In Other News

Derkderkall said:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ro...of-death-final-show-farewell-tour-919985/amp/

The end of an era.
The metal world is now lacking..
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Saw them in '85 at Chuck Laddis Country Club. Instantly became my favorite band. Didn't really care for the lyrical content but the high energy guitars reeled me in. Learned how to play most of their early stuff on guitar. Just wow! Have jacket with autographs from the original four. Saw Tom at a Tower Records, he personally screamed in my face, what an honor! R.I.P. Jeff. Can't believe they're hanging it up.:(
 
A bit of a shakeup could be coming to trails around Durango as land managers try to balance recreation and wildlife.

https://durangoherald.com/articles/...e-areas-to-mountain-bikes-to-protect-wildlife


I've never been, so I'm not familiar with the areas mentioned... Mike V., our favorite trail psycho, also commented with a follow up letter. As he does on every mountain bike article on the planet. That guy is not right.
 
Faust29 said:
A bit of a shakeup could be coming to trails around Durango as land managers try to balance recreation and wildlife
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I wish there was a requirement that someone in the BLM had to at least participate in the uses that they are regulating. I bike, trail run, and hike (but do not ride horses). I think that gives me a broad perspective about what's going on on the trails. I get frustrated when I think that many of these BLM employees sit behind desks, or in the best cases, ride 4WD pickups on truck trails as their only interaction with the trails.
 
BonsaiNut said:
I wish there was a requirement that someone in the BLM had to at least participate in the uses that they are regulating. I bike, trail run, and hike (but do not ride horses). I think that gives me a broad perspective about what's going on on the trails. I get frustrated when I think that many of these BLM employees sit behind desks, or in the best cases, ride 4WD pickups on truck trails as their only interaction with the trails.
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You can find that same behavior a lot closer... A couple years ago I rode in O'Neill. I remember being surprised that it was open, as it was only a day or two after a decent rain. It was a mud pit, and I ended up walking on the side of Live Oak, because I didn't want to leave 6 inch ruts. I stopped and talked to the ranger at the entrance, and told him how bad it was. He said that they just took a guess about the conditions, because the truck wasn't available to drive up there and see... :confused::facepalm:
 
BonsaiNut said:
I wish there was a requirement that someone in the BLM had to at least participate in the uses that they are regulating. I bike, trail run, and hike (but do not ride horses). I think that gives me a broad perspective about what's going on on the trails. I get frustrated when I think that many of these BLM employees sit behind desks, or in the best cases, ride 4WD pickups on truck trails as their only interaction with the trails.
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Do you graze, migrate, lamb, pack on pounds and take refuge to survive the winter months? A broad perspective?
 
DangerDirtyD said:
Do you graze, migrate, lamb, pack on pounds and take refuge to survive the winter months? A broad perspective?
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I've visited the elk refuge outside of Jackson. Does that count? :) Joking aside - they had to create the elk refuge because Jackson (and development in general) disrupted the traditional seasonal migration of the elk in south Yellowstone. The elk are wild... but they overwinter in the refuge where they are fed so they don't starve. In the summer, the Boy Scouts go out and collect the antlers, and they are sold at auction to raise money - 75% goes to the elk refuge, 25% goes to the local scouts.

Jackson Hole Elkfest

boy-scout-antler-auction-jackson-hole-1280x384.jpg
 
Faust29 said:
A bit of a shakeup could be coming to trails around Durango as land managers try to balance recreation and wildlife.

https://durangoherald.com/articles/...e-areas-to-mountain-bikes-to-protect-wildlife


I've never been, so I'm not familiar with the areas mentioned... Mike V., our favorite trail psycho, also commented with a follow up letter. As he does on every mountain bike article on the planet. That guy is not right.
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I have mountain biked in around Durango/Cortez/SW Colorado (and hike a little bit) every year since 1999 and have never once seen an elk on any of the trails. I've ridden on Animas City Mountain trails but not the others they mention. Interesting that they mention deer as well which I see every trip and even lying next to stop signs in town, oblivious to cars driving by 5 feet away....but mountain bikes bother them? I was just there during hunting season this year and was reading the reports on how many deer were harvested the past few years and the numbers were amazingly steady. The hunting locals do say that the elk numbers are down but they say they've been staying higher and going elsewhere due to the warmer winters the area has been having the last few years. Last year was a weather exception and they're hoping for a repeat of that weather to attract more elk. Interesting enough, I was riding in Montrose last year during hunting season and I saw elk all over the place....on the hoods and in pick up beds of all the hunters.
 
mtbMike said:
I have mountain biked in around Durango/Cortez/SW Colorado (and hike a little bit) every year since 1999 and have never once seen an elk on any of the trails.
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In Gardiner, MT, they are EVERYWHERE and are almost tame. In fact, they have to put up signs to tell people to stay back, because some tourists think they are domestic animals :) There were so many in a field right next to the road, that my wife swore it was an elk farm (truly 100's). We asked our BNB host about them and she laughed "Elk farm?! No... that is a SOD farm. Even with 8' fence around it, the elk jump the fence and munch on delicious sod all day long!" They have to put fences around young trees in many areas to keep them from getting eaten up by the elk!

elk1.jpg

elk2.jpg
 
SnakeCharmer said:
I just heard on the News that a Mountain Lion attacked two dogs last night in Simi Valley. One of the two dogs did not survive. The attack happened on Evening Sky Dr which is where the access is for some of the riding in the area. Watch out @UPSed!
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A local videotaped a mountain lion just casually walking down the street a few nights ago. I'm surprised it's still in the area.
 
