Adopt-A-Trail Meeting Notes of July 16, 2014, by Phillip Beidelman

Greg Hoffman opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Greg is the Forest Service Ranger and Manager for the San Bernardino National Forest’s Off-Highway Vehicle Programs. Approximately 80 people were in attendance.

Angela Cook led roll-call and said it is important that clubs email hours spent on trail maintenance to her. She may be reached at angcook@pacbell.net or 760-505-3579. Information must include trail name, club name, and hours worked. The existence of AAT depends on this information.

Greg reminded us that if a road or trail closure does not look right, we should report that to Greg as there have been a number of improperly closed trails discovered recently. Greg’s cell number is 909-615-0475 and the Dispatch Center is 909-383-5654.

Greg asked if there were any club announcements and none were offered by the audience.

Greg advised that the only roads that are open and legal are on the Motor Vehicle Use Map, which can be downloaded from the San Bernardino National Forest’s website.

There was a request for any new clubs to identify themselves and none did so. Rough Wheelers, Sons of Thunder, and Motorventures were identified by AAT representatives as possible new clubs; however, none seemed to be in attendance.

Greg announced that there is interest now in adding about 20 miles of new 50-inch ATV and motorcycle trails in the Baldy Mesa area. There was some general discussion about the Forest Service having to hire two people to patrol seven miles of blocked trails on the boundary of the forest and private property along the cable fencing to be built.

Greg announced there is a project to complete 7 to 10 miles of new motorcycle trails from Big Pine Flats linking it to an existing BLM motorcycle trail. He indicated this project reflected a new spirit of coordinated planning between the Forest Service and the BLM in the area of off highway vehicle use.

Greg mentioned a there will be a new project in the Miller Canyon area.

Greg reported there is a major restoration project involving 15,000 acres in mostly the Deep Creek area correcting damage to drainage caused by motorized vehicles. The Deep Creek project also involves the Mojave Spillway and a possible restoration project there as well by the Corps of Engineers.

Steve Gardiner reported there were no announcements from Cal4Wheel. Steve went on to indicate they are looking for ideas for grant projects next year for the State of California clean up. Steve indicated the goal is to show how OHV users participate in other types of projects . Steve said Corva wants to help with a Calico Area clean up but no dates are set yet. There will be a call for volunteers at some point.

Angela Cook indicated Operation Desert Fun #12 is coming up on October 17-18, 2014, to benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America. A flyer Angela provided indicated a reduced registration price of $20.00 if registered by August 31, 2014. The event welcomes all 4x4, motorcycles, ATVs, and side-by-sides and will be held off of S22 at the Truckhaven 4x4 training facility in the Ocotillo Wells SVRA - 30 miles East of Borrego Springs. Here is the link: www.cal4wheel.com. Questions go to Angela Cook on 760-505-3579.

Don Alexander reported he had nothing additional to report from Corva; however, this led to an alert that there is some eco-terrorism re-emerging in the form of rebar spikes being sunk into trails to impale and cut tires. Don indicated there are some details on Facebook. Further discussion said this was also found three years ago on 3N59A (Luna Mountain Trail located on the north side of San Bernardino Mountains). Message: Be careful.

Ted Kalil from SBNF Friends reported a balance in the 502c3 entity of $6,453.00 and indicated the upcoming BBQ will be their main expense. The BBQ will be on September 27th at the Big Bear Discovery Center. Ted indicated SBNF Friends are looking for donations to support this and other needs. Contact him directly if you are able to contribute, or go to the website where there is a Donate button. He can be reached at tskalil@msn.com or by phone on 760-985-6307.

Trail runs will be held from the Discovery Center starting at 9:00 AM and the BBQ will begin at noon. RSVPs will be required this year and the age of any children attending is requested as there are special goody-bags prepared for the kids, and they want to have enough to go around.

There will not be a BBQ cook-off this year due to the few entrants last year; it will now be a baked goods cook-off consisting of goodies such as cookies, brownies, and pies. We were advised that all participants should bring enough for more than just the judges, as history has been the judges are the only ones enjoying the contestants’ entries. Bring your own drinks, but bottled water will be available. Also, please bring chairs and Ez-Ups.

We were all instructed to bring 2015 Volunteer Agreements to the BBQ as this will be our ticket to the BBQ. These are available online at the Yahoo site; some will be available at the site.

Greg reported the recovery training class conducted in Holcomb Valley was a big success and had representatives from twelve clubs. All J Products located in Big Bear City has agreed to conduct a training class on the basics of off-road vehicle repair sometime in the Fall. A date has not been set. Greg asked if there would be interest in a Black Diamond training class for all types of vehicles and several hands went up in support of this idea. No dates have been set.

