is the only motorized park and only 900 acres; hopefully to be 3900 acres. The SVRA owns the land, purchased by money from the OHV Trust fund, which comes from a tiny fraction of gasoline taxes and green/yellow sticker fees.

*~X( at wits’ endKnow your Anti-Access Organizations, a sampler:
1. CSNC is the group that sued Eldorado National Forest and successfully convinced a judge to force ENF to close and/or repair trails. One of CSNC’s primary goals is to limit OHV. Website http://www.sierranevadaconservation.org/achievements/. While we generally have no issue repairing or re-routing routes around what have recently been identified as ‘sensitive’ areas, there was no need to close the entire lengths of all 42 routes for 2, 3 years or more. Many have re-opened, but many still remain closed to public access until only small sections are repaired.
2. CBD is one of the most notorious and powerful anti-access organizations. They often tend to lump motorized recreation access in with all forms of habitat interference, even though 99% of OHV use causes very little or virtually zero affect on animal habitat & popluation. Sample: “… cumulative threats from our changing climate, predation, drought, disease, and off-road recreation; and other threats all support an endangered listing….” re: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/Gunnison_sage_grouse/pdfs/Gunnison_sage_grouse_NOI.pdf and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/off-road_vehicles/index.html. It’s very interesting they almost never mention other causes of habitat interferences such as: hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, hunting, wildfires, highways, fences, etc. But apparently off-road recreation is “equal” with climate change, predation, drought & disease! CBD are also well known for launching a plethora of lawsuits, using the “Sue & Settle” tactic, thus taking millions of taxpayer dollars from the Forest Service & BLM to pay their attorneys: http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=301242 and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/
3. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) http://www.peer.org/campaigns/public-lands/off-road-wreckreation/news-releases.html and http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2013/01/07/court-orders-tighter-off-road-plan-for-stanislaus-forest/

Older Actions

Moab: (for details see previous Saving Our Trails) and https://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2015/03/23/national-call-to-action-help-save-moabs-trails & http://www.cal4wheel.com/access-issues/22-other-states-access-issues/610-moab-trails-need-your-letter-of-support

Plumas National Forest lawsuit. (for details see previous Saving Our Trails and go to Corva.org) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN3Xdy0CKM&feature=youtu.be and http://www.corva.org/FS.Lawsuit

Deer Valley Route closures from Jan to July 31 due to Yosemite Toad (see previous Saving Our Trails and latest Eldorado 42 Routes closure news above) http://cal4wheel.com/access-issues/northern-california-access-issues/541-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-on-deer-valley-trail & http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/land-use-issues/1909145-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-deer-valley-trail-yosemite-toad.html

Oceano Dunes “air pollution” (for details see previous Saving Our Trails) and: http://cal4wheel.com/access-issues/central-california-access-issues/595-urgent-comments-needed-on-oceano-svra and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Oceano-Dunes/141393079248971 .

Amazon.com has a charity program where they contribute a 0.5% of your purchases to a charity of your choice. One of the charities is Blue Ribbon Coalition, a 501(c)(3) organization. It costs you virtually zero $. So how do you sign up? 1) Sign-in to your Amazon account. 2) On another tab/window, Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/content/support-brc-while-shopping-online to read how it works. 3) Click on http://smile.amazon.com/, and you will see info and a short list of charities. For BRC, type in “BlueRibbon Coalition” exactly as shown here, in the search box. The result should be “Blueribbon Coalition Inc” and “Categories: Natural Resource Conservation and Protection” and “Location: Pocatello, ID”. (Be careful–there are dozens of other ‘Blue Ribbon xxxx’ charities out there, be sure you have the right one.) 4) Click OK to sign-up, and BRC will receive 0.5% of your purchase amounts at no cost to you. To automatically donate, shop only at the “Smile” web address: at https://smile.amazon.com/ (if you use Amazon’s normal web address, no donations are made). You can change charities or cancel anytime.
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There are dozens of other, mostly irrational public land & road closures in the works by the enviro-left/elite, so we encourage everyone to check Blue Ribbon Coalition, Cal4wheel, Corva.org, and Pirate4x4 websites for the latest access news, and contact land managers and government officials and tell them public land is for everyone.

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Oct 13 Meeting Minutes

Posted on October 18, 2015 by rahul

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Oct 13 Meeting Minutes

7:00 PM – BUFFET DINNER: Salad, Pasta, Pizza, Bread & Soft drinks($10). Attendees are encouraged to enjoy the buffet dinner or order from the menu to help Antonella’s recover the cost of using the patio area.

7:30 PM – Meeting starts NOTE: the actual meeting start is 7:30 PM (not 8PM as noted from the yahoo groups automatic reminder email).

