www.rockymountaindirtriders.com
January 2011
NEWS
2011 CALGARY BIKE SHOW EXTRA Next meeting Next club meeting goes 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at the Capitol Hill Community Hall, 1531 21 Ave. N.W., Calgary. Great schwag will be raffled at the meeting. And there will be a National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council video presentation IN as well. THIS ISSUE: Nonmembers Year in review are more What’s ahead than Rider profile welcome to check it out.
Guided Rides Leader Jacques Dupuis addresses ride group at our Canada Day ride.
STEP UP AND JOINTHE CLUB Are you thinking of joining an off-road motorcycle club? There’s never been a better time to ride with us Ever wondered what it’s like to ride with a group of experienced offroad motorcyclists on some of the best single-track trails in the country? Ever wondered what it’s like to even ride an off-road motorcycle at all? Well, wonder no longer. The Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders have the answers to those questions and many more. Formed in 2005, this Calgary-based club has become a leader in land-access advocacy, organized group rides,
sustainable trail creation and stewardship, rider education, and machine maintenance. Every s u m m e r, our knowledgeable ride leaders take offroad motorcycle enthusiasts on Guided Rides at McLean Creek. Every day, their technical expertise is available online in our technical forum at RMDRA.COM Inside this publication you’ll find what we’re all about and where we’re headed. There’s never been a better time to join the club.
For just $40 you’re good to go If you’re viewing this newsletter for the first time and are considering joining us for the 2011 season, get on it. With a club swap meet scheduled for February, a club race in August and an ambitious ride season planned, now’s the time to join. Go to rockymountaindirtriders.com/membership or e-mail members@rockymountaindirtriders.com and get your membership now. It’s just $40 for the whole family. And if you don’t ride responsibly, don’t ride at all.
RMDRA W-5 WHO Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders Association (RMDRA)
WHAT A non-profit, off-road motocycle (ORM) club comprised of 500 members (and growing). Club memberships are just $40 annually for the whole family.
WHERE Based out of Calgary, RMDRA members ride at McLean Creek Forest Land Use Zone (FLUZ), Ghost/ Waiparous FLUZ, Indian Graves, Porcupine Hills, Drumheller, Koocanoosa B.C., Vernon B.C., Moab Utah, Montana and anywhere else areas are designated for responsible off-road motorcycle (ORM) riding.
WHEN Since 2005 A Guided Ride group takes a break on the trail at McLean Creek.
WHY Why not? But seriously, with our sport growing exponentially in the last decade, an organization was needed to ensure riders understand we must be responsible out on the trail. The RMDRA was formed by knowledgeable off-road motorcycle enthusiasts to meet the growing demand for teaching proper riding skills and etiquette while also making sure we have access to public lands on which to responsibly pursue our recreation. Educating riders, building and maintaining a sustainable singletrack trail network, and getting enthusiastic riders together for organized group rides on designated trails comprises our core mandate.
ETC. Our club meets on the third Thursday of every month at Capitol Hill Community Hall in Calgary and has its own website -- RMDRA.COM -with forums for all things ORM. There you will find everything from technical advice to people planning group rides and community volunteer initiatives.
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GUIDED RIDES: BEST SEASON YET
Fresh faces, new machines, numerous trails: Summer 2010 was all that and more as Wednesday nights went off on all levels at McLean Creek One of the most successful initiatives ever taken by the Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders has to be our Guided Rides program. Now entering its fourth season, our Wednesday-night program at McLean Creek Forest Land Use Zone has grown annually. Summer 2010 saw as many as 40 riders out for rides. Conceived and originally delivered by club member Dallas Wyman, the Guided Rides program takes riders of all skill levels (riders must at least show proficiency in basic riding skills) and groups them according to skill level before heading out onto the trails from May to September. From beginner or “relaxed” rides to expert or “club” rides, there is a group for you. Each ride group has a ride leader and a sweeper at the back of the line to ensure everyone is accounted for. Over the years, competency levels of some of our guided riders have
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increased to the point where they’re comfortable moving up a skill level, going out with their own groups or even entering hare-scrambles and cross-country races. Where you take it is up to you. Just know that our Guided Rides are a great way to increase your competency and confidence while riding your machine on single-track trails in groups of riders matched to your skill level. We’re now looking at ways to diversify the program. Ideas include a skills/teaching segment before rides, and a dual-sport segment. These initiatives are currently in the preliminary discussion stage with the amount of interest being gauged to determine if these initiatives are worth pursuing. If you are interested in these ideas, join the club, come to a meeting and help us plot a course for introducing these new programs.
