Due to the 93% chance of rain and especially the high chance of thunderstorms on Sunday, Oct. 4th, the Bridgeport R.D. has decided to cancel the interpretative sign install that we were going to help with.
Thank you all who were planning on helping.
Please pass this on to anyone who was planning on going to help out and may not see this.
Volunteer Day to Help Toiyabe Forest Install Interpretive Sign
Danny Hilde, from USFS, is looking for assistance to erect a new interpretive sign near Star City and Belfort in The Sweetwater Mountains on Sunday, October 4.
A few PNMTA members have confirmed but more hands make for less work. Plus an after work ride is planned through the Sweetwaters. PLUS it just rained and or snowed so Sunday afternoon traction should be fantastic!
Meet Danny at 9:00 a.m. in the Sweetwater Valley at the wide turnoff near the airstrip on Hwy 338.
See you there.
DougH
The 1st annual PNMTA Poker Run
The 1st annual PNMTA Poker Run
Sunday, September 27th
Poker Run Details
- $20 Ante (Seven card stud, High/Low split)
- Easy course
- All two track – quads and UTV’s are welcome
- Approx 30 mile loop
- Not a race
- Start & finish at 662 Stagecoach Rd
- Rsvp to Judi.tahoe@gmail.com
After the Ride…
- Burgers, Snack Food & Soft Drinks
- You don’t have to ride. Just come on by and hang out
- BYOB
Poker run leaves around 10 am
Party starts about Noon
Directions:
In Ruhenstroth area
South on 395 past G’ville 7-11
LEFT on PALOMINO
Right on MUSTANG
Corner of Mustang and Stagecoach
662 Stagecoach rd
BLUERIBBON COALITION MAKES FORMAL REQUEST FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SAGE GROUSE ANALYSIS
BOISE, ID (August 31, 2015)–The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national trail-based recreation group, is again urging federal agencies to avoid “exit-based” final land-use decisions. BRC has weathered numerous litigatory storms at the Presidential administration such as occurred over winter use in Yellowstone Park, or various incantations of a “roadless” rule on our National Forest System lands.
BRC believes the Forest Service and BLM are headed down a similar pathway that will lead to intractable litigation over numerous Greater Sage Grouse (GRSG) planning efforts in Western States.
BRC highlighted these concerns in a letter Friday, punctuated by the apparent trajectory of the Bi State Grouse decision process on the Humboldt-Toiyabe Forest. Under the Bi State decision new restrictions would be for off-highway vehicle events through an apparent agreement with environmental groups under the guise of the objection resolution process. The lek buffer distance would be nearly doubled from 3 miles to 4 miles, the 10 a.m. event restriction amended to an all-day closure, and the seasonal restriction expanded by 45 days to include the time from May 15 to June 30.
Don Amador, BRC’s Western Representative, stated, “I think these new restrictions are unwarranted and were never day-lighted during the public process. OHV recreation has been identified as nothing more than a secondary threat to GRSG, but is an important land-use activity in the West. We are concerned that the GRSG is becoming a convenient excuse to issue parting gifts to various special interests during the Administration’s final year.”
BRC’s letter outlines significant new information and changes that were not available for public comment. BRC formally requested that the agencies conduct a supplemental analysis, and seek an extension from a deadline which would force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide on or before September 30, 2015, whether the GRSG must receive protection under the Endangered Species Act. “The purported urgency of meeting this deadline is improperly driving this process,” Amador noted. In fact, the deadlines in the settlement agreement have been extended on multiple other occasions for other species. “We intend to test the agencies’ willingness to conduct a proper process that incorporates best available science and allows for full public involvement,” Amador concluded.
Douglas County hosts flooding session Aug. 6
Douglas County hosts flooding session Aug. 6
Flash flooding in Carson Valley earlier this month has prompted Douglas County to set an Aug. 6 hearing in Minden, where residents are going to have an opportunity to gather information, provide input and view flood damage maps.
“After our staff presentation on the flooding, we wanted to give citizens a place to gather and receive information from as many resources as possible.” said Douglas County Commission Chairman Doug Johnson.
The session will be from 3:30-7 p.m. at the CVIC Hall, and will include topics like stormwater management, roads, planning, emergency services, mapping emergency management and public information.
Meanwhile, some north Valley residents are asking their neighbors to contact their representatives to reduce off-highway vehicle use on federal land.
Resident Mark Garic has been trying to reduce off-highway vehicle use near his neighborhood for many years.