WELCOME and BOARD REPORTS

President – Terry: Welcomed everyone.
Vice President – Brian: unable to attend.
Treasurer – Don: unable to attend
Secretary – Paul: No special news, but check “Saving Our Trails”, below.
Members Attending – Chris W, Chris, Eric, Gary, Lyle, Mario, Michael, Paul E, Paul H, Randy, Roger, Ron, Steve, Terry
Brand New Members this month –
Guests Attending – 1, unnamed(?)
(If I missed anyone who attended please let me know.)

CLUB NEWS, ONGOING ACTIONS & IDEAS

1) Some of our Yahoo Groups recipients are not getting emails from the server (Chris W., Terry); Check your spam folders! Your secretary removed the emoticons in this issue to see if that helps.
2) Yahoo’s automatic meeting reminders – Need to change our meeting start time from 8 PM to 7:30 PM (7PM dinner).
3) Fire Permits are needed for any fire or stove use outside of improved campgrounds in National Forest or BLM areas. Obtain at http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/ and check local area rules too. .

VEHICLE PAINS & PROJECTS, STUFF FOR SALE

1) Chris W – Steering box causing frame cracks, welded in new crossbar & plate steel.
2) Randy – ‘Frankenstein’ Jeep almost ready
3) Steve – Suzuki painting nearly complete
4) Paul – To solve most starting & charging gremlins: “First replace the battery ! “. Don’t finesse it at first. Yup, that did it.
5) Lyle *Pain !* – Told horrific story about being T-boned on freeway while in F350 a few weeks ago by a drunk driver, with no insurance, and was charged with 4 other felonies(!) related to accident. Thankfully no major injuries, but some healing needed for all. All airbags deployed in Lyle’s F350, and all vehicles & trailer totaled (except 1 in trailer). Lyle says F350 design & safety systems saved them. Highway was closed for several hours. Was in Salinas (does alot of bad stuff seem to happen down there?).

RECENT RUNS & ‘CHANCES TO LOCK AXLES’

1) Sept 12 -13 – Twin Peaks & Ellis Lake+Peak trails. We’ll ran the Twin Peaks route near Sawmill Pond, and parts of the Tahoe side of the Rubicon on Saturday. 33″+ tires & 1 locker recommended. We arrived & stayed Friday & Saturday nights at Terry & Alane’s new place in South Tahoe off Hwy 89. Their house is very nice, in a neighborhood adjacent to national forest land. A big Thanks to Terry and Alane for inviting the group to stay a few nights. And there is a bear story too ! But it was not told.. yet…

Before lunch on on Saturday we went up Twin Peaks Road, which starts at Sawmill pond (copy & paste 38.888885, -120.025223 into Bing map’s search box) There are a few rock gardens on the way. (that have bypasses). At the top is a play area and views of the south Tahoe valley. We finished the trail and had lunch back at Sawmill Pond. the higher rock garden is pretty gnarly. No one went up it, a few went down it.

After lunch, we headed toward the Rubicon trailhead in Tahoma, and took the Ellis Lake/Peak Route located just a half mile in from the staging area. It’s a bumpy, rocky climb up, with a few tricky spots. We should have turned right at 39.057781, -120.200089 but we took the southerly fork to the left which eventually leads back towards the Rubicon. This fork route is not highlighted in the online maps but is clearly visible in the satellite views. (note on map apps: the new Bing maps app allows GPS tagging. Google allows tagging but road details are not as good as Bing. Yahoo Maps is now permanently off the air).

Photos & videos at: https://4door4x4.smugmug.com/Off-Road-Trips-1/Twin-Peaks-and-Ellis-Lake-Sept/n-x6ZFqh. To play a video, use the thumbnail view, and click on the “>” . The videos do not play in the slideshow mode.

2) Sept 18-19-20 Chris W. went the ‘Nocibur’ way into the Rubicon for the Marlin Crawler Round-up a few weeks ago. County workers were working on the V-Notch, but apparently the concrete bags they needed were run over & pushed down the hill by other wheelers, so work trail was suspended. Chris talked to Marlin, and said he’s the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. He went back out the Tahoe side due to traffic towards Loon Lake direction.

3) Chris – Niagara Rim – A few tough spots encountered. (sorry I did not get the details. Chris – feel free to chime-in).

4) Michael – Pinecrest Peak & Eagle Peak, up Hwy 108, off of Herring Creek Rd, ~10 miles past Strawberry. Pretty area up there and on Eagle Peak.

UPCOMING RUNS

1) October 24 – Sourgrass Adopt-A-Trail run. Hwy 4 Protocol (per the Adopt-A-Trail run) . Meet at ARCO off of Grant Line Rd Tracy 7:30, Burger King in Angels camp 9:15, Big independent gas station in Arnold at 10, or trailhead at 11 am. Bring lunch and tree trimming tools. Afterward, possible run to Slick Rock or ?