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LOOKING AHEAD T0 2011 FEBRUARY
APRIL
The RMDRA will hold its 2nd Annual Swap Meet. Members will be offering up lightly-used and sometimes brand-new gear at drastically-reduced prices during our Feb. 3 club meeting at Capitol Hill Community Hall in Calgary. Our volunteer trail-intersection sign installation continues at McLean Creek.
Hopefully, we’ll begin establishing the White Ribbon (formerly Bar-C) Trail in the Ghost/Waiparous Forest Land Use Zone. We’ve spent more than two years in the planning stage with the Ghost Watershed Alliance Society (GWAS) and the Ghost Stewardship Management Group (GSMG) on this trail proposal (see Page 11). Vigorous volunteer trail work at McLean Creek and Fallen Timber will commence following the spring melt. Trail maintenance and numerous infrastructure upgrades/installations are planned.
MARCH
Planning for ride season begins in earnest. Land-advocacy initiatives will be in full swing as government agencies and other user groups are updated on our work.
Marcel “Brass” Brassard rides over one of the many stout pieces of infrastructure constructed and installed by the RMDRA at McLean Creek in 2010. Note the trail signage (right). Just another one of the many initiatives undertaken by RMDRA volunteers in co-operation with the provincial government, the Canadian OffHighway Vehicle Distributors Council and Alberta Off-Highway Vehicle Association. We’ll be doing much more in 2011.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE March 3, 2005.! That was the day I joined the online forum of the RMDRA.! I had heard about the club at the Calgary bike show that year and had been lurking around the forum up until that point.! I joined the club because I needed a friend, not only to ride with, but to show me where to ride. When I first joined the forum and started to meet up with people for rides, my wife was concerned for my safety. !She was nervous that I was internet dating and agreeing to meet up with strangers in the middle of nowhere to go dirt-biking. !Some of those first online encounters have turned into lasting friendships for both me and my wife. What started out as a casual internet dating site has turned into a phenomenon that includes the weekly Guided Rides, an internet forum with almost 1,000 members, and a club with over 500 registered members, that as of November 30 had logged almost 5,000 hours of volunteer time to RMDRA-directed projects in 2010 alone! !I am proud to have been a part of this club’s growth, not just the growth in Membership, but also the growth of the Executive to 12 dedicated, talented, and ambitious people. I have no hesitation or worry as my term as President comes to an end. !The club is in great hands.! I can’t wait to see how much this group can accomplish with the additions of the newly elected Directors to the Executive.! I look forward to working with them in my role as Past President. See you on the trails. -- Mike “Dobi” Dobovich
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Rider’s Code • Respect nature. • Do not trespass on private property. Ride on designated trails only. • Expect and respect others who have the right to be on the trails. Be courteous. • Remember that few other vehicles are as maneuverable as motorcycles, so give the others lots of room. • When approaching a hiker or mountain biker, STOP, pull off the trail and allow them to pass before continuing. • When approaching a horse and rider, STOP, shut off your engine. Take off your helmet and ask for instructions from the rider. • Comply with all legislation, bylaws, registration and insurance requirements. • Always wear a helmet and other safety gear. (Take off your helmet if you talk to someone) • Whatever you pack in, pack out. • Use trails only according to the permitted uses indicated. • Be respectful of trail conditions.! If the trail is too soft, ride hardened trails or delay your ride until conditions improve. Avoid riding during spring melt. • Do not use alcohol or drugs if you plan to ride. • Keep your bike QUIET. Less sound = more ground.
