August 1, 2004    The Official Newsletter of the New Mexico 4-Wheelers    www.nm4w.org

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 The meeting was held at Marcia & Leon Duggar’s.  President Leon opened the business meeting after the pot luck dinner.

Members Present: The following family units were represented by at least one member. (These are the ones that signed in… I have a feeling someone might have missed the sign-in sheet.) Baca, Bontly, Capener (Rich), Cline, Eklund, Finch, Gjerning, Greven, Kausche, Kelso, Kraushaar, Lavy, Marx, Meier, both Miller families, Norton, Ohnesorg, Peeples, Rector, Tanner, Telepak, Werkmeister (Mark & J.) both Whiston families and the Wolf’s. . .

Guests: The Guest list included Dixon & Zelda Patrick; Ken O’Niell; Emil Ardelean; Tim, Rachel, Abigail & Rebecca Hix; Lisanne DiCarlo; Steve Hemphill; & Nancy Crowley.

The Sheriff and VP, Jeff Rector levied several fines.  The first of the noteworthy offends was Mark Wolfe.  During the Quarterly pre-run the weekend before, Wolfie got stuck in the campground; OK it was no KOA, but it was a campground nevertheless.  The next shining star to be fined was Chuck Peeples, who broke down between the campground and the beginning of the trail (yep, he was in his Scrambler).  After a trip to NAPA and field repairs, Chuck outdid himself by breaking down again.  This time a tow was required.  Chuck is now eternally beholden to President Leon.  The always impartial Jeff then fined himself for a trailer flat tire.  We won’t even venture into the area of how he managed to obtain a spare wheel/tire that didn’t fit his trailer.  Lastly, Jason Lavy was not only fined, but was the recipient of the coveted “Cowbell Award” for his not so graceful parking lot ballet with his Grand Cherokee.

The Treasurer, Susan Miller reported the bank balance as $4,298.42 as of 07/20, but since then paying bills would have reduced that to something over $3,000.  She enquired about the necessity of a written report and was informed that an Annual Report with categorized expenses and income should be presented at the next meeting.

The Historian, Bobby Miller was absent.

Trip Chairman, Chuck Peeples, reported the pre-runs for the Quarterly all went smoothly (if we don’t count a certain teal Scrambler). Glenn reported about 6 vehicles showed up for an early July impromptu run to the Rio Peurco.  Mt. Blanca is set for Aug. 28-29.  October 8-10 is set for Canyon de Chelly, AZ.  There will be a fee per vehicle as we have to use official guides.

There was no SWFWDA delegate.

Program Chairman, Rich Capener was present, but none of the materials for raffle or sales were available.

Director of Environmental Affairs, Bob Norton reported he attended the United convention and land use conference in early July.  He stated a full report will be following.  He mentioned the new Forest Service of designated travel routes for motor vehicle use was underway.  Public comment period ends September 13, 2004.  More info to follow. (For those who wish to see the documents, they are available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/04-15775.htm.

Secretary Don Miller recorded the meeting.

Old Business: Committee work on the “New Members Package” has been delayed due to work efforts being put into the Summer Quarterly.  The committee will reform and report at the next earliest convenience.

Susan reported on the e-mail group discussion on the name tags.  100 pin-on tags have been obtained for the Quarterly (and subsequent use by those members who retain them).  As well, 1,000 self-stick tags were also purchased for use at future meetings.  Total expenditure was approximately $35.

Mark Werkmeister reported that all trails have been pre-run and all leaders and tail-gunners pre-ran their trails.  All is set to go.  Wolfie reported that the food is all set to go and mighty tasty to boot.  As the official food taster, he availed himself of the opportunity during one of the pre-run weekends.  The membership was reminded that SWFWDA elections would be taking place at the Quarterly.

New Business: Bob Telepak reminded old and new members alike that the NM4W’s are co-adopter’s of the Behind the Reef Trail in Utah; the Castle Rock ATV club being the other party.  Bob Telepak reported that the Price Utah BLM Field Office had made an error somehow and had sent an official BLM road grader up a portion of the Behind the Reef Trail.  No real damage was done, but what used to be the easiest portion of the trail is now even easier.  Bob reported that the three dugways are in good shape.

Bob also extended an invitation to any and all NM4W’s to join him on an August 14 trip over the Black Bear and Imogene passes in Colorado.