2) November 10- Club Meeting

3) November 14 – Barrett Lake Trail http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3847114. One day only, as camping at either lake could be pretty cold. Meet at the trailhead at Wright’s Lake at 9:30 am Saturday. We’ll run halfway in, until 2pm, and return back to Wrights Lake. 33s & rear locker minimum. I’m very interested in running this trail again and see what work was done over the past few years. It’s been some time since the last run. (better to run this trail in October for more daylight & outdoor temps if possible).

2) November 25-29 – Death Valley / Panamint. Eric suggested a few new areas to visit. About 4 rigs signed up so far. Not a hard-core rock crawl run, will be scenic, for exploring & history. Nevertheless, lockers recommended just in case it gets wet. (I think everyone has some kind of lockers now, right? Is anyone still “open-open”?)

3) December 12 – December Club Meeting, Toys for Tots & Christmas Dinner. Meet Saturday afternoon at Antonella’s at 3:30 PM, unless we decide to collect gifts at dinner, and someone to brings them to TFT the next day. If so, then arrive ~5pm; tbd.

8:30 PM – Meeting adjourned.

Paul
————————————————————————

1) California desert:
This is an important opportunity to contact the president & legislators about preserving multiple-use public access to areas in the California desert. CORVA, Cal4, BRC, and ARRA have sent out action alerts on this. Each has a slightly different take on the issue :

CORVA Background info & links: http://www.corva.org/email

CAL4 Background info: http://cal4wheel.com/access-issues/southern-california-access-issues/647-feinstein-to-host-public-meeting-on-proposed-desert-monument-designations
Action Link: http://cqrcengage.com/cal4wheel/app/onestep-write-a-letter?11&engagementId=136354

BRC- (BRC is using ARRA’s action alert page for this) Background info & link:
https://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2015/10/08/urgent-letters-needed-oppose-going-forward-designation

2) Jeff Blewett, Cal4 Wheel’s Natural Resource Consultant for No. Calif. just reported latest status these trails in the Fall issue of Cal4’s IN GEAR magazine:.
Deer/Clover Valley- Cal4: “late summer” ENF: “Fall 2016 or Summer 2016”
Pardoe’s/Squaw Ridge(‘Squaw’ renamed ‘Hungaleti Ridge Trail’) Cal4: “by the FS it is open”; ENF “mitigation work starts Fall 2016 or Summer 2016.
Strawberry Ridge- Cal4: “Summer 2016”; ENF “Summer 2017”
ENF’s overall route status is at : http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=fsbdev7_019037 . Finally a June 2015 update on the 42 Routes initially closed is at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3843438.pdf.
Many lessor-known routes are re-opened, but the best remain closed. Some of the route status in this update appear to be in conflict with Cal4’s assessments:
There are apparently no “public” links from the ENF Home webpage to the 42 Route Project web page, but it’s at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=stelprdb5362046

3) Carnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area near Livermore:
There have been attempts in the past to close it, but the riding public, CORVA, local Carnegie groups, and the Calif Dept of Parks-OHV Div have persisted to keep it open. A few years ago a new 4×4 obstacle course was created. Now, they plan to open up a new area, adding about 3000 acres with dozens of miles of new trails for motorcycles and 4x4s added to the existing 900 acres. CORVA created an entire web page for the expansion, which is chalk full of great resources and information: http://www.corva.org/Carnegie-SVRA-Expansion . It’s hard to know if this will be litigated, but it is moving that direction. In part these negative votes by Livermore & Alameda County were promulgated by the East Bay Regional Park District, who set up a false public expectation that this land could be acquired by them and converted to another regional (non-motorized) park. EPRPD has 120,000 park acres in Alameda & Contra Costa Cos, while Carnegie is the only motorized park in Alameda & Contra Costa Cos and is only 900 acres; (hopefully to be ~3900 acres). The SVRA owns the land, purchased by money from the OHV Trust fund, which comes from a tiny fraction of gasoline taxes and green sticker fees.