Tom Kelly takes a breather after flagging some trail (note pink ribbon) at Fallen Timber last spring. Cal Everitt (red T-shirt) was one of several RMDRA members instrumental in organizing the volunteer effort to get the Fallen Timber Trail re-opened last year.
LOOKING AHEAD T0 2011 MAY AUGUST Depending on conditions, Guided Rides begin at McLean More riding, more trail work, more racing. The club holds Creek. Trail work ramps up at McLean and Fallen Timber in its annual race, The Dirty Moose, on the weekend of Aug. preparation for summer riding season. The Alberta Dirt 20-21 at Fallen Timber in the Ghost/Waiparous Forest Land Riders Association (ADRA) off-road racing season Use Zone. begins with the Riviere’s Revenge Hare SEPTEMBER Scramble in Pincher Creek. More riding, more trail work, more racing. Guided More riding JUNE Rides officially wrap up for the season. More trail work Riding, riding and more riding. Wednesday OCTOBER night Guided Rides should be in full swing as More riding. The ADRA holds its annual offroad More racing long as trail conditions are good. Infrastructure awards banquet in Edmonton on Oct. 29. installation projects and trail construction/ NOVEMBER maintenance will also continue at McLean Creek and With ride season wrapping up, planning for next ride Fallen Timber. Race season continues. season begins. JULY DECEMBER More riding, more trail work, more racing. Club’s Annual General Meeting.
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HELLO, CHEVMACK IS MY NAME
RMDR Web At the core of any successful group is a healthy, beating heart. Our heart lives and breathes at ROCKYMOUNTAINDIRTRDERS.COM From colourful, descriptive ride reports like the ones written by ChevMack, to practical technical tips and preferred places to buy parts, RMDRA.COM is where our club goes for all its information needs. Plan a ride, get the latest on land-advocacy decisions or just introduce yourself. There’s a forum for everyone at Check RMDRA.COM us out at Sign up today and stay RMDRA.COM informed.
Meet Chev Mackenzie, a club member whose on-line ride reports are drawing rave reviews. Here’s Part 1 of a six-part series.
The first in a series of Chev’s re-introduction to dirt bike seduction Chev Mackenzie, nice to be here. It is very late in the season (2009), but my good friend Jason, aka Satan, aka d4rk5trok3r got me into it again. As a kid, the best thing I ever had was a 1984 KDX 220. I had the privilege of riding a 1979 YZ490 once. But other than that, it was medium rides at best. So then Jason calls me one day and says, “I got two bikes, get your rear end off the couch and come play.” Hmm, my choices are a CRF450 or a KTM 450. At this point I’m a little scared. It has been 13 years since I owned that KDX. On the drive out to McLean Creek, Jay tells me a story about some newbie who was havin‘ a brutal time gettin‘ started; couldn’t handle the weight of the bike, tryin‘ to mount on the high side. Generally useless to the point his friend was gettin‘ choked. I laughed about the story and added my 2 cents. Just then, I realized that’s gonna‘ be me in 17.5 mins.