Garic said off-road vehicle trails are increasing run-off from public land above Johnson Lane.
Skyline Ranch resident Janet Geary said a photo of her fenceline showing rushing water at East Valley Road and Shirley appeared in the newspaper.
“All that stuff is coming down from right above us where BLM allows ATVs,” she said. “That’s why it’s now flooding. They have signs that say ATVs this way. They’ve completely pulverized the desert up there, so that every time it rains all the silt comes down into our neighborhood.”
Geary said she and a group have met several times with the Bureau of Land Management, which has said it would set up signs to encourage people to remain on established trails.
“We’ve lost all of our landscaping in front and half of it in the back,” she said. “This happened last year. They need to provide some sort of protection to people who are down here so it doesn’t flood every time it rains. It’s cost us thousands of dollars in landscaping to restore our property.”
Garic has set up a web site discussing the issue at www.douglascountynv.org.
For more information about the county’s meeting, call (775) 782-9821 or visitwww.douglascountynv.gov.
Northern Carson Valley has experienced flash flooding two summers in a row. Damage in 2014 was estimated at $1 million. A July 20, 2014, thunderstorm over Hot Springs Mountain sent floodwaters into northern Johnson Lane washing away landscaping and replacing it with silt. County officials issued three disaster declarations last year, but the state found none rose to the level of a natural disaster.
Heavy monsoon moisture from the south fed thunderstorms earlier this month, with three straight days of heavy rains in the Pine Nuts July 8-10.
That flooding washed down Johnson Lane and Buckbrush washes, as well as other drainages, to the neighborhood. At one point on July 8, Johnson Lane and Stephanie Way were closed while waters rushed across them.
County commissioners declared a disaster that day, and state officials responded to the neighborhood to collect information about the damage.
The county has been cleaning up ditches and culverts in the neighborhood since.
Ride Report for 7-19-15
Sunday morning 0900 was set for a ride up to Mt. Patterson aka Mars. When I pulled into the staging area I was surprised to see more riders than I expected. I looked around and did not recognize anyone! Turned out to be two groups of riders. PNMTA guys formed up with eight riders and punctually hit the trail at 0900. Heading up the first wash it was apparent how much water this area got from the recent series of thunderstorms. We worked our way up to the summit of Mt. Patterson and were greeted by a new American Flag. It was a beautiful clear day with great views and mild weather. Our group headed off the hill into the trees in search of water. We found it. At a few points I felt like I needed swim trunks.
Overall this was a fantastic ride that had a great variety of terrain. We encountered other riders, cows, utvs, snakes, campers, fisherman, shooters and a few rocks. It was nice seeing others out enjoying our public land. All eight riders made it back to the staging area logging 55 miles just as the thunderstorm started to head our way. This was a great group ride giving us all an opportunity to meet and ride with different folks. Get out and explore, the conditions are great. Jason D.
Good Times At the 2015 Family Fun Ride & BBQ
June 21, 2015 Fathers Day
PNMTA Family Fun Ride and BBQ Report
As riders, BBQers, and film crew (more on that later) met at the Douglas County Fairgrounds parking lot, the day was already a bit windy. A small but very capable delegation of riders were filmed preparing and leaving on their days adventure.
The film crew was putting together a promotional video about the “rugged, relaxed and reachable” aspects of the Carson Valley area for the Carson Valley Visitors Authority. Our BBQ and riders will be one part of the CVVA promo video.
After the riders left the staging area, Nate L with Kiwi by his side, a trailer full of BBQ essentials, the film crew behind him and myself taking up the rear, led the way to Sheep Camp, our BBQ destination. Along the way it was quite obvious that the smoke from the Washington Fire (between Markleeville and Ebbitts Pass) was blowing just about to the Sheep Camp area. On arrival we got lucky that Sheep Camp was just on the edge of the large smoke trail. It was there but not thick. Even more fortunately, as the day went on the wind shifted a bit and our air was clear and he sky’s above were blue. The trees offered plenty of shade so the ezups were not needed. And much less wind on that side of the hills.
We all pitched in and got the BBQ, tables, etc., set up in no time. The film crew interviewed Nate and myself, discussing PNMTA, the Pine Nut Mountains, and the wonderful attributes of living and playing in the Carson Valley area. Just as my interview was finishing up, as if on que the riders rode into camp.