Don Miller reported that he had no new news to report regarding the BLM Monticello Field Office rule interpretations.  Basically, if a group of any kind wants to travel public lands under BLM management you must first inquire about required Special Recreation Permits.

Don Miller asked the membership about their willingness to approach the BLM Monticello Field Office on the subject of an adopt-a-trail agreement for the Hotel Rock Trail.  After some discussion, a motion was made to go forward. The vote was unanimous to place a formal request with the BLM.

The cooling mountain weather caused a short recess as the meeting was moved out of the wind and into the Duggar’s garage/workshop.

Club elections were next on the agenda.  For the new year we have as President, Leon Duggar; for VP, Jeff Rector; for Historian, Rich Capener; for Treasurer, Susan Miller; for Trip Chairperson, Jason Lavy; Don Miller for Secretary; Jerry Marx for Program Chairman, and Bob Norton for Director of Environmental Affairs.  Jason Lavy also received a write in for the new volunteer position as Gravitational Research Director.

Marcia Duggar presented three items that are to be voted on at the SWFWDA Quarterly in Fairplay.  A motion was made and passed to have Mark Werkmeister be the club’s official delegate to this meeting.  Mark led a discussion on the three elements.  After the discussion, a vote was held to determine the club’s official position.  Item 1: to allow mail and e-mail voting was voted down; a No.  Item 2: to allow the Board of Directors to make decisions regarding admission of new clubs into SWFWDA was carried; a Yes.  Item 3: regarding reimbursement of travel expenses to SWFWDA officers was soundly rejected with all against; a No.

Leon nominated Chuck Peeples as NM4Wheeler of the year.  There were no other nominees.  This will be voted on next meeting.

Two new members were voted in:  Dixon Patrick and Nancy Crowley.  Welcome!

Leon adjourned the meeting.

A reminder that membership dues are due now.  A one-month grace period is granted, but any dues not received by August 31 are considered delinquent.  If dues are not received by August 31, your membership laspses and to become a full voting member again you must start out as a newbie; that is you must earn 5 points and be voted on once again.  Save yourself the torment, the hassle, pay now.  Your $30 membership not only gains you membership in one of the finest clubs around, it also gives you membership in SWFWDA and a subscription to the Drive Lines newsletter.

Being a four-wheeling novice hasn’t stopped Jeffery Woodard from testing his vehicle or himself.  His first off-road experience was the Poughkeepsie Gulch run on the NM4W Silverton trip.  “I made it three-fourths of the way before needing a strap!” he exclaims.  It was Summer 2003 and Jeffery had just bought his 2000 GMC Jimmy.  It was bone stock—including street tires.

Poughkeepsie is rated Hard and there is one steep, off-camber spot that challenges even the big dogs.  But thanks to the GMC’s stock G80 auto-locking rear end and his willingness to listen to the spotters, Jeffery and the vehicle completed the trail unscathed.  Several “seasoned” NM4W’ers were impressed with how well Jeffery and his rig performed.  Poughkeepsie was a great introduction to four-wheeling and it remains Jeffery’s favorite trail.

Shortly after buying his GMC, Jeffery stopped at Desert Rat to inquire about local clubs and Darren Owen steered him to NM4W.  Jeffery says the thing he enjoys most about NM4W is reading the Trail Tales (tall tales?) stories.  Most recently, he was pondering the Jason Lavy parking lot rollover mystery.

Having lived in Albuquerque since 1976, Jeffery claims to be “almost a native”.  His father was career Air Force so the family lived in Portland, Oregon (Jeffery’s birthplace) as well as Alaska, Florida, and Utah.  His father’s last duty station was Kirtland Air Force Base and the family stayed.  As an adult, Jeffery enjoyed living in St. Louis for a short time before returning to Albuquerque.

Jeffery has worked at Wal-Mart for eight years in custodial/maintenance.  He likes his job but regrets that his schedule (11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. including weekends) makes it hard to attend club meetings and runs.  In February, Wal-Mart employees prepare for March inventory and no one gets time off—even if they want to attend the Chile Challenge!  Fortunately, Jeffery got time off for the 2004 Summer Quarterly in Fairplay.

Jeffery’s former hobby was racing SEC autocross (racing between pylons while trying not to knock them over, it involves accuracy and speed).  Even though his Corsica competed against Porsches and Miatas, Jeffery brought trophies home and earned the nickname jeff gordon!  Tires were inflated to 45 psi so they wouldn’t flex.  After ripping a second set of tires, Jeffery decided that off-roading had to be easier on tires and he would learn to deflate to 12 psi.