RMDRA NEWS
My laughter tapered as I bit the bullet of future embarrassment. Although I might have appeared calm on the outside, old files were being opened from dusty corners of memory. Frantically, almost desperate, I felt for memories of the long-lost lifestyle. Mannerisms, old habits were not comin‘ back to me. Oh, well. At least I didn’t tout that I was the best. Jason will understand, he’s a good friend and RMDRA member. Right? We arrive and start to unload the gear/bikes. Jason rolls one of the bikes off his truck and gives it to me to go park. “Geez,” I thought, as I wheeled something that couldn’t possibly be powered by anything as tame as petrol. It was a bijillion pounds! Yes, that’s it! Some new fuel like liquid plutonium. Im pushing a nuclearpowered bike. Uh-oh . . . I just signed up to drive this thing. This is where the “aka Satan” comes into play. Here I am, 6-foot-tall, 190-
pound tradesman acting like I’m gonna‘ chip a nail if I’m too rough with handling the bike. I was not a fan then, when Satan would tell me to man up. But, to his credit, it was exactly the kick in the rear I needed. After a few struggles I was movin‘ the nuclear-power beast at “pop the clutch and don’t touch the gas” speeds. “Lordy, this thing is gonna have my knees stuck in my ears by day’s end,” I thought. Again, Satan was there to keep my girlytude in check. Off we went. For the remainder of the day it was a battle of wuss vs. evil. I went home that evening excited. Manly. Renewed. The next morning I felt like a bent 2x4 that’s been out in the rain and sun so long it’s cracked and splintered. Unusable. Yet, I wanted more. The sheer joyous feeling of leaving my 9-5 job behind so I could possibly hurt myself on the road to tiny triumphs, was too great. Jason had opened the child in me. I needed more.
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RMDRA volunteer hours In 2010, Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders volunteers logged approximately 5,000 man hours of trail maintenance, infrastructure installation and other initiatives at McLean Creek, Fallen Timber and in the community of Calgary. It’s this kind of annual contribution that ensures we’re taken very seriously when it comes to land-use issues in Alberta and, particularly, Kananaskis Country. Because of contributions like this, other user groups will want to Every include the RMKRA in volunteer decisions on hour counts Alberta’s landuse framework.
MCLEAN CREEK TRAIL PROJECTS
Seven guys, six bikes, and a quad with a winch and a trailer McLEAN CREEK FOREST LAND USE ZONE, SATURDAY, JULY 24 “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” So came my plea to Ken after I’d managed to pin my right leg awkwardly under my DRZ400e on a steep, rocky hill during a trail-work day at McLean. Ken readily obliged, scrambling down the hill on foot and heaving the heavy bike off me. None the worse for w e a r, e x c e p t f o r t h e r e s i d u a l embarrassment, I climbed back on and managed to coax Ol’ Yeller up and away without any further assistance. At that point five of us -- including Aaron, Len, Ken and Greg -- had been in the woods for about 10 hours, ferrying trail infrastructure behind a quad and installing it. Dallas had left an hour earlier to take his son, who’d appeared with his arm in a sling after a mountain bike wreck, for X-rays. Gord left with Dallas to ensure that crew got out alive.
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It was the first of two days worth of volunteer trail maintenance/upgrades the Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders were doing at what is undoubtedly the most popular off-road vehicle playground for Calgarians. The day started well enough. We met at McLean Creek store at 9:30 a.m., the time appointed by RMDRA Trail Maintenance Director Aaron Bauer, who’d organized this weekend of valuable infrastructure upgrades. We had seven guys, six bikes, a quad and a trailer. Greg brought the quad -- Can-Am 4x4, 500cc Rotax -- and new member Brad Lindy of Bow Cycle had previously provided the trailer. Our first order of business was to go down to the Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) yard and load 13 muskeg mats into Dallas’s truck. Done like dinner. Next up was to load six of those mats onto the quad trailer and tow them
out to the Police and Fire Games Trail for the day’s first install. Let’s just say the 42-inch-wide trailer on eight-inch bungee tires had other ideas. It didn’t take long for it to tip as it bucked down the trail. Thankfully, the hitch separated from the ball so there was no damage to the towing gear. This would be a good thing as the day progressed because the trailer would tip at least another 10 times without breaking anything. Greg’s steady hand at the bars of the Can-Am got the six muskeg matting sections to the install site in good time. The crew immediately went to work, throwing the 8-foot-long, 36-inch wide pressure-treated lumber sections into place and bolting them up. That job went off easily, as did the next job of installing four ‘skeg mats on a section of last year’s X-C course. From there it would get plain epic. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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MCLEAN CREEK TRAIL PROJECTS
The folks in the photos ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE: (clockwise from top left) Ken, Aaron, Dallas, Len, Gord and Greg.
