News

New Bike Trails in Marin?

State Parks in Marin is responding to the request from Bicycle Trails Council of Marin and Access for Bikes (A4B) to open four  new routes to multi-use access. This proposal has been in the works for a long time, and local advocates have spent many hours working on this proposal.

The four routes are, Easy Grade Trail &  McKennan Gulch Fire Road in Mt. Tamalpais S.P.,  Bill's Trail in Samuel P. Taylor S.P. & Mount Burdell Trail in Olompali State Historical Park. State Parks staff are conducting individual evaluations for each route, to determine what actions are necessary to bring the trails up to multi-use standards, per their requirements.  These routes will all require different work to become multi use, including some minor reroutes and signage.  Local media has reported on the news here:

http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_7347039?_requestid=4373360

TAMARANCHO TRAIL NEWS- Mountain Lion Sigted In Camp

A report of a mountain lion sighting in camp was forwarded to us from the Marin Boy Scouts office recently. There has been scattered reports of mountain lions in and around camp for years, so this is no surprise.  One frequent rider even claims to have regular sightings of one particular cat, which he has even named.

There are no known attacks in the Bay Area, but California does have known attacks and incidents. It bears repeating that we are in their territory, and precautions are in order.
 Riding alone is always a bad idea, but doing so at dusk and dawn increases the risk of disturbing a lion during its time “on the prowl”. Remember, night time access to Tamarancho is forbidden.

The department of Fish and Game has information available regarding what to do when encountering mountain lions. 

Among the warnings are:
Never approach a mountain lion.
Never run from an advancing mountain lion.
Face any mountain lion, and use your arms, bike and any other items to increase your apparent size and stature to the cat.
Wave your arms and use your voice to warn the cat off, throwing objects if necessary.
Fight off any attack; surrender does not stop mountain lion aggression.

Go to the Fish and Game web site for more info:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html

MCOSD News
By Nick Cedar

Controversy has erupted in Marin recently over the use of the Split Rock trail above Fairfax.

The trail, which was allegedly built years ago by cyclists, has created controversy from the beginning.

In recent years, the MCOSD has recognized its portion of the Split Rock trail, allowing it to become part of the trail system in the Cascade Canyon Open Space Preserve.  However, the upper portions of the trail are under the MMWD jurisdiction.  MMWD has held firm on their ban of bikes on trails.

Recently, some users discovered fencing and other objects which county workers placed to block access to an entrance trail, known as “Cat Creek”.  This isn't the first time the county has tried to close this route. Evidently these blockages were quickly tampered with, and left in a dangerous configuration.

Subsequently, persons using the route were alarmed to find seemingly “deadly traps” on the trail. The resulting storm of controversy has led to lots of media attention regarding bike access to Open Space trails and MMWD trails.

BTCM does not, in any way, condone the building or use of unsanctioned trails on public or private property.  As well, BTCM does not condone the placement of barriers or objects that would in any way cause injury to a trail user, regardless of the trails legal status.

BTCM will continue its advocacy efforts with MCOSD and MMWD to allow more trails to be opened to bikes. We urge all cyclists using these lands to observe the regulations in place, and keep abreast of access issues as they develop.  BTCM is working hard within the system to make more trails open, and stay open.

State Parks News:
China Camp, Anadel, and the  Bike Patrol
by Nick Cedar

Bicycle access to trails in State Parks has been getting a lot of attention recently on both sides of the issue.  Locally, China Camp , which allows trails access to bikes, has seen a steady  increase in use by bikes, proving that bikes can safely use multi use trails on public land.

The unintended consequence of this, is that most users have been crowded in to this and a few other areas, making user conflict and trail  issues arise.

BTCM and Access 4 Bikes has recently staged information outposts at China Camp to educate the cycling public about basic rules of the trail, and to help users coexist in the popular park. While the program was successful, more needs to be done.

Meanwhile, Tom Ward of IMBA-California has been spearheading the effort to start a Mountain Bike Patrol program, which would allow an ongoing public information and assistance program for all park users, but especially cyclists. According to Tom land managers are requesting such a program.

The Mountain Bike Patrol program is designed to assist park staff , by educating and assisting all trail users. It is an opportunity we cannot ignore in our efforts to keep and increase access to state park lands, as well as other public lands.