The film crew then mounted a GoPro onto Denny’s handlebars and filmed the riders coming and going on the roads around Sheep Camp. They then filmed numerous creek crossings, which were “mostly” successful. The video cameraman even got splashed a couple of times. And loved it! Thanks Jon.
All this hard work created quite a thirst and appetite so a break was welcomed. Apparently the video cameraman was really hungry because he jumped right in at the helm of the grill and went to cooking. Burgers sizzled, gourmet dogs were cooked up, big fat portabello mushrooms with Nate’s secret mix of oil and spices were all sandwiched between toasted buns. Oh Yeah!
A few other non-riders showed up for the BBQ. We invited a couple of local teenagers who cruised by on their quads in for burgers. The film crew also got some video of them riding.
The chit chat, stories and lies were all as good as the food.
After sitting around for a while, all fat, dumb and happy, camp was broken down and we were heading back home around 2-2:30pm.
For those of you that couldn’t make it, you missed a good one. The good news is that it probably won’t be the last one.
Thanks everyone who showed up. Hope you all had as good a time as I did.
DougH
2015 Spring Cleanup Another Success
This year PNMTA members, Sierra Stompers 4×4 members, Komstock Krawlerz 4×4 members, and other local volunteers filled a 50 yard dumpster with illegally dumped garbage around the Pine Nut Rd. area.
Another huge thank you goes out to the Douglas Disposal Inc., for their generous donation of the dumpster.
As in the past many years the Sierra Stompers have earned a huge thank you also for the effort they have put to help our cleanups. Thank you also to the Komstock Krawlerz 4×4 Club for cleaning up along the Brunswick Canyon Rd. Thank you Carson Motorsports for the pizza, Costco for drinks, and Jimmy D. with V&C Construction for the portable toilet.
All of our members who were able to attend I thank you too. George S. and Kevin T., thanks for running the show this year.
Without a lot of helping hands we could never accomplish what we have with these cleanups. And yes it is working, there does seem to be a little less garbage dumped out there each year.
DougH
PNMTA Spring Cleanup Reminder!
Member and Guests, this is a reminder that our Spring Cleanup will take place this Sunday, May 3rd. Starting at 09:00.
Thank you to Kevin Templeton and Carson Motorsports for providing Pizza and Allen Alexander for the donation which will be used for water, etc.
We will meet just off Pinenut Road on Pinenut II near the ‘kiddie’ riding area opposite the RC Airport near the Douglas Disposal Transfer Station. Donnie Williams and Douglas disposal have provided a dumpster for us to deposit our ‘treasures’ into and we again thank them for participating.
I will be out early with signs, maps, a table and water. I would ask that everyone come prepared with non-disposable water containers, Camelback type setups etc. for their personal use. Please have cell phones, GPS’s, sunscreen or whatever you will need to accomplish this task. Please take responsibility for members of your group!
I will have maps showing the locations of where garbage can be found, and as Doug had mentioned, this looks to be a somewhat light day. The 4×4 group will be seeping main trails to the north, and we will have locations down south in the County.
Please, Please Please, do provide a head count so we can have an idea how much pizza to order! You may reply to me directly to: Pointman0853@yahoo.com, or by text at 775-901-3319.
We look forward to a great community effort on behalf of keeping our Nevada Public Lands clean for all this Sunday, thanks!
George Swetland
PNMTA Secretary
Resource Management Plan Meeting Report
On March 26, 2015, PNMTA and the Blue Ribbon Coalition co-hosted a meeting for OHV users to learn about the Carson City District, BLM, Resource Management Plan revision and to learn how to write substantive comments regarding that plan.
Over 70 concerned people attended. Among the local clubs and groups of note were, The Nevada Trail Stewards, The Sierra Trail Dogs, MRANN, The American Motorcyclists Assoc., and representatives from local Indian Tribes.
Many questions got answered and many comments got discussed.
PNMTA would like to thank Frank B., and Jim F., from the Sierra Trail Dogs for coming all the way from the Sacramento area and giving a generous donation covering the cost of the meeting. THANK YOU.
Video of the meeting can be seen on the Nevada Trail Stewards, Facebook Page.
More information on how you can help by writing and sending comments to the BLM can be found elsewhere on this site, pnmta.org
Thank you all who attended the meeting. I hope it was informative for you.
Thank you all who are helping us Preserving Public Lands for Public Use
Doug Holcomb
President, Pine Nut Mountains Trail Association
Don Amador from Blue Ribbon Coalition leading the discussion and answering questions.