4) Know your Anti-Access Organizations – a sampler:
CSNC is the group that sued Eldorado National Forest and successfully convinced a judge to force ENF to close and/or repair trails. One of CSNC’s primary goals is to limit OHV. Website http://www.sierranevadaconservation.org/achievements/. While we generally have no issue repairing or re-routing routes around what have recently been identified as ‘sensitive’ areas, there was no need to close the entire lengths of all 42 routes for 2, 3 years or more. Many have re-opened, but many still remain closed to public access until only small sections are repaired.
CBD is one of the most notorious and powerful anti-access organizations. They often tend to lump motorized recreation access in with all forms of habitat interference, even though 99% of OHV use causes very little or virtually zero affect on animal habitat & popluation. Sample: “… cumulative threats from our changing climate, predation, drought, disease, and off-road recreation; and other threats all support an endangered listing….” re: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/Gunnison_sage_grouse/pdfs/Gunnison_sage_grouse_NOI.pdf and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/off-road_vehicles/index.html. It’s very interesting they almost never mention other causes of habitat interferences such as: hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, hunting, wildfires, highways, fences, etc. But apparently off-road recreation is “equal” with climate change, predation, drought & disease! CBD are also well known for launching a plethora of lawsuits, using the “Sue & Settle” tactic, thus taking millions of taxpayer dollars from the Forest Service & BLM to pay their attorneys: http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=301242 and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/
PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) http://www.peer.org/campaigns/public-lands/off-road-wreckreation/news-releases.html and http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2013/01/07/court-orders-tighter-off-road-plan-for-stanislaus-forest/

Older Actions

1) Plumas National Forest lawsuit. (for details see previous Saving Our Trails and go to Corva.org) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN3Xdy0CKM&feature=youtu.be and http://www.corva.org/FS.Lawsuit

2) Deer Valley Route closures from Jan to July 31 due to Yosemite Toad (see previous Saving Our Trails and latest Eldorado 42 Routes closure news above) http://cal4wheel.com/access-issues/northern-california-access-issues/541-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-on-deer-valley-trail & http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/land-use-issues/1909145-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-deer-valley-trail-yosemite-toad.html
———
Let Amazon.com contribute a 0.5% of your purchases to BRC. The Blue Ribbon Coalition, a 501(c)(3) organization. It costs virtually zero $. How do you sign up? 1) Sign-in to your Amazon account. 2) On another tab/window, Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/content/support-brc-while-shopping-online to read how it works. 3) Click on http://smile.amazon.com/, and you will see info and a short list of charities. For BRC, type in “BlueRibbon Coalition” exactly as shown here, in the search box. The result should be “Blueribbon Coalition Inc” and “Categories: Natural Resource Conservation and Protection” and “Location: Pocatello, ID”. (Be careful–there are dozens of other ‘Blue Ribbon xxxx’ charities out there, be sure you have the right one.) 4) Click OK to sign-up, and BRC will receive 0.5% of your purchase amounts at no cost to you. To automatically donate, shop only at the “Smile” web address: https://smile.amazon.com/ (if you use Amazon’s normal web address, no donations are made). You can change charities or cancel anytime.
———
There are dozens of other, mostly irrational public land & road closures in the works by the enviro-left/elite, so we encourage everyone to check Blue Ribbon Coalition, Cal4wheel, Corva.org, and Pirate4x4 websites for the latest access news, and contact land managers and government officials and tell them public land is for everyone.

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Aug 11 2015 MEETING MINUTES

Posted on August 22, 2015 by rahul

7:00 PM – BUFFET DINNER: Salad, Pasta, Pizza, Bread & Soft drinks($10). Attendees are encouraged to enjoy the buffet dinner or order from the menu to help Antonella’s recover the cost of using the patio area.

7:30 PM – Meeting starts NOTE: the actual meeting start is 7:30 PM (not 8PM from the yahoo groups automatic reminder email).

WELCOME and BOARD REPORTS

President – Terry: Welcomed members & guests.
Vice President – Brian: no announcements.
Treasurer – Don: A few still need to pay dues. T-Shirts have been ordered and are in stock now. Contact Don by email or at the next meeting. New members get a shirt & decal included with initial membership.
Secretary – Paul: no announcements.
Members Attending – Aaron, Brian, Chris 4R, Chris JK, Dimas, Don, Eric, Gary, Jon, Lyle, Marco, Matt, Michael, Paul E, Paul H, Rahul, Randy, Roger, Ron, Steve, Terry, Tom K, Tom W.
Brand New Members this month –
Guests Attending – Andy 85 4-Runner, welcome!
(If I missed you or anyone else who attended please let me know.)

CLUB NEWS, ONGOING ACTIONS & IDEAS

1) Club web page is fixed ! Eric looked into problem with editing & solved issue.
2) Some of our Yahoo groups recipients are not getting emails from the server (Chris W for example); and meeting start time to be fixed..
3) Fire Permits are needed for any fire or stove used outside of improved campgrounds in National Forest or BLM areas, when allowed.Brian suggests http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/ .