Some other pastimes are watching the stock market (especially that Wal-Mart stock) and sleeping; something a shift worker never gets enough of. Jeffery admits it’s tough to fluctuate between being a day person and a night person.  He’s off most Fridays so if anyone is interested in Friday runs, please contact him at jeff4X4jimmy@yahoo.com.

Jeffery reports that the Jimmy will soon be sporting new Michelin 235/70/15 tires.  He expects the more aggressive tires will help on steep uphills and slick rock.  He’s pleased with the Jimmy’s performance, especially the gas mileage (27 mpg returning from Durango).  Other than setting up his vehicle for camping, the only other modification he’d like is some "clippers" on the side of the truck to prevent scratches!

In addition to Poughkeepsie, Jeffery has enjoyed club runs at La Ventana, Sagebrush Flat, and Red River.  He’s interested in ghost towns and out-of-the-way places and is researching Coyote Pass in the Winston-Chloride area.  Sounds like a good exploratory run for a Friday in case anyone’s interested.

We’re glad Jeffery found his way to NM4W and that he’s adjusted to 12 psi tire pressure.  “My nickname now should be Crazy Jimmy Driver,” laughs Jeffery, “because I take the GMC Jimmy where they don’t often go.”  Well, Jeffery, a crazy Jimmy driver fits right in with crazy Jeep, Bronco, Scout and Toyota drivers!

No more Mr. Nice Guy.  I've had it!  Our recreation is in serous jeopardy, I don't care what you ride.  Whether a dirt bike, buggy, 4WD, ATV, PWC, sled, or wake skates behind a boat, WE are in trouble.  I am writing this as me, Del.  I am not claiming to represent any group or organization that I work for, represent, or am a member of.  This is from my guts telling me we had better change the way we’re doing business, or we're gonna lose our motors.  I am getting firmer and staunched in my positions on land use and access.  But we need an army of people getting in the game so our voice can be heard.

Now I'm not playing Chicken Little here, either.  The sky is not falling.  But from my experience around the continent, the atmosphere is sure shaky.  Tune in here and see what I think we need to do before it's just any further down the road, too late.

To make a long, bring tears to your eyes, story short, this is the gist of the problem:

1. Our image is so tainted we're an easy target for bad press and closures due to the few yeh-hoos and dip-wads out there.
2. We deserve some of the bad press - we are not policing our own.
3. By not showing up and speaking out as much as our opponents, we are the vast minority, under dog, get stepped on groups.
4. We are a HUGE army waiting for the call to help manage our public lands, but we're not there in mass.
5. We wait until the gate is up before we ask for help or get involved.  Now, with that in mind, I have some fixes.

If you've read this far, I am HOPEFUL that you will do more than read.  ACT.  Act now.  Get your friends to act.  Do not take my gut instinct, based on 22 years in this business, lightly.  Stand up and quit rolling over!  Get aggressive and assertive about your recreation.  Here's how in simple terms:

FIRST: Let's clean up our web sites and bulletin boards where some people think they can talk like inmates and make us look like idiots.  Clean them up now.  Change the rules of posts if you're a moderator.  Get rid of the idiot behavior and let's start showing some responsibility towards shaping our image.  If you're posting to BBS's, then post like an adult.  Get a private list somewhere if you need to launch out; but not where our opponents can see you.

SECOND: If you're not a member of EVERYTHING you can afford to be, then you're not in the game all the way.  JOIN every local, state, and regional organization you can.  And JOIN BlueRibbon Coalition.  It is through membership that we build strength and find money to fight the battles.

THIRD: Be an advocate for your sport.  Include others.  Do ride-alongs.  Get political.  Do not think you can let someone else do it for you.  Get some training.  Get some help.  Do whatever it takes, but do it now, before YOUR gate goes up.  Get a Trail Patrol or Neighborhood watch started on your trails.  Advocate for responsible use; dump the dip-wads.

FOURTH: Set the example in everything you do in your sport.  Ride responsibly.  Camp responsibly.  Drink responsibly.  Behave like EVERYONE in the world is watching and evaluating your actions.  Have fun, yes.  But realize we are threatened like never before.  I've never seen so many closures and potential closures on the horizon.  I've been at this a long time.  Please take heed and act now.

