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CORBA eTerraTimes for June 2011

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In this issue...



One of the new logos of the combined CORBA and IMBA.
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Rules of the Trail - Click for details
Proper Trail Etiquette

A Message from CORBA’s President

By Mark Langton

A few months ago we told you about our decision to partner with the International Mountain Bicycle Association’s (IMBA) chapter program. The process is complete, and we are happy to announce that the transition is going very well. However, there are still a few things that were unforeseen, one of them being the renewal process.

Many CORBA members have recently received a renewal notice from IMBA, which may be confusing. This is because your CORBA membership automatically became an IMBA membership when we made the transition. No problem! Simply renew your new IMBA membership and select CORBA as your local chapter each time you renew. From now on when you renew, you will renew both your IMBA and CORBA membership at the same time, with everything being handled by IMBA. If renewing by telephone or mail, please make sure to indicate CORBA as your local chapter.

We encourage you to continue to make donations directly to CORBA to help support our local efforts of advocacy, trail building and maintenance, free monthly mountain bike skills classes, Youth Adventures at-risk youth outings, Kids Club, and our web site www.corbamtb.com. CORBA still receives a percentage of membership dues though through this affiliation with IMBA, but dues alone can not support our programs entirely. Our Trail Crew requires annual tool purchases, and Youth Adventures is in constant need of bikes, parts, and helmets, as well as snacks for participants because many of these kids can not even afford a granola bar for themselves or come to the outing without having had breakfast. Other costs include licensing and insurance for our trailers and ride programs. It adds up! Click here to go directly to our donation page. http://www.corbamtb.com/join/donate.shtml Thank you for your support in helping us keep trails open to bicycles!

Fat Tire Fun(d)raiser Announced

Save the date! November 13, 2011 will be the date for CORBA’s annual fun(d) and awareness raising event. This year we will be returning to Malibu Creek State Park with a slightly different format than in years past. We’re still working out the details, but you can be sure that there will be great rides and some great prizes given away. We will be toning down the festival atmosphere and concentrating on what we love to do most—ride! We’re also hoping to have a full complement of some of the hottest bikes available for testing by some of the industry’s best manufacturers. All proceeds will go to our programs that help keep the trails open to shared use, and hopefully open up more of the many miles of trails that are currently closed to bicycles.

May CORBA Kids Club Ride

The CORBA Kids Club monthly ride was held on Saturday May 7 at Cheeseboro Canyon. After a hot week in SoCal, the weather cooled, and the kids enjoyed perfect riding conditions. Out for the ride were 8 kids (William, Julia, Josiah, Elliot, Ethan, RJ, Nolan, and Sean) and 5 adults (Larry, John, Joy, Dave, and Dave). As usual, the kids were super excited to see each other, make new friends, and get their tires onto the dirt.

After Larry reviewed safety guidelines and trail etiquette, we left the Cheeseboro trailhead with one Dave in the lead and another Dave on sweep. Read the rest on our blog about CORBA Kids Club for May.

New CORBA Jerseys Still Available

Don't forget to check out our CORBA store to see our latest additions. These attractive and comfortable jerseys come in two styles, club cut (men's and women's) and freeride (baggy, 3/4 sleeve). Free shipping on all orders has been extended! And don't overlook our new T-shirts, either!

Upcoming and Recent Trailwork

For many years, most trailwork has been done by volunteers because of budget cutbacks at our parks systems. So come out and help CORBA and other volunteers keep our trails in top riding shape! You can learn more about what to expect and what you'll need to bring with you on our Trailwork web page. Keep in mind that CORBA now provides prizes and lunch after the event for volunteers who register in advance! And by registering in advance, you'll help us prepare by knowing how many volunteers to expect. If you come out to two or more trailwork days in a year, we'll give you a cool long-sleeved CORBA trail crew shirt - be sure to ask for yours!

June 4 - Sunset Ridge Trail for National Trails Day

Join CORBA and the Mount Wilson Bicycling Association for a day of trailwork on Sunset Ridge trail in the Angeles National Forest front country. The Sunset Ridge trail is among those that was recently re-opened to the public after the Station Fire. It is a popular hiking and mountain biking trail in the foothills above Altadena and Pasadena. It is often ridden as a loop with the Sam Merril Trail or Mt. Lowe Fireroad.

Read the full details in our blog article.