VEHICLE PAINS & PROJECTS, STUFF FOR SALE

1) Chris 4R: Smog issues. (ed.: a new cat could help; prices have dropped).
2) Marco: Installed body lift & new fenders
3) Eric: Tranny leak/water pump leak, part of recall that dealer attempted to fix, took 2 times.
4) Terry: ’02 SC300 acquired.
5) Randy: D35 axles for sale cheap.
6) Chris JK: Body lean and wobble fixed (ed: check for too much toe-in)

RECENT RUNS & ‘CHANCES TO LOCK AXLES’

The BBQ went very well with plenty of great food to eat. On the Door prizes, the folding chair & slingshot were traded the most. A Big thanks to every one for helping at the BBQ set up, cooking & clean up. Tim (Paul H’s buddy) and I were the last to leave the campground, and then one of the bow-hunters camped nearby had to ‘shake our hands’ for cleaning the campsites up so well. So kudos to everyone!

On Sunday we had a bonus run to Snake Lake. Tim & I ran just part of the trail, since it took some time to get to the trailhead using the Gold Lake lakeshore route on the south side. Yes it is a PITA because there are lots of stock pickups tip-toeing over the rocks & boulders along the way. But it is a beautiful place to camp, right along the Gold Lake shore. We saw some great views along the way up to Snake Lake. We arrived at Snake Lake Loop about 12:30 pm and made it to Little Deer Lake, only about 1/4 of the loop. Other than winch hill 2 at Bear Valley Loop, Snake Lake trail is rougher, with more steep climbs and ‘proper rock-crawling’ compared to Bear Valley Loop. At 2 PM we headed back, and located the short cut routes back to the Gold Lake highway, that Tim from Diablo Valley 4-Wheelers described. It’s much faster but has several L & R turns. We got home about 8 PM. http://4x4trailmaps.com/4x4Trails.php?Trail_ID=47 .

I will have photos of both runs soon, with a description of how to reach Snake Lake route using the fast way (hint: use Sardine Road, a left turn off of Gold Lake Highway, about 1 mile before Gold Lake. Do no use the bumpy route to the OHV campground).

2) Andy (new guest) Ran Rubicon with JK Club in late July.

UPCOMING RUNS

1) Aug 20-21-22 – Run the Rubicon with Chris W. (contact Chris W. directly)

2) Sept. 8 – Club Meeting

3) Sept 12 -13 – Deer Valley & Twin Peaks trails. We’ll run DV trail on Saturday. Hwy 4 Protocol (per the Adopt-A-Trail run) . You can stay Sat night at Terry’s new place in South Tahoe off Hwy 89. 33″+ tires & 1 locker recommended. A ‘side’ run will be the Twin Peaks route near Sawmill Pond possibly on Sunday morning. Details at the next meeting.

4) Sept 26-27 – Barrett Lake Trail is Open !! See http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3847114. This will be an overnight run. Optionally camp at Wrights Lake Friday night, On Saturday run Barrett Lake one way and camp there Sat night. Run the trail back out Sunday morning.

5) October 17 or 24 – Sourgrass Adopt-A-Trail run.

6) November 25-29 – Death Valley / Panamint or somewhere else in the desert run (Calico Hills & area?).

7) December – Toys for Tots & Christmas dinner.

***Summer season: It is possible certain National Forests may “close” OHV mid-to-late summer due to fire hazard***.

8:30 PM – Meeting adjourned.

————————————————————————

Recent Actions

*:-h waveSome of you are familiar with the Carnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area near Livermore. It has been controversial from a “greenie/enviro” perspective. There have been attempts in the past to close it, but the riding public, CORVA, local Carnegie groups, and the Calif Dept of Parks-OHV Div have persisted and kept it open. A few years ago a new 4×4 obstacle course was created. Right now, they plan to open up a new area, adding about 3000 acres, with dozens of miles of new trails for motorcycles and 4x4s added to the existing 900 acres. There was a city council meeting in Livermore to take and advisory (non-binding) vote on wheather the city of Livermore supports the Carnegie expansion or not. I sent my comments days earlier to the entire Livermore City coucil (however Livermore residents carry much more “sway”). Three voted against the expansion and only 2 voted in favor. CORVA created an entire web page for the Carnagie/Tesla SVRA expansion, which is chalk full of great resources and information: http://www.corva.org/Carnegie-SVRA-Expansion . BRC’s Don Amador has a blog too: http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2015/05/code-red-carnegie-action-alert-update.html . Dan A, Cal4 & CORVA also asked us also to contact the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to vote in favor of the expansion and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement contracted out by the Calif Dept of Park, OHV Divsion. I did. The county supervisors voted 100% against the DEIS and expansion of Carnegie SVRA on an advisory vote. It’s hard to know if this will be litigated, but it is moving that direction. In part these negative votes by Liver more & Alameda Couty, were promulgated by the East Bay Regional Park District, who set up a false public expectation that this land could be acquired by them and converted to another regional (non-motorized) park. EPRPD has 120,000 park acres in Alameda & Contra Costa Cos, whereas motorized parks are now only 900 acres, to be 3900 acres we hope. The SVRA owns the land, purchased by money from the OHV Trust fund, which comes from a tiny fraction of gasoline taxes and green/yellow sticker fees.