We are looking for individuals to be part of this patrol. If you are interested, please contact Tom Ward at  tom@imba.com

BTC Marin is working hard on the addition of some key trails in the State Parks in Marin to cyclists. Now is the time for you to help BTCM and IMBA secure our access to current and future trails.

Go to IMBA.org and BTCMarin.org for information on the Mountain Bike Patrol Program.

BTCM Celebrates 20 Years of Progress for Mountain Bikers
by Nick Cedar

In the early days, the headlines kept coming: Get Bikers Off Mount Tam (SF Chron)  MMWD May Impound Bikes (IJ), Bikers & Hikers Can’t Coexist (SF Chron), Bike Booby Trap Found on Mt Tam.(IJ) . Many more would follow.

It wasn’t long ago, that off road cycling in Marin  and elsewhere, was under intense pressure to just go away.  Before the X Games, suspension and  doping scandals,  mountain bikers were on the verge of being shut out. What had started as good clean ( and dirty) fun was beginning to get complicated.

Land managers in Marin were determined to stem the rising popularity of mountain biking on public lands by limiting or eliminating access to public lands.  It was a small group of forward thinking cyclists who were determined to stop the rules from going too far.

Those founding members of the Bicycles Trails Council, both in Marin and the East Bay, were at the start of something that would become much bigger. Bike patrols were started, meetings were attended, politicians were lobbied, and land managers were constantly being contacted by the newly founded BTC to come up with sound policy for bikes.  The Marin Municipal Water District threatened to ban bikes outright from its lands.  BTC Marin reacted to the MMWD threats with a major campaign for public awareness. Dedicated volunteers from the newly formed organization staged barricades on Railroad Grade, multiple locations on the fire road, to contact and warn cyclists that what the MMWD wanted was to shut down all roads  to bikes, forever! The campaign entailed over a thousand hours of volunteer time, but it kept the agency from committing a huge over reaction.

Meanwhile, more advocacy groups would form around the Bay Area and the nation, and ultimately would lead to the formation of IMBA.  While IMBA gained size and strength, the local issues in Marin kept a steady volume.  With more than five land management agencies overseeing thousands of acres of land, BTC Marin had a daunting task.  BTCM formed its guidelines for cyclists, outlining proper conduct for disciples of the new activity.  Later, these guidelines would become the core of IMBA trail rules.

The next major closures were proposed by the GGNRA.  The BTCM would mount a huge effort, all the way to the federal courtroom, to fight these closures, sadly without success. But the lessons learned were valuable, and since then, BTCM has taken the fight for access to all the agencies in Marin with steady success.

The local media, trying stir up paper sales, would beat a steady drum of conflict between bikers, hikers and equestrians. In reality, behind the scenes, a small but vocal minority of  anti bike zealots were using hyperbolic claims to try and poison the public against sharing public lands. Bike opponents had kept land managers under their spell, and bikes got pushed into fewer and fewer areas.

However, across the country and in Marin, off road cycling was becoming hugely popular, even gaining  an event in the Olympics. Marin residents would go on to compete in the games, and bring back both medals and legitimacy to the sport that began in the local hills.   

BTC Marin dug in, literally, and started building new trails in China Camp, and Tamarancho.  Cooperative projects were started with State Parks, MCOSD and other agencies. Little by little, BTCM has nudged land managers into seeing the big picture, and to stop listening to a minority of hard line zealots.

So looking back, what has changed? Well the media  is still at its old tricks, fluffing up stories of conflict and strife, hoping to sell papers with controversy.  The people who hate bikes still hate bikes and always will. But the slow and steady progress made by the BTCM has resulted in more and more roads and trails open to all users in Marin. With the formation of IMBA, trails are now open to bikes across the county, on public and private land. Local advocacy pioneer Michael Kelly would even enter the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

Locally, Tamarancho has become a shining example of how to build and maintain bike trails.
The fight goes on, but success is sweet, and leaves a legacy of fair access for all lovers of the outdoors. 

Riders today owe a huge debt of gratitude to the hard working volunteers who led the charge against discrimination to bikers on public lands. Without their forward thinking, we’d all be left with a lot fewer places to ride.

Free Meals at BTC Marin Meetings
BTC Marin is offering free meals to any attendees at our monthly meetings. We'd like to reward your participation in local advocacy efforts with full belly.  BTC Marin meets the FIRST THURSDAY of every month, at Iron Springs Brewpub, 765 Center Blvd, in Fairfax. Meetings start at 6:30 PM. Check the Events link for actual dates.

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