April 29 - May 1: Annual Santa Monica Mountains Trails Days

The 30th annual Santa Monica Mountains Trail Days took place on the weekend of April 29 - May 1 at Point Mugu State Park. Organized by California State Parks and the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council (SMMTC), the goal is to improve the state of the trails in the park while having a lot of fun. Along with State Parks, SMMTC, participating organizations included CORBA, the Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society, National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains Natural History Association, Malibu Creek Docents and Temescal Canyon Association. Cal Coast Machinery, Inc., loaned State Park a John Deere Gator for the weekend to haul tools and people around.

When we arrived at the staging grounds at the Danielson Multiuse Area on Saturday morning, there were a large number of colorful tents errected on the grass. People had arrived the night before to take advantage of the free camping that is offered to the trailwork volunteers. Some of these camper left that evening while others camped over another night and left Sunday, either before or after the trailwork. Breakfast in the form of bagels, speads and coffee was provided for campers.

To see the full review of this weekend and links to photos, please see our blog entry on SMM Trails Days.

To see all trailwork dates, including those of other groups, visit the CORBA trailwork calendar.


General News

Angeles National Forest Trails Opened May 16

The two questions we have been asked more than any other recently: “which trails are closed in the Angeles National Forest?  and “which trails are open in the Angeles National Forest?”

According to the Forest Service map of the station fire closure area at http://maps.fs.fed.us/stationfire/ the list below shows the status, effective May 16 2011, of some of the more popular trails that were affected by the Station Fire. Keep in mind that even though these trails are in the newly opened areas of the forest, the individual trails may be signed closed.  Please respect any trail closure signs and stay off those trails for your own safety and the recovery of the forest.

Many of the trails will not be in good shape, so be prepared for surprises like downed trees, slides, washouts, ruts, and other hazards. Many trails have been drastically changed from before the Station Fire. Many fire roads have not yet been graded and may be much narrower and in very poor condition with ruts and washouts. All the usual caveats about trail safety apply so use the trails safely and responsibly, and be especially careful the first time you travel on one of the newly opened trails.

To see the lists of opened and still closed trails, please see our blog article on Station Fire trails.

New on the CORBA Website


Recreational Rides

For a list of upcoming recreational rides, please visit the CORBA Calendar.

  • Next CORBA Kids Club ride will be Saturday June 4. Details and registration.
  • Next CORBA Meet the Board ride will be Saturday June 4. Details.
  • Next Beginners ride will be Saturday June 18. See our Rides Calendar for details.
  • Another Beginners ride will be Saturday June 25. See our Rides Calendar for details.

CORBA’s Recreational Rides calendar provides a full monthly schedule of mountain bike rides for all skill levels. Mountain bike rides are organized by CORBA member clubs and led by experienced and knowledgeable guides. Recreational rides are a fun and social way to experience a variety of trails in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and beyond.


Free Mountain Biking Skills Clinic

Saturday June 4th is the next skills clinic.

The CORBA free skills clinic is held on the first Saturday of every month at Malibu Creek State Park.

Mountain biking is a lot like tennis or skiing. Just a few minor adjustments in technique can make a huge difference in your control and proficiency. If you want to get better faster, you need to know the fundamentals of mountain biking technique. Whether you're just  getting into mountain biking or have been riding for years, you'll learn some valuable tips from our Introduction to Mountain Biking  skills class that is offered each month. Check out our Skills Clinic web page for all the information. After the clinic, see photos of your new skills on the CORBA web site that you can share with your family and friends!


Follow CORBA on Twitter and Facebook

We have set up accounts with Twitter and Facebook to help keep people informed of the latest developments in our trail advocacy, recreational rides and trailwork days. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CORBAmtb and Facebook at facebook.com/CORBAMTB.

Get Our Blog Articles Delivered to Your Desktop

Have you ever wished you could get our blog articles without having to check the CORBA website every day to see if there’s anything new? Well, you can! Even though our blog software won’t send articles by email, you can still get them delivered to the inbox of most email readers like Microsoft Outlook. You use the “RSS feed” functionality for this. In fact, you can read our articles in any software that receives RSS feeds, such as Internet Explorer and other web browsers. This blog article on RSS feeds shows you how.


Support CORBA

Join or Renew your membership today on our membership web page.

Join Our Team! Do you have any ideas about mountain biking recreation in the L.A. region? Would you like to apply your skills and manage projects that contribute to the sport and lifestyle that you love? Is there an advocate in you? We are recruiting motivated individuals who work well with others. Send an email to info@corbamtb.com or come to a monthly Members Meeting to find out more about what we do and how you can help. Check the calendar for the next meeting.

Other simple ways to support CORBA

(Click on the links above to get more details!)


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Please do not reply to this email as the corbanews mailbox is not monitored by people. To contact CORBA, email to info@corbamtb.com or visit our 'Contact Us' page for other addresses.
 


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