Older Actions

Plumas National Forest lawsuit. (for details see previous Saving Our Trails and go to Corva.org) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN3Xdy0CKM&feature=youtu.be and http://www.corva.org/FS.Lawsuit

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – July 14 2015 MEETING MINUTES

Posted on July 17, 2015 by admin

We meet monthly, every 2nd Tuesday in the patio area at Antonella’s Ristorante, 1701 Park Avenue, San Jose , CA 95126 (408) 279-4922. Park on Naglee Ave or in the parking lot across from the restaurant.

Meeting minutes are distributed a few days after each club meeting.

7:00 PM – BUFFET DINNER: Salad, Pasta, Pizza, Bread & Soft drinks($10). Attendees are encouraged to enjoy the buffet dinner or order from the menu. This helps Antonella’s recover the cost of using the patio area.

7:30 PM – Meeting starts

Your secretary arrived about 8 pm due to an 7:30pm SJ Earthquakes game at Avaya Stadium on Coleman Ave & 880. Sat in stop-n-go traffic on Coleman for nearly 30 minutes.

Looking ahead, will check if any more games are held on 2nd Tuesdays. So Albert took minutes for the first half. When we receive his notes they will be published Thank you Albert !

WELCOME and BOARD REPORTS

President – Terry: Welcomed members & guests.Also suggested someone should try the Twin Peaks trail in South Tahoe near Sawmill Pond, adopted by Tahoe Hi-Lo. Runners.

Vice President – Brian: Spoke in detail about about the Deer Valley run.

Treasurer – Don: Report about ____. Only a few members have not paid up yet. If paying by mail, it’s: Gettin’ Off 4×4, attn: Don West, PO Box 314, Felton CA 95018

Secretary – Paul: Noted that Eldorado National Forest published a new status report on the 42 Routes ( see ‘Saving Our Trails’ below).

Members Attending – Aaron, Alicia, Brian, Chris, Don, Gary, Jon, Joe, Lyle, Mario, Paul E, Paul H, Rahul, Randy, Roger, Ron, Steve, Terry, Tom K.

Brand New Members this month – Michael & Chris have fulfilled the 2-Run 3-Meeting attendance rule, and votes were taken, so — Welcome aboard gentlemen !!

Guests Attending – Jimmy.

(If I missed you or anyone else who attended please let me know.)

CLUB NEWS, ONGOING ACTIONS & IDEAS

1) Club web page needs updates & maintenance. Eric looking into problem with editing. Also some are not getting emails from our Yahoo Groups server (Chris W for example).

2) Don will be ordering more T-shirts for our newest members, and anyone who wants to buy one. Terry & Don just found a new, suitable T-shirt vendor.

3) A updated membership list has been created; certain new members my be asked for more info such as email, phone, vehicle type & color.

4) Fire Permits are needed for any fire or stove used outside of improved campgrounds in National Forest or BLM areas, when allowed. As of July 1, many of the Forests in Calif have banned any type of open fire, so fire permits are of limited necessity. Brian suggests using http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/ to get one if needed.

5) Terry was contacted by an auto parts distributor for discounted parts for club members.

VEHICLE PAINS & PROJECTS UNDERWAY

1) Aaron – Lots & lots of stuff- to be updated.

2) Chris – new powder coat & bead-protectors rims on wheels

3) Terry – his new SUV got hit by crazy driver on on-ramp; but nice job by body shop, looks brand new.

4) tba….

RECENT RUNS & ‘CHANCES TO LOCK AXLES’

1) Jun 25, 26, 27 Slick Rock (& Deer Valley?) (was Rubicon). This was an a overnight camping run. About 4-5 participants. Drove up Thursday, hit the trail early Friday morning & finish on Sat afternoon. Brian was trail boss. Heard that all sorts of stuff — good and not so great — occurred on the trail; more info pending.

2) July 4 weekend – Michael and buddies went camping up Hwy 4, Matley Ridge and Salt Springs Reservoir.

UPCOMING RUNS

3) POSTPONED to July – 24 & 25 Gold Lake & Snake Lake. Postponed so more could participate. Overnight run, near Hwy 49, kinda centered between Downieville, Graeagle and Sierraville. Info at: http://4x4trailmaps.com/4x4Trails.php?Trail_ID=47 and http://4x4trailmaps.com/OHVA.php?OHVA_ID=29. Essentially a new route for most of us, should be good ! Rated “Difficult” but not like Rubicon or Fordyce, perhaps more like our Adpot-a-Trial.. It was noticed that the Diablo 4Wheelers ran the trail on the 17th & 18th. Updates coming next week. Needs a Trail Boss — anyone been there before?