ON THIS PAGE: Greg struggles to get the swamped quad out of a hole. He would succeed; Len points the way to our trail signage; Dallas ratchets home a lag bolt on some ’skeg matting.
By the end of the day, we’d seen a quad do things we didn’t know it could do CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The next chore was the fence upand-over for Lone Ranger. As Greg guided the quad down the trail, past the abandoned white GMC half ton sunk up to the axles in clay, it was all going well until he hit Great Mud Lake. Before we knew it, water was gushing over the top of the tires and had swamped the floorboard as the Can-Am started gurgling like an outboard. “Keep it running!” we all hollered, hoping to avoid spending the rest of the
GETTING ’ER DONE
RMDRA NEWS
day rescuing and draining the machine. We scrambled to get the winch cable anchored before the quad died. No dice. She conked and we all figured the game was up. But, defying the inevitable laws of physics, Greg managed to get the Can-Am re-lit while more than half submerged. Who knew? Once high and dry, we routed around the mud lake and delivered the pieces required to complete the Lone Ranger fence up-and-over. But we weren’t done.
We loaded a section of up-and-over onto the trailer and set off for Canops. Again Greg was tasked with moving the gear over tough terrain, this time up an impossibly steep hill festooned with rock outcrops. He made it. But we got to the top to find the road we sought was impassable. The rest of the day was spent getting that piece delivered, taking the long way around. We got there, got back and, 11 hours after starting our day, were headed for home. ! -- Zook
GAMES TRAIL
LONE RANGER
CANOPS
FISHER SOUTH
MUSKEG MATTING Six muskeg-mat sections were added to shore up erosion issues on Police and Fire Games Trail
UP-AND-OVER Pre-fab, twopiece steel fence up-andover delivered and assembled on site to replace wooden structure
UP-AND-OVER One section of up-and-over dropped, another awaiting delivery for completion of install
MUSKEG MATTING The Sunday crew installed seven matting sections at the approaches to Fisher Bridge and cleared trail
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In the photos TOP: Tourism Parks and Recreation Alberta’s donated machine on the trailer. MIDDLE LEFT: Jeremy of Rocky Mountain Honda Powerhouse hands brand-new donated engine to Bauer. MIDDLE RIGHT: Machine’s frame exposed. BOTTOM: Bauer cuts out old track bearings. FAR RIGHT: Reassembly takes shape.
TRAILBLAZER REBUILD WELL UNDER WAY Club’s most ambitious project to date
When the Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders Association came into being, a key objective of the club was to make sure provincial government agencies were aware of the offro a d m o t o rc y c l e c o m m u n i t y a n d i t s importance to public land-use decisions. We got together to ensure single-track, off-road motorcycle enthusiasts in the Calgary/Kananaskis-Country region weren’t left off the provincial land-use map. Five years later and that same provincial government is now donating equipment to our club so we can refurbish it and use it to help build a sustainable trail network on public land. Safe to say we’ve come a long way in a relatively short time. Our club’s sharp-eyed Trail Maintenance Director, Aaron Bauer, was aware of a unique piece of trail-building equipment silently rusting away at Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation’s Sheep River compound. The machine he sought was their Morrison Trailblazer, a machine built specifically for constructing single-track trails in hard-to-reach places. This particular machine, among other things, was pivotal in the construction of Barwell Trail at McLean Creek Forest Land Use Zone in the 1980s. After enquiring about the status of TPR’s Trailblazer, Bauer was informed the club could have the aging, moribund machine to refurbish and use. We picked it up in July.
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The Trailblazer File WHAT: A small, tracked machine weighing approximately 2,000 pounds capable of making trails as narrow as 28 inches. INTENDED USE: Trail-building and maintenance. The machine is perfect for building and maintaining sustainable single-track trails. Side cuts, water bars, drainage areas; the Trailblazer is specifically-designed for this kind of work. WHERE: Most likely the Fallen Timber Trail at Ghost/Waiparous and certain heavy-use trails at McLean Creek in need of maintenance. WHY: To build and maintain sustainable, top-notch trails for single-track offroad motorcycle/outdoors enthusiasts. FOR MORE INFO: Visit www.rockymountaindirtriders.com or the RMDRA’s Morrison Trailblazer Facebook page.