If you guys are on Facebook, check out "Jerry Springer". He used to go by "CanyonCam", but Facebook made him change to his real name after some wacko on the east coast complained.

Ed will be familiar with the Arroyo in O'Neill from the Rwanda Ride. He has cameras set up along the creek and in some of the smaller canyons. His footage is pretty incredible.
 
Runs with Scissors said:
I simply must convince the wife that a fake - I mean "artificial" - Christmas tree is the way to go.

Got the usual 7-foot Noble Fir and it was $90. :eek:
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Years ago we got a 8 ft prelit fake tree and it was cool. Then our cats got to it.
We went without a tree for about 7 years
My wife just bought a 7 ft fake tree. We are going to put it up tomorrow.
We'll see how it goes with three cats and two dogs
 
Runs with Scissors said:
I simply must convince the wife that a fake - I mean "artificial" - Christmas tree is the way to go.

Got the usual 7-foot Noble Fir and it was $90. :eek:
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When I was in the Army in Germany one Christmas, I convinced my roommate we needed a Christmas tree. So... we went out into the forest behind our barracks, and dug one up with our entrenching tools and stuck it in a small garbage can. Over the weeks we decorated it as best we could, kept it watered, and placed a few presents under the tree. We got a few cassette tapes of Christmas music, and even bought some eggnog (which my roommate had never tried) and cookies for Christmas Day. Meanwhile all our buddies opened their gifts on the day they received them from home.

On Christmas Eve we got a terrorist alert, and we had to go on emergency duty all night. As we were getting off duty at 8am, our NCO came to tell us that due to security threats against US military bases, we were restricted to barracks all day - and no alcohol. We turned our weapons in at the armory, and as we were walking back to the barracks I overheard a couple of guys talking. "What are you going to do today?" "I'm going to Peterson's room - he's having a Christmas party".

Now I didn't plan a party... but that's how it turned out. Everyone showed up because they had nowhere else to go, and before we knew it, we were handing out Christmas cookies and shot glasses of eggnog, and we listened to Christmas music and talked about family, and they sat and celebrated with us as Bruce and I opened our gifts.

I have been fortunate to have celebrated over 50 Christmases... but that one was the most memorable.

After Christmas we took the tree back out into the woods and put it back in the ground as carefully as possible. It was still very much alive when I left Europe. It gladdens my heart to think it is still there - but now is 40' tall :)
 
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BonsaiNut said:
When I was in the Army in Germany one Christmas, I convinced my roommate we needed a Christmas tree. So... we went out into the forest behind our barracks, and dug one up with our entrenching tools and stuck it in a small garbage can. Over the weeks we decorated it as best we could, kept it watered, and placed a few presents under the tree. Meanwhile all our buddies opened their gifts on the day they received them from home. We got a few cassette tapes of Christmas music, and even bought some eggnog (which my roommate had never tried) and cookies for Christmas Day.

On Christmas Eve we got a terrorist alert, and we had to go on emergency duty all night. As we were getting off duty at 8am, our NCO came to tell us that due to security threats against US military bases, we were restricted to barracks all day - and no alcohol. We turned our weapons in at the armory, and as we were walking back to the barracks I overheard a couple of guys talking. "What are you going to do today?" "I'm going to Peterson's room - he's having a Christmas party".

Now I didn't plan a party... but that's how it turned out. Everyone showed up because they had nowhere else to go, and before we knew it, we were handing out Christmas cookies and shot glasses of eggnog, and we listened to Christmas music and talked about family, and they sat and celebrated with us as Bruce and I opened our gifts.

I have been fortunate to have celebrated over 50 Christmases... but that one was the most memorable.

After Christmas we took the tree back out into the woods and put it back in the ground as carefully as possible. It was still very much alive when I left Europe. It gladdens my heart to think it is still there - but now is 40' tall :)
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Wow, thanks for sharing that. :)
 
Rumpled said:
Years ago we got a 8 ft prelit fake tree and it was cool. Then our cats got to it.
We went without a tree for about 7 years
My wife just bought a 7 ft fake tree. We are going to put it up tomorrow.
We'll see how it goes with three cats and two dogs
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With any luck at all, your pets will have a great time. Money well spent!!!!!! :mad::inlove:

RWS: Wife’s dog???? That doesn’t sound like an amicable relationship...with the dog. :geek:
 
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