This past weekend we hosted the gang from Osprey Packs for their annual sales meeting - this time for a little mountain biking in Moab. Everyone had on their new Raptor series packs - a pretty amazing entry into the hydraulic pack market for Osprey.
As per usual in Moab; a Polaris side-by-side dumping it on a section of Pritchett Canyon...
Here we are on day one riding Behind the Rocks. This group hung tough all day....pretty damn burly for a "corporate group"!!!
The highlight of day one - Stephen Barnes cracking his bike on a ledge drop. He was right behind me when it happened when I heard the "CRRRRRACK!". Oh man.....that sounded bad!
Hermosa Tours was approached by a government working group made up of various land managers in NE Washington to help strategize a coherent recreation tourism vision for the region. NE Washington is often referred to as the "forgotten corner" of the state. In particular we were asked to comment on mountain bike tourism and how they might attract more of it. Hermosa Tours operates a 5-day tour in NE Washington, our Kettle Crest Tour. 5 quality days of riding is hard to find in any destination, but it definitely exists in the Kettle Mountains and Colville National Forest. Here's a quick trail video I shot last summer on "Stickpin Trail":
This is just a taste of the riding there! Anyway, we discussed many things, but I offered up a handful of suggestions:
- Do NOT allow the area to become Wilderness. This area has been highly sought after as a Wilderness area for many years now. If it goes Wilderness, mountain biking is done there. Alternate designations such as National Scenic Area could protect the region just as well without banning legitimate, historical recreation.
- Smart trail connections, rehab existing/neglected trails and conduct trail maintenance with mountain bikers in mind. In particular, I'm interested in a few trail connections that would really open up the trail network and create some terrific loops.
- The need for a conveniently-located bike shop. The small 'burgs around the Kettle Mountains are without a bike shop. We actually pack in extra spare parts for tours as we are 2 hours from the closest shop.
- Publicity in the form of grass roots message boards and industry publications. I tried to step out of my Hermosa Tours' shoes for a minute and try to remember - how did I discover new destinations when I road-tripped as a regular mountain biker? Internet "ride reports" with great pictures or destination pieces in MTB publications.
I was very pleased to get this phone call and to be able to lend some ideas. Opportunities like this are far and few between and I hope my continued involvement has an impact on shaping mountain biking policy in that area. Whether with Hermosa Tours or not, I encourage you to plan a trip to the area. It's very much a hidden gem.
I put myself, not necessarily Hermosa Tours, squarely on the pro-mountain bike side of the debate. I make that distinction to separate any ideas of financial gain from my personal desire to ride my mountain bike in our beautiful Wilderness areas. One particular post I found important was the "by the Act of 1964" definition of Wilderness:
DEFINITION OF WILDERNESS
(c) A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.
I think it raises an important point - do mountain bikes fundamentally alter the properties of Wilderness? I don't think so. Given the numerous studies/statements finding mountain biking to be on par with HIKING from an impact standpoint, I think a great wool has been pulled over our eyes.
There has always been a question of the "spirit" of the Act as well. A quote from Frank Church (the namesake of the large Wilderness area in Idaho) popped up that I thought profound:
"As the floor manager of the 1964 Wilderness Act, I recall quite clearly what we were tying to accomplish by setting up the National Wilderness Preservation System. It was never the intent of Congress that wilderness be managed in so "pure" a fashion as to needlessly restrict customary public use and enjoyment. Quite the contrary, Congress fully intended that wilderness should be managed to allow its use by a wide spectrum of Americans."
"I believe, and many citizens agree with me, that the agencies are applying provisions of the Wilderness Act too strictly and thus misconstruing the intent of Congress as to how these areas should be managed."
By mid-March most of us are chomping at the bit to get out there and start getting ready for our cycling season….especially you racers that want to get a leg up on the competition. What better way to get in those base miles than on the world class singletrack in the warm Coastal Mountains of Southern California under sunny skies? Oh one more thing – you’ll be accompanied by 3-time NORBA National Series Champion and 2008 XTERRA Worlds podium finisher, Shonny Vanlandingham!!
Welcome to Shonny V’s Base Camp. Shonny has designed an amazing tour to get you ready for your upcoming season. They’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to hone your skills under Shonny’s expert instruction and she’ll be happy to talk nutrition and fitness along the way, but the underlying theme here will be FUN!
General Tour Details
• 4 Riding Days, 4 Nights Lodging • Coastal Mountain Singletrack in Southern California • This camp is for intermediate to advanced riders with good base fitness and solid singletrack skills who wish to jumpstart their season. • Base Camp: Several nice lodging options in Pasadena and Orange County
• And of course, plenty of great Kona Brewing Co. beer and shwag!
Hermosa Tours received a brief mention in BIKE Magazine in their latest December issue. While it was only a mention of our shuttle service in the Durango area, Durango is our headquarters and home of perhaps our best tour, the Durango High Country Tour. Needless to say, we were proud to be mentioned in one of our favorite mags.
Hermosa Tours' Southern California Singletrack Tour was chosen one of Bicycling Magazine's Top 15 favorite destinations. You can check it out in the December issue, but here's a sneak peek (note the price has been updated to $1850 on our site):
Good times and an adventurous, tough group!