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Bauer now has that machine, and another working one he sourced to a farm in Lacombe, in his workshop. The working machine, which belongs to Bauer, provides an excellent template for rebuilding the club’s machine. A Professional Engineer by trade, Bauer’s shop has a variety of welding, f a b r i c a t i n g a n d a s s e m b l y t o o l s h e ’s employing to complete the job. Other club members have contributed by donating time, money and their skills to the project. Donated painting, sand-blasting and discount parts sourcing have all been pivotal to the success of this project, which comes with a price tag of around $10,000 before the volunteer labour is even counted in. Bauer plans to have the machine ready to roll in time for the spring 2011 trailbuilding/maintenance season.
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*Land-access bulletins* LAND ADVOCACY: WHY WE BECAME INVOLVED Many of us live in a busy, confined urban space like Calgary. In this densely-populated area we have successfully carved out safe, proprietary “trails” for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. We’ve also constructed a relevant, usable set of rules for interaction in the areas where these three user groups cross paths. Yet, when we get out of this confined urban space and into the vast expanse of the great outdoors, we appear confused when it comes to sharing this huge area in the way we successfully share a much smaller, far busier space. That, in a nutshell, is why the RMDRA has taken an active role in helping plan and deliver a land-use framework that works for everyone. If it can work for vastly different user groups in a crowded urban environment, surely we can do the same for user groups in Alberta’s great outdoors. Right?
Jacques (from left), Jamie and Scott take a break during a trail-work day at Fallen Timber.
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Pack out what you pack in. Leave it better than you found it.
South Sask. Regional Plan FROM LAND-USE ALBERTA WEBSITE Results from a Government of Alberta survey regarding a Land-Use Framework for the South Saskatchewan Region are available for viewing at LANDUSE.ALBERTA.CA Page 8 of the Public-Input Summary is likely of most interest to off-road/ recreation enthusiasts, but be sure to read the whole summary. It’s important. Here’s a snapshot of the survey results for our region: • Representatives of off-highway vehicle (OHV) users had strong concerns about the SSRP limiting responsible OHV use on public lands, access to which, they said, is often already blocked by private landowners. • Some users called for the creation of designated areas and trails for OHV and snowmobile use, and a few indicated a willingness to pay in order to retain access. • Other participants expressed general concerns about the impacts of OHV use, calling for access to be restricted in sensitive areas such as Castle Mountain and the Eastern Slopes. Several people suggested that competing interests can only be
resolved through an integrated regional access and trail plan for OHV and other backcountry uses. Answers to other questions and comments related to public lands included: • Unless the SSRP provides specific direction, the current policy for access to public lands, including access for grazing, will continue. • Both motorized and non-motorized recreation will be considered through the development of the SSRP. Some limits to recreational use may be considered in the management of future protected areas. • The plan will also encourage recreational development in some areas in the region. • The plan may address random camping. Recent changes to the Public Lands Act and Forests Act will provide additional mechanisms for enforcement. • The SSRP can facilitate connectivity of recreational trails between various communities. To stay up to date with the RMDRA’s take on the issue and where we stand in the process, be sure to visit the Land Advocacy Forum at RMDRA.COM
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THE PRIVILEGE OF RIDING WHERE WE DO
The process
All outdoors enthusiasts are out here for the same reason