FIFTH: Pick up your pen. That's why I called this article a "Call To Quills" (pens).  Pick it up and write a letter.  I don't even care to whom you send it.  Just start to write.  Tell your congressman how you feel about multiple uses of public lands.  Tell your Commissioner/Board of Supervisors how you feel about your right to ride responsibly.  Tell somebody something.

Get your voice out there.  Be heard.  Be in the game.  Tell them you're tired of rolling over and compromising.  Tell them you want no net loss of public land riding opportunities.  Tell them no more unreasonable compromise that means loss for us.  We are not well-represented when the letters are counted at the end of the day.  We have to change that, or just give up the effort.  I for one am not ready to roll over or give up any more.  I'm in there with teeth barred now.

On the other hand, continue to work with the great land managers who ARE working with us, trying to help us, and seem like they have a balanced approach to their job.  Even if you don't get your way every time, do support those land managers who you know are trying and fair.  Support those good politicians who believe in giving us a chance to recreate on public lands.  And in both cases, where there are bad land managers, or bad politicians, put them in the dip-wad category and work to get them dumped!  Do it now.  Do something.  Please do not sit by and wait.  We can't wait.  Emergency closures should be reserved for when management fails.  Well, if you're not in the game, then chances are, management will fail.  Pick up that quill.

Del,
Visit my web site for more help: http://www.delalbright.com/

Mark Werkmeister asks: "Did you make it to Fairplay"? I answer.

"We sure did Mark... saw your vehicles at the gas station in Alamosa, but having just gassed-up at the cheaper "1-Stop" a few blocks away, and facing uncertainties with the rain, we kept rolling.  (You must have been inside the building at the time as we tooted the horns.)

We subsequently decided to spend the night just off the highway in the National Forest at Trout Creek Pass (20 miles south of Fairplay).  It would be a relentless wet night.  Dr. Bob Telepak and I strung a tarp between the 2 Cherokees and managed to BBQ Salmon steaks, cook herb and onion-enhanced Home-Fries, all washed down with some mighty fine Merlot.  "Wetness" has never stopped "us" from a good meal, that I can recollect!

Rather than set up tents in the rain, we each made space in our respective XJ's for the snooze.  Gotta admit, XJ's that have been twisted and tweaked this way and that on innumerable trails have lost their water-tightness.  Dr. Bob's & my gear would remain wet the remainder of the weekend!!!

We arrived in Fairplay a bit late... probably a bit before 9 AM, I think.  Anyway, any & all NM4W's were gone.  So began our long and eventful Saturday.

Dr. Bob & I first found and ran the trail up Mt. Bross.  Unfortunately, Dr. Bob's Cherokee began to run roughly on the climb.  Then, it began to briefly stall out.  We stopped to investigate.  We were now at 13,800 feet in elevation, only a few hundred feet from the top.... and Dr. Bob's Jeep would just not restart.  For the next 20 minutes, or so, we tried the usual techniques: unplug the Crankcase Position Sensor (CPS), crank the engine, re-plug the CPS, attempt to restart.  No-Go. Vehicles and Hikers passing by the whole time.. nearly all offering their assistance if needed, in fact.

We suspected the CPS to be the demon.  I carry a brand new one with me at all times, in fact, as I have thrice replaced this device on my XJ.  Unfortunately, mine was the older design with a metal protruding tip, probably not compatible with the newer style (sans metal tip) in Dr. Bob's XJ.  Ever calculating, Dr. Bob had saved his previous sensor (that had become intermittent a couple of years ago) and it was dug out of the parts archives in the back of the Jeep.  Now, if you are familiar with anyone that has had to replace the CPS on a Cherokee equipped with an automatic tranny, this is NO EASY TASK!!!  A whole lotta socket/ratchet extensions, universal swivels, burns on the hand & arm, & a thorough review of one's extended 4-letter vocabulary will be typical.

After an hour, or so, stranded on the mountain, the new/used CPS installation complete, the Jeep fired up on the first crank.  It ran so well, in fact, that Dr. Bob decided to continue pre-runs and pick-up a new CPS in Grand Junction (if possible) later.

So, our Saturday continued.... we topped Mt. Bross.  Then we continued on to the Wheeler Lake Trail.  The challenges on this particular trail have changed since our last visit.  Still, the pair of XJs made the run up and down in the rain without incident.  Renewed confidence, we continue on our quest.