4) August 11 – Club Meeting.

5) August 14,15,16 BBQ Run. Back to Bear Valley Loop Trail. We will run less of the 20+ mile trail this time, avoiding most of the manzanita groves, but prepare for a little brush rash anyway. This is a moderately difficult route overall, with a few bypasses, so all rigs are welcome. There is a really nice campground for groups, and we’ll have a evening run to a nearby mountain top for a gorgeous view. This year we’ll have a brand new sign-up list, showing all the BBQ equipment, food, cooking & clean-up responsibilities. A tow is needed to haul the BBQ trailer (~1200 lbs) up Hwy 80 & Back. —This person eats steak or ? dinner for free. BBQ run is $10 per person, little kids free. To participate in the evening Door Prize “competition”, each attendee brings their own 4×4, automotive, or outdoor-related gift worth $10-$20.

To Sign-Up for the BBQ Run this year, please go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GGH2262 (I think Paul H offered to tow the BBQ trailer there & back, so he gets the free meal !)

6) Sept. 8 – Club Meeting

6) Sept 12 – Deer Valley. We’ll run the trail on Saturday, and you can stay Sat night at Terry’s new place in South Tahoe off Hwy 89. Hwy 4 Protocol (just like the Adopt-A-Trail run). 33″+ tires & 1 locker recommended.

7) October 17 or 24 – Sourgrass Adopt-A-Trail run.

8) November 25- 29- Death Valley / Panamint or somewhere else in the desert run (Calico Hills & area?).

9) December – Toys for Tots & Christmas dinner.

Summer season note: It is possible certain National Forests may “close” mid-to-late summer due to fire hazard.

8:30 PM – Meeting adjourns.

If there are any corrections, clarifications or updates, please chime-in. If you are an active member your name should be on this list:

Aaron, Alicia, Brad, Brian, Chris W, Chris ?, Dimas, Don, Eric, Gary, Genna, Jon, Joe, Lyle, Marco, Mario, Matt, Michael, Paul E, Paul H, Rahul, Randy, Roger, Ron, Steve, Terry, Tom K, Tom W.

————————————————————————

SAVING OUR TRAILS

Updates and New info in BOLD type. If you have new information feel free to send out an update. Though some are several months old, they are still active projects waiting for an outcome or completion.

Recent Actions

Here’s the latest on our cherished yet closed Eldorado trails, direct from Jeff Blewett, Cal4 Wheel’s Natural Resource Consultant for No. Calif.. Cal4 appears overly optimistic , while ENF has just published its own status.

Deer/Clover Valley- cal4: “late summer” ENF: “Fall 2016 or Summer 2016”
Pardoe’s/Squaw Ridge(‘Squaw’ renamed ‘Hungaleti Ridge Trail’) Cal4: “by the FS it is open”; ENF “mitigation work starts Fall 2016 or Summer 2016.
Strawberry Ridge- Cal4: “Summer 2016”; ENF “Summer 2017”
Barrett Lake- Cal4: “should be open late summer. Trail repairs and reroute will be finished this month by the HiLanders”; ENF: “work starts on Meadow 1 in July 2015; meadows 5 & 6 completed”

ENF’s overall route status is at : http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=fsbdev7_019037

Finally a June 2015 update on the 42 Routes initially closed is at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3843438.pdf

Many lessor-known routes are re-opened, but the best remain closed. Some of the route status in this update appear to be in conflict with Cal4’s assessments:

There are apparently no “public” links from the ENF Home webpage to the 42 Route Project web page, but it’s at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/home/?cid=stelprdb5362046

Some of you are familiar with the Carnegie State Vehicle Recreation Area near Livermore. It has been controversial from a “greenie/enviro” perspective. There have been attempts in the past to close it, but the riding public, CORVA, local Carnegie groups, and the Calif Dept of Parks-OHV Div have persisted and kept it open. A few years ago a new 4×4 obstacle course was created. Right now, they plan to open up a new area, adding about 3000 acres, with dozens of miles of new trails for motorcycles and 4x4s added to the existing 900 acres. There was a city council meeting in Livermore to take and advisory (non-binding) vote on wheather the city of Livermore supports the Carnegie expansion or not. I sent my comments days earlier to the entire Livermore City coucil (however Livermore residents carry much more “sway”). Three voted against the expansion and only 2 voted in favor. CORVA created an entire web page for the Carnagie/Tesla SVRA expansion, which is chalk full of great resources and information: http://www.corva.org/Carnegie-SVRA-Expansion . BRC’s Don Amador has a blog too: http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2015/05/code-red-carnegie-action-alert-update.html . Dan A, Cal4 & CORVA also asked us also to contact the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to vote in favor of the expansion and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement contracted out by the Calif Dept of Park, OHV Divsion. I did. The county supervisors voted 100% against the DEIS and expansion of Carnegie SVRA on an advisory vote. It’s hard to know if this will be litigated, but it is moving that direction. In part these negative votes by Liver more & Alameda Couty, were promulgated by the East Bay Regional Park District, who set up a false public expectation that this land could be acquired by them and converted to another regional (non-motorized) park. EPRPD has 120,000 park acres in Alameda & Contra Costa Cos, whereas motorized parks are now only 900 acres, to be 3900 acres we hope. The SVRA owns the land, purchased by money from the OHV Trust fund, which comes from a tiny fraction of gasoline taxes and green/yellow sticker fees.