“harmful” or “environmentally insensitive.” This misunderstanding contributed to the recent shelving of Bill 29 which, It’s the call of the wild. among other things, would have allowed You spend your week slugging it out in the urban jungle so you can enjoy groups like the RMDRA to administer, what the Eastern Slopes, Kananaskis regulate, educate participants and fund Country, the Badlands, or any other sustainable trail-building/maintenance efforts on public land. outdoors area Alberta has to offer. These special-interest groups were It’s your reward for working hard able to sway government, in part, Monday to Friday. The Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders because they convinced legislators ORM understand this and are grateful for the operators don’t respect the environment. As far as the RMDRA is concerned, opportunity to ride responsibly on public that is not true. land. It’s why we’re so dedicated to building and maintaining Unfortunately, there are some Want to sustainable trails for our ORM operators who disregard c h o s e n o u t d o o r a c t i v i t y. the rules and still lend some ride credibility to the argument we Anyone who had the good responsibly? don’t belong out here. fortune of working and riding Join us It’s those people we’re trying to on the Fallen Timber Trail in reach. It’s those people we’re 2010 knows this. After being off limits to single-track trying to educate (see our Rider’s Code riding since 2005, RMDRA members, on Page 4). It’s those people we’re trying Alberta Off-Highway Vehicle Association to enlist and engage in the process to (AOHVA) members, and members of ensure legislators and environmental other Calgary off-road motorcycle (ORM) g r o u p s u n d e r s t a n d w e v i e w o u r clubs all participated in re-opening the recreation in the outdoors as a privilege, Fallen Timber Trail in the Ghost/ not a right. Moving forward, we will continue to Waiparous Forest Land Use Zone. To g e t h e r w e s p e n t t h o u s a n d s o f advocate for responsible riding on public volunteer hours and thousands of dollars lands. We will continue to build and clearing this trail and building/installing maintain sustainable trails. We will continue to educate riders. We will valuable bridges and infrastructure. Why? Because single-track riding in continue to not just advocate, but this area located about 100 kilometres actually show how it’s done. west of Calgary is world-class. It takes a We will continue to show those who lot of hard work and dedication to build, feel we don’t belong out here that we really do belong and that our maintain and ride these trails properly. But there are those who feel we participation is helpful, not harmful. Feel free to join the RMDRA out on aren’t doing enough, or that we don’t belong out here because our activity is the trail and see for yourself.
RMDRA NEWS
Off-road riding is not “illegal” One of the common misperceptions people have of off-road motorcycling is that it’s an “illegal” activity in Alberta. That couldn’t be further from the truth. What is true, however, is it can be illegal if ORM operators are riding on private land without permission or in parks and protected areas. The RMDRA has worked tirelessly to educate riders on the proper places to ride while lobbying to increase the amount of designated single-track trails on which we can ride responsibly. Our most recent and ongoing initiative in that regard involves the proposed White Ribbon (formerly Bar-C) Trail in the Ghost/Waiparous Forest Land Use Zone. More than two years of negotiations with Ghost Stewardship Management Group (GSMG) stakeholders has led to revised trail proposals we hope will gain acceptance. The most recent GSMG decision on our latest proposal came Dec. 21, and stakeholders sought still more consultations. So we’ll continue working on the White Ribbon Trail proposal and go back to the table in March for the next GSMG meeting. We remain committed to the process to ensure everyone understands the RMDRA is determined to make this happen.
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RIGHT: Riders launch off the start line at Fallen Timber in the Ghost/ Waiparous Forest Land Use Zone.
THE 2010 DIRTY MOOSE
BELOW: RMDRA’s Dave “Dirtyboy” Sheridan shows textbook form in the Log Garden en route to winning the Plus-40 A event. BOTTOM: Racers gather for the start.
RMDRA’s annual race showcases high-skills riders With all the riding going on over the summer, it’s hard to believe we find time to put on a race. But we do. Race Director Sean Brenan and a healthy dose of club volunteers come together to throw an event that has racers aged 8 to 58 applying their
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considerable skills on some of the most technical and demanding terrain our club’s trail designers can throw at them. The result is a weekend-long spectacle at Fallen Timber worthy of the hundreds of racers who take part. The Alberta Dirt Riders Association-
sanctioned event draws the top offroad motorcycle racers in the province in categories ranging from kids, to women to novice, to pro/expert and veteran. Visit the race forum at RMDRA.COM for all your off-road motorcycle racing info.
