1ST TUESDAY REMINDER….this Tuesday 10/2 at El Fenix in Grapevine…7PM. 

Second item: Texas is a great place to live…unless you are a ADV/DS rider! The lack of public lands available to ride on…means traveling to other states for some great rides. We travel to Arkansas, New Mexico, and Colorado! Each of these states has great riding, but Colorado has always been closest to my heart. I’ve liked it up there so much that I bought property in the Pike’s Peak area 10 years ago. There is nothing better than going out to your bike early on a July morning…and having to wipe the frost off the seat! 

Great forest service roads, great two-track and single-track rides all over the state! Unfortunately, there are always certain people, their groups, and their politicians trying to prevent us from enjoying the use of public lands on our bikes. It’s not just bikers who are targeted…Jeepers, 4-wheelers, and all types of OHVs are continually targeted by folks who think the forest belongs only to hikers!

This past summer, Bill led a group of riders up north, and spoke with a local (Tom) who gave him lots of great advice on trails. After his ride, Tom asked Bill to let his Texas friends know of the continuous legal struggles that the locals are fighting to maintain access to their trails. He asked us all to consider donations to help finance the fight. I know that you are constantly bombarded with donation requests…especially during an election year. However, many of us do benefit from the hard work that these Colorado organizations do year around to keep trails available to us. 

There are several organizations throughout the state to consider. Since I am a Colorado property owner, I am a member in the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO). As a member, I receive email postal updates on various legal proceedings throughout the state. Their website is: www.cohvco.org. 

Tom has his own organization, the Public Access Preservation Assn, which advocates for trail access in the Silverton/Ouray area. His site is: www.papatelluride.org. Even though Tom has PAPA, he actually recommended the Colorado Trails Preservation Alliance, as a good organization if you are considering a donation. Their website is: www.coloradotpa.org. 

I’m sure there are still other organizations working to maintain access to the trails, not only in Colorado, but also in Arkansas, New Mexico, and probably any other state with public lands. I know that even here in Texas, there have been fights over access to the Sam Houston National Forest, and also down in Austin, at the Enma Long Park. There are always people attempting to remove you from the trail systems! 

Please consider helping out if you can. You don’t have to actually join any of these groups, they will be happy to take a one-time donation of any size. I’m pretty sure each of their websites have a donation tab. If you have $10 or $20 you can part with…it can do wonders in their legal battles…and the benefits will come back to you many times over when you get to ride on trails with simply gorgeous scenery. 

Hope to see you guys on Tuesday.

Travis P.
PS: I’m working Tuesday…scheduled to be in at 6PM, so I might be a little late. If anything goes wrong & I don’t make it in…have a margarita in my honor!