Contents
Opening page
Editorial Staff
Introduction
Club and General News
Warrior's Racing
Access Updates
Featured Stories:
Triumph and Tragedy on
Liberty Ridge
Why I Love Mountain Biking
Between Spring Rains
The Biscuit Fire
All in a Day's Ride
Guest Commentary
Nature vs. Politics:
Greenpeace is Wrong
to Oppose Logging.
Commentary
The Price of Freedom
Closing Thoughts
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Club and General News continued
Rim of the World Trail Update
In a previous access alert we asked you to contact the supervisor for San Bernardino National Forest, Mr.
Zimmerman, and express your support and encourage action in the building of the Rim of the World Trail, which
would run from Lake Silverwood to Big Bear. We recently received a response from the Forest Service in regard to
our request:
Thank you for your June 18, 2003, letter concerning the proposed Rim of the World Trail on the San Bernardino
National Forest.
We appreciate your concern for accomplishing the Rim of the World Trail project. The Forest staff has proceeded
with project planning and coordination with other affected entities. Forest Supervisor Zimmerman recently
solidified additional coordination and we believe the project will proceed in a timely manner. If you have further
questions or concerns, we recommend contacting Mr. Zimmerman or his staff in San Bernardino at 909-383-5588.
Thank you for your interest in the management of the national forests.
Sincerely,
David G. Holland
Director, Recreation Heritage and Wilderness Resources
Our San Bernardino representative Jerry Henderson will continue to monitor the construction of the Rim of the
World Trail, and we will keep you updated as the work progresses and may call upon you to respond if delays in the
construction occur.
Trail Sign Installation in Wilderness
We finished off our last trail work event of our 2002-2003 season installing trail signs in the San Mateo
Wilderness. It was a beautiful spring day; a perfect day to be outside enjoying what nature has to offer. The
wildflowers were in bloom, and recent rains seemed to bring out all the beauty of the area, a rush of sights and
smells that delighted the senses.
Tom and Linda Marshall of the Del Sol Unit of the BackCountry Horsemen assisted us with the trail work. This was
the first time we worked with the BackCountry Horsemen doing trail work, but not the first time we've collaborated
together. We've worked closely on legislative issues with two members of the BCH, Kathleen Hayden and Candace
Ricks-Oathout, who is a good friend, advisor and Utah representative for the Warrior's Society.
I gained a better understanding from Tom and Linda of what it takes to ride a horse into the backcountry. I
thought that feeding their horses in the backcountry was easy; you just let them eat what ever they find. Tom
explained that is not the case. There is not enough edible vegetation for the horses to survive in most cases, and
most of their food is carried in. Each horse eats 10 pounds of feed every day. They're range is limited by the
amount of food that they pack with them. Tom and Linda also had pairs of what they called "horse Nikes," which
were special plastic shoes for the horses to protect their hooves.
Tom and Linda use a mule to haul their most of their supplies in the backcountry, as they did for the work we
performed. For example, they had to make two trips to haul the trail signs and the water we used for this work.
Warrior's Society Director and trail work coordinator Keith Eckstein spent the day before the trail-workday
helping Tom and Linda haul out the signs. Keith was helped by fellow club member Jim Simescu and Keith's
girlfriend Valerie. Keith has done a great job coordinating our trail work, and we all owe him a debt of
gratitude. The work went pretty fast, and we spent a lot of time repairing erosion damage on the worst areas we
came upon on the way back to the staging area.
We will finish our final trail sign program installing the rest of the trail signs in the San Mateo Wilderness
during our 2003-2004 trail work season. Many thanks to all those volunteers who helped make our 2002-2003 trail
work program such a success.
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An Example of Conviction, Determination and the Beauty of the Human Spirit
One of the great joys of our trail and riding events is meeting the people who participate. It is much easier to
do this at our trail work events because the riding events tend to be so hectic. For example, I had the honor of
meeting Anton Durdovic, the father of club member Lubos Durdovic. Anton helped out at our trail sign installation
in the San Mateo Wilderness. Anton had broken his hip, ribs and arm two months prior to the trail work, and I was
amazed that this 67-year-old man was out and about as if he was never injured. He had the determination and energy
(wearing a brand new unbroken-in pair of boots) to keep up with many of us who are half his age. After talking to
Lubos I understood that determination and energy pretty much described how Lubo's dad has lived his life.
In Anton's own words: "I was afraid I would not make it (the trail work), but I did not want to look like a weak
person, since there was not a challenge in my whole life that could stop me moving forward, no matter how
difficult it would be."
Anton was born on August 2, 1934, in Bratislava (in the first Czechoslovak Republic prior to the raising of the
Iron Curtain by the communists) in current capitol of Slovakia. His family survived both the Nazis and Russians
during World War II. Lubos told me of how the Russians, during their fight against the Nazis, had come to his
father's parents' village and held a submachine gun against the head of his grandmother and demanded food and
their valuables.
During the war Anton attended university to study economics and later earned a Master of Science degree. During
the time Slovakia was ruled by communists. He rose to prominent positions in the companies he worked for,
including positions equivalent to vice president. He was a "non-party member" (not a communist party member). His
ability to rise to such a position was a very rare exception (which was unheard of at that time), because only
members of the KSC (Communist Party of Czechoslovakia) could be in such a high position in the company.
This was thanks to the very good results in economics and quality in the field of industry automation technology
that he pushed for and implemented. Lubos told me how he was criticized by a fellow manager for not being a good
communist because he sent his kids to church, to which his father retorted, "I know that when you go visit your
mother in her village you go to church with her; at least I'm honest and don't live a lie."
He paid a price for his determination not to join the communist party and maintain his beliefs later in his
career, but because of his intelligence he soon found his talent could not be denied. After the "Velvet
Revolution," the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989, he soon became the director of economics of another
company.
He later held the position of vice-mayor of the city of Bratislava II, which is one of four major parts of
Bratislava, as a member of the KDH (Christian Democratic Union). After the election period in 1994, he returned
back to the company he worked for before becoming mayor (as a retiree) to the position of economics advisor to the
economics director and remained in this position until 1998. At the same time in the period of 1994-1998 he was a
council member of city of Bratislava.
Anton understood the importance of conviction and doing what is right. He raised three children and stressed the
importance of family, church and education at a time when his beliefs were not accepted politically. All of his
children, Lubos, Anton and Jarmila, are highly educated and very successful. Lubos told me it was his dream since
he was very young to come to America, a dream he fulfilled and now has a son who was born here, a native-born
American.
I have a great respect for Anton-and at a time in history when the term "hero" is used to describe athletes who
make millions of dollars, it is good to see a father who loved his family, stood for his beliefs and is a true
hero and an inspiration to his children and others.
Thank you, Anton; it was an honor to meet you.
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