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02/25/2012 - 9:00am
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02/18/2012 - 11:00am
Think Before You Dig!
No new trail building allowed at WhyPass
DOD’ers, with our legitimacy and our use of public lands comes responsibility. We have a responsibility to be good trail stewards—as individuals and as a club. There has been some new, unapproved, trail building at WhyPass since we signed our Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) last spring. It’s unfortunate and should not have occurred at all. The DOD entered into the MOU with the BLM last spring to formalize our work and our efforts, and it gave us a legitimate ability to ride the trails we have built at WhyPass. It ensures that if we play by the rules, we will have WhyPass as a resource for a long time. The most important rules we have there are that we maintain the trails properly and that we do not build new trails without BLM/Land Manager approval. That day will come when we get the green light, it will, but it isn’t here yet. We’ve built a good reputation with the BLM; there’s respect and appreciation there... that didn’t happen overnight and we’ll have to work hard to keep it, so...
Resist the urge: do not, under any circumstances, build new trails, lines or routes at WhyPass or anyplace, without Land Manager approval... period.
150 Riders Show Up for All Comer's Meet in the Snow
This year’s All Comer’s Meet was unreal. It is hard to beat riding bikes with your friends on a bluebird day with snow in the trees and hero dirt on the ground after a full week without rain. Over 150 people showed up to make this the best attended ACM ever. Read More...
Proposed Ridgeline/Baldy Connector Trail
Mountain bikers in Eugene to get a new section of trail
The Eugene Parks Foundation, with its subsidiary Friends of the Ridgeline, has joined an alliance with the Disciples of Dirt, the Obsidians, and the Parks and Open Space Department of the City of Eugene to realize a missing link segment of the Ridgeline Trail System that will eliminate the need to ride on Dillard Road when connecting the Headwaters/Fox Hollow sections of trail to the Mt. Baldy trail. This new half mile segment of trail will become even more critical in the future with eventual development of trails and park facilities in Suzanne Arlie Park east of Baldy and further connection to Mt. Pisgah.
The general location of the proposed trail (shown in blue on the map below) will be a multi-use trail, perhaps with separation of biking and hiking uses where possible. Exact specifications will be completed this year, leading to a proposal to the State of Oregon Recreation Trail grant program. The City of Eugene and other members of the alliance will raise matching funds and in-kind donations to demonstrate community participation in trail completion.
Construction of the trail segment is anticipated for the summer of 2013 with volunteers from the DOD to complete a large part of the trailwork. Stay tuned for updates.
Online Magazine Features WhyPass
The University of Oregon student e-zine Flux spent some time getting grimy and dirty with us last year to see what makes us tick—what turns our cranks as it were. Why do we spend our time in the dirt, digging, shaping, grinding, sweating... smiling? Flux asked those questions and we did our mountain biker best to avoid directly answering their queries and keep our eyes on the singletrack ahead. ‘Cuz crashing sucks.
Read more at fluxstories.com.
High School Work Party and Ride
The Cottage Grove High School Mountain Bike team announced their presence and intentions with authority early on in the trail work season at WhyPass. They showed on a cold and blustery fall day with promises of hard work and improved trails. They didn’t disappoint on either account. The team made the reopening of HE possible in just one day’s work. What looked like a lost cause due to a clear cut was a riding success by day’s end. These young mountain bikers bring enthusiasm, hard work and a great spirit to the trails.
Christmas Toy Drive
We continued our tradition of gathering and donating toys to the Jasper Mountain program this year. This marked our fourth year and the pile of toys gets bigger every year! Many thanks are owed to many Disciples for giving yet again. We have to remember there’s life outside of mountain bikes and the latest shiny bit to hang on our whips ... and Disciples, you do a good thing every year. The Jasper Mt. Staff were very excited as always and one of the managers was heard saying “They remembered us again! They rock!” You do rock DOD ... you do!
—Brock