A member of the La Familia club, Bill Gebhart, proposed discussion on the use of speed bumps in the forest. This suggestion was based the understanding that 88% of the San Bernardino mountains have been designated as Fast Track on fire roads. There were two personal instances reported by him and others where they narrowly avoided very serious accidents involving Baja type F250 trucks and Jeeps coming at high speeds around blind corners. His suggestion was to adopt the use of speed bumps before and after each turn. A lot of discussion followed about alternatives to slowing traffic and the ramifications of law suits. Greg indicated that the types of roads under discussion were generally classified as Level 2, meaning they would have light grading every 5 years, but that the legal speed limit is 55 miles per hour.

Greg suggested one of these best ways to handle this type of situation is to have a clear line of sight wherever it is possible. We should clear as much brush on blind corners as is practical to open up the line of sight. No decisions regarding any other steps were made. Greg also reminded us that it is best to always imagine a center line on all roads; that failure-to-yield on that center line is one of the most common causes of accidents; and that head-on collisions are on the increase.

Greg reported that the future of motorized access will begin to hinge more on the idea of trail sustainability. Greg wants all the clubs to look at our trails to determine if they are sustainable over the coming years and to determine if the trail might erode to the point where it becomes a liability. He suggested that some telling signs include rutting and grades that are too steep, and said good practices to improve sustainability include making sure slopes are inward facing, and clearing the downside edge of trees and root systems that would eventually erode the edge, rot and cause collapse.

Kim Harlow reported that all clubs must turn in Service Agreements and club rosters this year to work on our trail. She can be reached at fjcruiserkim@yahoo.com.

Greg presented eleven awards for various levels of service and excellence.

Greg posed the following question: if on a trail and someone is hurt what do you do? He indicated that you should not make a decision to transport too fast, since movement could easily make the injury worse. If you are on a trail and have an accident, exchange information and take pictures as if on a highway. Greg instructed us all to make sure we know where the nearest place is on our trails that support a helicopter landing for medical evacuation purposes.

Greg indicated the Dispatch Center (909-383-5654) has had 10,000 incident reports in the SBNF since January 1, 2014.

Greg reported on the subject of Desert Interface in the context of managing the border spaces abutting private property. He indicated increased drug-related problems with 2N33 (Pilot Rock Ridge). He also said 2N47 (Cleghorn) is also having increased drug-related activity and cautioned everyone to be alert in these areas.

Greg indicated there is now no shooting in the National Forest except in public firing ranges due to the fire danger.

Greg led a discussion about the best course of action in the event of snake bite, indicating the most important goal is to keep heart rate down. He suggested that if a tourniquet is applied, it is loose enough for two fingers to fit between it and the body. Immobilize the bitten limb and keep it below heart level. Loma Linda Hospital is the Bite Center for our area. It was reported that bites from young snakes tend to be worse than from older snakes; that most bites are on the hand; and that often rattlesnakes do not rattle or make other noise before striking. The message: keep your hands out of bushes; be careful when picking up trash on the trails.

There was a warning to be alert for bottles on the trail with liquid and aluminum foil outside them as they may be bombs made of Drano.

Greg asked if there would be any interest in the formation of an Adopt-A-Trail strike team for fast cleanups or recoveries. There was a lot of interest in the room. Greg will ask for volunteers by way of the AAT Yahoo Group.

Greg asked that any photos or write-ups about the good things we do in the forest be passed along to him, because he can get them published for the betterment of AAT.

Greg reminded the room that club websites should not have photos on them depicting major violation of Tread Lightly or safety practices.

Greg indicated he still has $2,000 available for private camp arrangements for AAT volunteers and said to let him know if any clubs want to use it.

Greg reported we have a number of tools and equipment including trailers, a water buffalo, and a gas-powered post-hole digger available to all clubs. There was a general discussion about increasing the number of tool sheds with combination locks. Greg reminded us that each of our trail maintenance outings should have a Job Hazard Analysis as part of the tailgate meeting before starting work.

Greg announced there would be a Forest Leadership Meeting on September 24, 2014, with the topic of how to make the forest a better place. This meeting will be held at the SBNF offices at 602 S. Tippecanoe from 10:00 - 12:00 am.

Greg indicated AAT has reported more than 7,000 hours of trail maintenance and that the reporting period is over on September 30, 2014. Angela Cook indicated she believes the actual amount of time spent is twice this number and that club reporting needs to be more complete and timely. Greg indicated the target for this reporting period is 18,000 hours, and thus we have a significant shortfall from the target.

The next meeting will be held at the Big Bear Discovery Center on September 27, 2014, the annual AAT BBQ.

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You Have To Risk It To Get The Biscuit!