We drive up Mosquito Pass from east to west, hoping to log that one and camp somewhere along Weston Pass that evening.  Unfortunately, just short of the top of the pass, we approach a snow field some 30 yards across the trail... and a group with 2 well equipped Jeeps, "white" and exhausted.  They had just become the first 2 vehicles to "open" Mosquito Pass this season. They came down in the opposite direction and were quickly in a real predicament.  They reported that it took them 2 hours to winch and strap their way across that snow field.  It was obvious that their vehicles had been assisted by the slicker-than-snot surface to relocate off the trail and tediously off-camber on the edge of a ski-slope ride into the abyss.

The group had convinced a pick-up truck to turn around just before Dr. Bob & I arrived coming uphill.  Not ones to shy away from a challenge, we decided to see if we could break thru Mosquito Pass.... and our "friends" scurried off (2 hours had been enough for them)... realizing we were nuts, I suppose.

Dr. Bob & I took turns shoveling a trench on the uphill side through the snow bank.  Perhaps up to 2 feet deep.  Unfortunately, we could only see a layer of ice below that.  Dr. Bob then tried several attempts to blaze thru the snow.  But after traveling only a few feet, the vehicle would bog down... and while trying to back out, the front end would slip downhill, precariously.

As it was now pushing 4 in the afternoon, and the surface was ever slicker, we back-tracked off from the pass.

We then decided to head to Breckenridge and find a good campsite for the evening before tackling Glacier Ridge Sunday morning.  Unfortunately, the campsite adjacent to the placer mining tailings are now marked as private property, so we worked our way up the Middle Fork of the Swan River.  Way too many campers!  We finally found a nice spot for the night at about 10,200 ft elevation.  Rain was intermittent, so I insisted on the tarp thing again.  Yet another evening (although a bit late by your standards) of "fine dining": Porterhouse Steaks, Spuds, Sautéed Mushrooms, Wine.

So, Sunday morning, it was our intentions to run Glacier Ridge.  Unfortunately, I was mislead by the descriptions in the Colorado OHV publication.... so, when we got to the top of the ridge exiting the Middle Fork drainage, we turned left (north).  (Our choice: Hallsville to the right, or Montezuma to the left.  The publication showed Glacier Ridge, Wild Irishman Mine, & St. Johns to the north.)

Later, I realized my mistake, guess I should have turned right and wheeled till the drop off the ridge at SOB (?) Hill into the South Fork drainage of the Swan River to return to the placer tailings area. Perhaps you can enlighten Dr. Bob & myself if that is a correct assumption.

By the way, if enough diligent folks … and Ma Nature, cooperate in the next week & a half, Mosquito Pass oughta be open for our use.  Although it might require a reverse in direction, so that all 4x4s are going downhill at the current obstruction."

 (Back in the April 2004 Issue of the Trail Tales, I introduced to you my “Newbie Jeeper’s Guide to Off-Roading”, which is taken from my personal web site at www.webejeepin.com.  Having a need for some more filler this month, I'd like to present to you Lesson 1 of my series, Preparing Yourself and Your Vehicle for the Trail.  --ed.

You recently bought yourself a Jeep, attended a couple of meetings hosted be the local 4WD club, and are now planning to go on your first trail ride this weekend!  Yeah, you’re just a newbie Jeeper, but you don’t want it to be painfully obvious to everyone else on the trail!  Here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself and your vehicle for that first ride.

1. Learn everything you can about the operation of your vehicle.  Read the freaking owner’s manual!  I was on a ride once with a couple of green horns who got a flat tire on the trail.  Never mind that they didn’t have a Hi-Lift jack, but they didn’t even know where the factory bottle jack (nor the jack crank) was stored in their Jeep!  Talk about funny . . . not . . . these two dudes squatting next to their flat tire, holding up everyone else behind them, reading the owner’s manual in the middle of the trail!

2. Learn the basic techniques for safe, off-road driving.  You are already getting a head start on this one by reading this series of articles.  

3. Equip your vehicle for basic off-road use.  The great majority of Jeep owners never ever take their vehicles off road.  Many will never shift their transfer case into 4WD.  Some don’t even know how to shift into 4WD!  But not you . . . you are going ‘wheelin!  And you will need some special equipment.  Even for your very first ride, I highly recommend tow points (front and rear), a recovery strap (20,000 lb capacity, with loops on both ends, no steel hooks), a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, a CB radio, and a Hi-Lift jack.  Imagine how embarrassing it would be for you to get stuck and not have any tow points for which to attach a recovery strap, one of which you have to borrow cuz you don’t got one of those neither. Very uncool!

