In this issue:

1. Selling your spot in the Vision Quest, Counting Coup or Traverse event

2. Follow-up on access issues related to the City of Irvine Open Space

1. SELLING YOUR SPOT IN THE VISION QUEST, COUNTING COUP OR TRAVERSE EVENT

We are having issues with the transferring of spots. Unless the following is done no transfer will occur:

If you decide to sell your spot you must email us and notify us that you are selling your spot and cc the person who is buying it. This is necessary to confirm you actually have agreed to sell your spot and so we can provide an application to them.

You must then mail the Warrior’s Society the application and the transfer fee, which is a money order (no personal checks) in the amount of $25.00 made out to either the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund or to the UCLA Foundation.

Mail the money order and filled out application to:

The Warrior’s Society
11278 Roanoke Court
Cypress, Calif. 90630

Once the application and money order is received I will notify you that the change has been made.

Chris Vargas
Executive Director
The Warrior’s Society

1. FOLLOW-UP ON ACCESS ISSUES RELATED TO THE CITY OF IRVINE OPEN SPACE

The City takes the preservation of threatened resources very seriously. The illegal access issues are serious all over and the City chooses to take a stand with their property, they are going to follow the regulations outlined in the NCCP/HCP and believe the habitat values should come before the user groups.

To put things into perspective:

Here is an unauthorized access sampling for a two month period in a 3,000 acre area in the north Irvine Ranch. Three cameras on authorized trails, two cameras on illegal trails and restoration sites cross referenced with in ground trail counters.

(Just so you are aware, these statistics are not for the City of Irvine’s land. I am concerned at mass publishing “hunting”, it may freak people out. Maybe we just call it “Other Illegal Activities”)

Unauthorized Recreational Access on legal trails and roads with 266 hits on our equipment:

51.9% Mountain Bikers
21.4% Trail Runners
15.8% Hikers
4.5% Dog Walkers
2.2% Other Illegal Activity (Hunting, etc.) 1.9% Dirt Bikes 1.1% Equestrians 0.8% Paint Ballers 0.4% Vehicles

Unauthorized Night Access with lights and night equipment on legal trails and roads with 266 hits on our equipment:

78.3% Mountain Bikers
4.3% Trail Runners
0% Hikers
8.7% Dog Walkers
8.7% Other Illegal Activity (Hunting, etc.) 0% Dirt Bikes 0% Equestrians 0% Paint Ballers 0% Vehicles

Off Trail Use of Posted Closed Areas – Illegal Trail and Restoration Sites with 266 hits on our equipment:

79.4% Mountain Bikers
8.8% Trail Runners
0% Hikers
11.8% Dog Walkers
0% Other Illegal Activity (Hunting, etc.) 0% Dirt Bikes 0% Equestrians 0% Paint Ballers 0% Vehicles

This is the statistics from one area that is more patrolled and managed than most of the others. The numbers at Crystal Cove, Laguna Coast, Santiago Oaks, Whitings, etc. have to be exponentially higher.

The problem is seriously out of control and no one within the bike community is willing to take a stand for fear of being publicly punished. I know the names of several of these people in the pictures. If change is to occur it needs to come from within the bike community.

Shimano is the Major Component Sponsor of the Warrior’s Society

Rock N Road Bike Shops, El Pollo Loco and Switchback Cyclery are Major Sponsors of the Warrior’s Society

Epic Performance is the official hydration drink of the Warrior’s Society

Hammer Nutrition is the official Nutrition bar and gel of the Warrior’s Society

The Warrior’s Society is a Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) affiliated organization

The Warrior’s Society is a Tax Exempt Organization under 501 (c) 4 of the IRS Code

“Far better it is to dare mighty dreams, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take the ranks with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat!”

Theodore Roosevelt

www.warriorssociety.org

In this issue:

1. Holy Jim Trail Work Wrap Up

2. Dangerous repairs made to the San Juan Trail

3. Illegal Mountain Bike Activity in the City of Irvine Open Space Reserve

1. HOLY JIM TRAIL WORK WRAP UP

Many thanks to Erik and Deb, Bob, Josh, Larry H, Keith P, Calvin, Brian L, Ken, Bob Mac, Mary and Gerry, Chris V, Chris H, Mark, Gene, Steve (Rockface) Timm, Eric H, Regina and Alan, Treve, Denny Bean, Dave, Pete, for spending their Saturday doing earthwork on Holy Jim.

we met @ 7am @ the VQ finish line then we carpooled up the wash road to the Holy Jim parking area. we hiked up 3.5 miles. We benched the trail into the uphill side of the slope on a 0.3 mile section of the trail. Previously the trail was starting to fall off on the downhill side. as we worked with Piks, shovels and McLeod’s numerous bikers, hikers and trail runners passed us by verbally grateful for our efforts. Mark, Gene, Eric Hull and Rockface rode their bikes to upper holy Jim and worked the ruts. On the way down many of the Century Plants were removed. The resulting earthwork is looking even better than expected. Nice job everyone.

We talked about brushing upper San Juan soon since rumor has it the trail is badly overgrown but it will probably have to wait until after the VQ. If you ride any of the trails in the Santa Anas after the upcoming rains please email a report to the Club even if the trail is in good condition.

2. DANGEROUS REPAIRS MADE TO THE SAN JUAN TRAIL

Someone has installed a retaining wall on the San Juan Trail using t-posts that stick up and pose a dangerous hazard to trail users. If you know of anyone performing such repairs please ask them to stop.