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THE 2010 DIRTY MOOSE
SCALING THOSE LOGS
Life at the Log Garden: Never a dull moment
the Juniors, Beginners and Ladies A, who’d do several 12-km laps over 2 hours on their loop, would have to hit it multiple times. Just nasty. “I’ve got the perfect assignment for you,” Race Director Sean Brenan But at least the logs were dry. And the asserted as I wandered into view to assist group of youngsters spectating at the Log with the RMDRA’s 2010 Dirty Moose Garden, some who’d raced the previous Cross-Country off-road motorcycle race day and said it was “Awesome!”, were a riot and made for a very entertaining at Fallen Timber in the Ghost/ day. Waiparous Forest Land Use Zone. The Junior racers were first “Go to those logs over The through my station. I was there and make sure all the RMDRA’s 2011 bracing for a long day of riders go over them. They’re helping people hoist their Dirty Moose Hare not allowed to go around. If they don’t ride over them, Scramble goes Aug. machines off this sketchy or at least try riding over wood pile. 20-21 at Fallen them, they’re disqualified.” Turns out I would be totally Timber With that assignment mistaken. Rider after rider scaled those clearly defined, after Sean had logs and rode off the other side sent the various classes of racers exploding off the start line and into the without so much as a hiccup. Of every racer to hit the Log Garden bush, I headed over to the three very large logs he’d spent the previous night figuring that day, fewer than 10 would need help getting over or around the obstacle. out how to incorporate into the race. Until now I hadn’t pegged Sean as a Only one, a Junior racer, would really cruel man, but one look at those logs rail himself on it. He flew over the logs, made me wince. I immediately thought of landed on his bars and injured his wrist. guys exiting the woods after riding 50 But he got up and rode away. True grit! It was a testament to the gruelling kilometres; arms sapped of all strength, legs limp and wills all but skill level and determination of the riders crushed -- only to face this mountain of competing, making the 2010 Dirty Moose -round wood just before the finish line. And a truly epic event.!
The approach Line them up square and unload the front suspension completely, or even get that front wheel off the ground. Keep enough momentum to carry your rear wheel up.
The carry Once up, stay square and carry your momentum across without too much throttle.
The exit Lean back. Let gravity and momentum do the rest. No front brake! The Log Garden Peanut Gallery was as entertaining as the race.
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2011 calgary bike show extra
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RIDER PROFILE: JOE FRANKLIN
Life’s really just one big blur to Joe
The lowdown on our new Guided Rides Director Name
Rides
Favourite tire
Dream ride
Joe Franklin “Giant Joe”
Suzuki DRZ400s
Kenda Trackmaster 2
First Rode
Favourite machine
A Honda Trail 50 in the alley behind his buddy’s house
Current bike
BMW GS450x (Did we mention Joe’s a dualsport enthusiast?)
Game Guided Rides Director Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders
Joined RMDRA In 2010
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Places he rides McLean Creek and on the street(dualsport)
Currently on the iPod LCD Sound System, Beck, Ministry, Dead Kennedys, Beastie Boys
2011 calgary bike show extra
When he’s not riding he’s Breaking stuff with the intent of making it better
rmdra news
January
2011
Getting back on the Fallen Timber Trail in 2010 was just reward for all our hard work
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT US The RMDRA doesn’t ride alone. We don’t accomplish all the things we do without the help and guidance of groups like: • The Alberta Off-Highway Vehicle Association (AOHVA) • Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) • Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (TPR)
rmdra news
• Ghost Stewardship Management Group (GSMG) • Kananaskis Trail Advisory Group (KTAG) • The Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV) • The Alberta Dirt Riders Association (ADRA) • Canadian Motosport Racing Association (CMRC) • Bow River Basin Council (BRBC)
2011 calgary bike show extra
RMDRA NEWS designed, assembled, written and edited by club V-P Brendan Nagle. All material, except that credited to outside sources, is property of the RMDRA. Reproduction and redistribution of our stuff without our permission is prohibited.
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