4. Now that you and your vehicle are ready to hit the trail, make sure that the trail you’ve selected is appropriate for your vehicle and your level of experience.  Don’t hesitate to call the trail leader to ask his/her opinion regarding this matter!  Believe me, the trail leader does not want you in over your head on their trail ride.  It will only serve to ruin yours and everyone else’s day!

5. There are few things you should bring with you on all trail rides.  For day rides, I recommend the following as a minimum:

You will also need a secure place to store all of this stuff.  On a bumpy trail, you won’t want things flying all around the cockpit, causing a safety hazard!

6. Finally, arrive at the meeting location for the trail ride, on time and ready to ride!  That means have breakfast, gas up, and go potty before the meeting time.  Pay attention at the Driver’s Meeting (a good trail leader will always have a Driver’s Meeting either before departing for the trailhead or at the air down location, or both).  Have a great day out with your fellow Jeepers, knowing that you've taken the time to properly prepare yourself and your vehicle for the trail!

Here’s a post to the Colorado 4X4.org website from June 21^st.  Please keep up with this issue to support them anyway we can.  Thanks!  -- Wolfie

Several folks had recommended Gene King as a representative of the OHV community to the Mosquito Project.  Gene is a Director on the Board for the Colorado OHV Coalition, as well as the Land Use Chairman for Colorado Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs.  Gene was invited and participated in a stakeholder meeting on June 17 at Alma.  Thanks Gene!

The meeting was fairly basic, just a gathering of stakeholders and discussions on what data is available and what each stakeholder is concerned about in the study area. A stakeholder workshop will be held later this summer, as well as some type of event for the general public to come and participate.

That's about it for now...

I believe that you all have heard of the Rubicon Trail.  Some NM4W's have even made the trek more than once.  It is a very popular trail.  A few years ago, Del Albright and others organized the Friends of the Rubicon, an organization dedicated to keeping the Rubicon open and available to all.  The combination of its popularity, trail length, and rough rocky terrain have made sanitation a major concern.  Recently, a popular camping area along side the trail has been temporarily closed due to sanitation concerns. (See article below)  Not to be an alarmist, but I see the day coming when a number of popular areas may face the same problems.  As it is, 2 areas I like (under National Park Service jurisdiction), not only require a fee for use permit for back country camping, they also require a portable, washable, reusable toilet system for all overnight backcountry use. (The areas are The White Rim Trail near Moab, and The Maze portion of Canyonlands National Park.           --Don

RUBICON TRAIL SPIDER LAKE: TEMPORARY CLOSURE TO PUBLIC USE

On July 15, 2004, Eldorado National Forest Supervisor John Berry signed a temporary order closing the Spider Lake area, adjacent to the Rubicon four-wheel drive trail, to public use for 120 days due to a public health hazard.  The order closes the National Forest land around Spider Lake and works in conjunction with El Dorado County’s emergency resolution closing the private land in the area.  The Rubicon 4WD trail is open for through traffic.

This closure was the result of human waste/sanitation issues around the high Sierra Nevada Spider Lake.  The Rubicon Trail has no sanitation facilities and uninformed users were leaving human waste dangerously close to water sources.  Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) has been working with governing agencies for three years to get sanitation methods in place on the trail, but as of yet, no good solution has been found.

The Rubicon Trail runs through solid granite areas, with very shallow soil profiles.  The shallow depth of the soils, combined with the solid granite prevalent throughout the area, make standard toilet options impractical.  Further, because of the serious nature of four-wheeling required to traverse the trail, standard pumping trucks and extraction methods are not practical either.

FOTR, as well as other clubs, have been cleaning up the trail and removing the human waste for years.  But this year the trail use increased dramatically and the human waste disposal became a real significant issue.  There are no designated camping spots around Spider Lake, it is a dispersed camping area.  So campers were spreading out over a wide area, and camping too close to the lake.

FOTR has launched a major effort to help both the County and the USDA Forest Service in the management of this increased use of the Rubicon Trail.  It is hoped that the closure can be lifted sooner than the November 10 date.  But for now, the Spider Lake area closed to all access of any kind.  The Little Sluice Box and remainder of the Rubicon Trail are open as always.