Anti-Access Organizations sampler:

1. CSNC is the group that sued Eldorado National Forest and successfully convinced a judge to force ENF to close and/or repair trails. One of CSNC’s primary goals is to limit OHV. Website http://www.sierranevadaconservation.org/achievements/. While we generally have no issue repairing or re-routing routes around what have recently been identified as ‘sensitive’ areas, there was no need to close the entire lengths of all 42 routes for 2, 3 years or more. Many have re-opened, but many remain closed to public access.

2. CBD is one of the most notorious and powerful anti-access organizations. They often tend to lump motorized recreation access in with all forms of habitat interference, even though 99% of OHV use causes very little or virtually zero affect on animal habitat & popluation. Sample: “… cumulative threats from our changing climate, predation, drought, disease, and off-road recreation; and other threats all support an endangered listing….” re: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/Gunnison_sage_grouse/pdfs/Gunnison_sage_grouse_NOI.pdf and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/off-road_vehicles/index.html. It’s very interesting they almost never mention other causes of habitat interferences such as: hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, hunting, wildfires, highways, fences, etc. But apparently off-road recreation is “equal” with climate change, predation, drought & disease! CBD are also well known for launching a plethora of lawsuits, using the “Sue & Settle” tactic, thus taking millions of taxpayer dollars from the Forest Service & BLM to pay their attorneys: http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=301242 and http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/

3. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) http://www.peer.org/campaigns/public-lands/off-road-wreckreation/news-releases.html and http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2013/01/07/court-orders-tighter-off-road-plan-for-stanislaus-forest/

Older Actions

Plumas National Forest lawsuit. (for details see previous Saving Our Trails and go to Corva.org) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN3Xdy0CKM&feature=youtu.be and http://www.corva.org/FS.Lawsuit

Deer Valley Route closures from Jan to July 31 due to Yosemite Toad (see previous Saving Our Trails and latest Eldorado 42 Routes closure news above) http://cal4wheel.com/access-issues/northern-california-access-issues/541-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-on-deer-valley-trail & http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/land-use-issues/1909145-forest-service-proposing-seasonal-closure-deer-valley-trail-yosemite-toad.html

If you shop at Amazon.com, they have a charity giving program where they contribute a 0.5% of your purchase amounts to one of thousands of charities. But on their dime ! One of the qualifying charities is Blue Ribbon Coalition, as they are a 501(c)(3) organization. It costs you virtually zero $. So how do you sign up?

1) Sign-in to your Amazon account.

2) On another tab/window, Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/content/support-brc-while-shopping-online to read how it works.

3) There, click on http://smile.amazon.com/, and you will see some info and a short list of various charities. To donate to BRC, enter “BlueRibbon Coalition” exactly as shown here, in the search box. The results should show “Blueribbon Coalition Inc” and “Categories: Natural Resource Conservation and Protection” and “Location: Pocatello, ID”. (careful–there are dozens of other ‘Blue Ribbon xxxx’ charities out there, be sure you have the right one.)

4) Click OK to sign-up, and BRC will receive 0.5% of your purchase amounts. To automatically donate, always shop at the “Smile” web address: at https://smile.amazon.com/ (if you use Amazon’s normal web address, no donations are made). Your cost is zero and you can change charities or cancel anytime.

There are dozens of other, mostly irrational public land closures in the works by the enviro-left/elitists, so we encourage everyone to check Blue Ribbon Coalition, Cal4wheel, Corva.org, and Pirate4x4 websites for the latest access news, and contact the land managers and/or government officials and tell them public land is for everyone.

Paul E, Club Secretary

May

Tue

Gettin' Off 4wd Club

A Family 4×4 Club in the SF Bay Area

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Jan 12 Meeting Minutes

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Sept 8 2015 Meeting Minutes

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Oct 13 Meeting Minutes

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – Aug 11 2015 MEETING MINUTES

GETTIN’ OFF 4WD Off-Road Club – July 14 2015 MEETING MINUTES