3. ILLEGAL MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF IRVINE OPEN SPACE RESERVE

Several months ago the City of Irvine and the Irvine Ranch Conservancy suspended self guided mountain biking on monthly access days in the City of Irvine’s Open Space Preserve. The reason, the level of unauthorized mountain biking was out of control in areas that were not open 7 days dawn to dusk.

The mountain bike community threw a fit. Mountain bike riders posted negative things on message boards, mountain bike clubs contacted us, mountain bike volunteers argued with us, but in the end the unauthorized mountain bike access declined. Once it declined self guided mountain biking was reinstated on the monthly self guided access days.

Within one week of reinstating self guided mountain biking to access days there was a spike in unauthorized mountain bike access and it still continues up to today This included:

• Riders tearing down “closed for restoration” signs and riding through a restoration area. This area has been closed off for two years and is well on its way to being restored.

• Illegal night riding

• Individual riders attending a docent led ride to then return on multiple occasions illegally

• A rider scouting the reopening of a closed trail

• Multiple riders riding past multiple docent only area signs

The purpose of this e-mail is so all of you are aware of who these people are the next time the mountain biker user group is excluded from using an area. Do not blame the land owner or the land manager. Blame these people, they are the one’s responsible for much of the mountain biking problems in Orange County.

Shimano is the Major Component Sponsor of the Warrior’s Society

Rock N Road Bike Shops, El Pollo Loco and Switchback Cyclery are Major Sponsors of the Warrior’s Society

Epic Performance is the official hydration drink of the Warrior’s Society

Hammer Nutrition is the official Nutrition bar and gel of the Warrior’s Society

The Warrior’s Society is a Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) affiliated organization

The Warrior’s Society is a Tax Exempt Organization under 501 (c) 4 of the IRS Code

“Far better it is to dare mighty dreams, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take the ranks with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat!”

Theodore Roosevelt

www.warriorssociety.org

In this issue:

1. The 2010 Traverse is sold out!

2. The 2010 Toad Festival

3. Holy Jim trail work to be performed in January

1. THE 2010 TRAVERSE IS SOLD OUT!

If you didn’t get registered for the event and would like to participate your best bet is to post on STR that you are looking for a spot in the event if anyone decides to sell theirs:

http://www.socaltrailriders.org/

2. 2010 TOAD FESTIVAL

Event Date: Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Fun Ride Long Course start time: 8:00 a.m
Fun Ride Short Course start time: 9:00 a.m

Short Ride: 10 miles, 500 feet of climbing

This ride is a great beginners and kids ride through the beautiful tree-covered trails of O’Neil Park.

Long Ride: 27.5 +- miles, 5,000 +- of elevation gain

1. Start at O’Neill Park Picnic area and ride to Holy Jim Trail Head – a small amount of pavement with 5 miles of fire road.

2. Holy Jim Trail Head to Main Divide – 6 miles of steep single track climbing with multiple stream crossings.

3. Holy Jim Trail to Trabuco Canyon Trail – 6 miles of rutted fire road with steep climbs and descents.

4. Trabuco Canyon Trail to Holy Jim Parking area – 5 miles of down hill, technical single track with stream crossings with 1/2 of a mile of fire road

5. Holy Jim Parking area to Picnic area – 5 miles of fire road and a small amount of pavement.

The Long Ride is not for beginning or novice riders. Participants will be responsible to carry all food and water needed to complete the ride.
There will be no sag support (except in case of total breakdown or emergency). Support personnel will be stationed at 5 rest stops along the course.

Riders in the fun rides will compete in games of chance and skill (darts, horseshoes, helmet toss and Blackjack cards). Those with the highest combined score will win prizes. You must make the checkpoints in a reasonable time or you will not be allowed to continue.

PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO:
175 for the long fun ride
No limit for the short fun ride

LONG FUN RIDE ($50)

SHORT FUN RIDE
Adults ($50)
Kids 13 and under ($25)

The links to the application and online registration through active.com are on the event page on our web site at:

http://www.warriorssociety.org/events/toad_festival_general_info.html

If you plan on participating in the 2009 Toad Festival you must register by Friday, May 28th to receive an event t-shirt. Online and mail-in registration is closed but there is same-day registration at O’Neill. Same-day registrants are not guaranteed an event T-shirt.

The Toad Festival will be a fundraiser for the Operation Mend http://operationmend.ucla.edu/ which provides reconstructive surgery for our servicemen wounded by improvised explosive devices and helps cover travel expenses for their families during treatment.

“Operation Mend,” a unique new partnership between UCLA Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, has been established to help treat several U.S. military personnel wounded during service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The pilot project was launched with the help of philanthropist Ronald A. Katz, a well-known inventor and UCLA Medical Center board member, who recognized that providing excellent care to injured soldiers need not be limited to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Armed Services. The project aims to serve as a model for other medical institutions interested in helping additional wounded service members.

3. HOLY JIM TRAIL WORK TO BE PERFORMED IN JANUARY

We will be doing earthwork on Holy Jim in sections that need to be stabilized and also starting our brushing of the trail.

In February we will be working on Trabuco and West Horse Thief as well as finishing up any work needed on Holy Jim.

Shimano is the Major Component Sponsor of the Warrior’s Society

Rock N Road Bike Shops, El Pollo Loco and Switchback Cyclery are Major Sponsors of the Warrior’s Society

Epic Performance is the official hydration drink of the Warrior’s Society

Hammer Nutrition is the official Nutrition bar and gel of the Warrior’s Society

The Warrior’s Society is a Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) affiliated organization

The Warrior’s Society is a Tax Exempt Organization under 501 (c) 4 of the IRS Code

“Far better it is to dare mighty dreams, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take the ranks with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat!”

Theodore Roosevelt

www.warriorssociety.org