Visit the Rubicon Trail Home Page for updates: www.delalbright.com/Rubicon/rubicon.htm

The public comment period has begun on the proposed regulations for OHV use on Forest Service land.  The proposal in a nutshell is that a national set of guidelines will be laid out for all local USFS districts to complete an inventory of roads and trails, then designate which ones will be open for motorized recreational use.  When the entire process is complete, no cross-country will be permitted, except as designated.

All written comments on the proposed OHV rules must be received by the Forest Service before September 13th.  You can have an impact.  Send well-planned and substantive comments to the Forest Service that address specific areas of concern to you.

The inventory of roads and trails is a critically-important process and must be undertaken as soon as possible.  The Forest Service promises that it will involve the public as much as possible.  It is up to us, the motorized recreational community, to be sure all legitimate back-country routes, trails (including single track) are included in the base inventory.  Then we must fight to have them designated as open for use.

Art Jeffords, from the USFS Washington, DC office, stated that any completed national forest roads analysis "may" be re-visited as "trails" were not considered.  However, a requirement for any newly designated routes or trails beyond those "currently" inventoried, will require an Environmental Assessment (EA).

Of concern is that the Forest Service budget currently does not have funds dedicated for the inventory process so it should not try to complete a superficial OHV inventory.

We need to insist that the US Forest Service accept our input utilizing consumer-level GPS systems to aid in their inventory project.  We must insist that the final national rule specifies that all areas, trails, and roads that are currently open for OHV use must stay that way during the inventory process.

There are many roads and trails that members of the New Mexico 4-Wheelers love to travel in Southwest National Forests that are not on current inventories.  If we, and other users, do not become involved to get such routes identified and considered, by default they will be closed at the end of this process.

(Thanks to the Americans for Responsible Recreational Access for many of the above points. Concerning the Proposed OHV Rule.)

The rule text submitted to the Office of the Federal Register is available on: http://www.fs.fed.us/.

Written comments may be sent to: Proposed Rule for Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use, c/o Content Analysis Team, P.O. Box 221150, Salt Lake City, Utah 84122-1150.  Comments also will be accepted by electronic mail to trvman@fs.fed.us or by facsimile to 801-517-1014. Comments also may be submitted by following the instructions at the federal e-Rule making portal at http://www.regulations.gov.  All comments will be analyzed and addressed in promulgation of a final rule.

The Moab and Monticello BLM Field Offices are in the process of preparing Resource Management Plans.  These involve 4.4 million acres of some of the greatest back country 4-wheeling anywhere.  The Public Scoping period has ended.  Their latest Planning Bulletin summarizes the issues to be addressed in the Plan.  Not unexpected, Issue #1 is: "How can increased recreation use, especially motorized vehicle use, be managed while protecting natural resource values?"

Next, a range of "Alternative Plans" will be developed and presented in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).  Count on much in their alternative plans to propose greater closures to our access in this region.

More details are available at: www.moabrmp.com and www.monticellormp.com

Aluminum Cans: Our club saves and recycles aluminum cans.  Money from the sale of cans goes into our club treasury.  Please bring your aluminum cans to each meeting, and somebody will take them to the recycling center.

To Our Guests: If you attend a club meeting or event and provide us with your e-mail address, you will be added to our guest e-mail list, and will receive monthly notifications of when the Trail Tales newsletter is posted on our Club web site.  If you are interested in becoming a member of the New Mexico 4-Wheelers, please contact one of our officers for membership requirements, or visit our web site at www.nm4w.org/join-the-club.htm.

Trail Tales on the Web Site: In a continuing effort help save natural resources and to control costs, you are encouraged to read the Trail Tales newsletter on the Club Web Site in lieu of receiving a hard copy in the mail.  Around the first of each month, the current issue of Trail Tales is posted at www.nm4w.org/newsletters.htm and an e-mail notification is sent to all club members.  In addition, a minimum of 2 years of back issues of our newsletter is also available on the web site.  So if you want to help “save some trees”, please send an e-mail to TrailTales@nm4w.org stating that you do not need to receive the hard copy of the newsletter.  Thanks for your participation in this program.

Submission Due Date: The Trail Tales is published on the first of each month.  Submissions for each issue must be received by the Editor not later than the 25^th of the prior month.  Submissions can be sent to TrailTales@nm4w.org, or Trail Tales, 21 Rattlesnake Ridge, Tijeras, NM 87059.

Please see the Events Schedule Page

Trail Tales
21 Rattlesnake Ridge
Tijeras, NM 87059-7440

TrailTales@nm4w.org