Wilsons Sandbox

A true story....some politcal content Warning to political reactionaries, ostriches. Dear Dual Sport Enthusiasts, The time is nearing for Team Dual Dogs 5th annual "Riders of The Round Table" this Halloween weekend of October 28th & 29th in California Hot Springs. I'm sad to announce it will be our last. As of January 1st, 2001, OHV's or anything mechanical will no longer be allowed on the trails in the new Sequoia National Monument. President Clinton had declared much of the Sequoia National Forest a new national monument closing it off from the majority of the public and our form of outdoor recreation. This premiere event was created five years ago with the experienced trail rider in mind and their street legal machine subjecting them both to a grueling two day ride of strictly single-track trails available in the Hot Springs and Tule River ranger districts of the Sequoia National Forest. But not to have exclude everyone, we offer the beginner and novice riders two days of charted scenic forest routes with the occasional challenging trail for a weekend of relaxing and enjoyable back country exploring of their own. For the experienced rider, I have strung all the best trails together including most of Saturday's routes never used in this ride before for two days of fun and exciting trail riding, including a few surprises. Mileage has been decreased this year providing you with a shorter, yet a more demanding ride with a quicker trip back to camp. Bailouts are offered throughout the route if you get tired. I have been known to be sadistic. Also improved this final year is our professionally catered meals. Saturday morning offers participants and their families a custom omelet buffet with all your favorite ingredients, along with a complete breakfast menu. A Saturday night deep pit beef barbeque with baked potatoes, garden salad and chili, including our festive "Oktoberfest Gardens" of beer on-tap and wine. Sunday is breakfast burritos and pancakes. Children under 12 eat at half price. Videos of you and your friends during your days ride will be played during Staurday night's festivities on a large screen TV. And best of all, the ride is headquartered at the most beautiful RV park in Southern California at the Quail Valley RV Resort offering your whole family a relaxing stay. Children can keep entertained with their on-site playgrounds, stocked fishing ponds, wondering wildlife, or travel the local forest roads and visit the Giant Sequoia sites. The resort offers RV'ers full hookups, and tenters get grassy private sites with bathrooms and showers. When I first explored the trails of the Tule River, Hot Springs and Greenhorn Ranger Districts more than ten years ago, many of them were never used, overgrown and not maintained. I was told by the forest service that if I wanted to use them in my rides, I was the one who needed to clear and maintain them. For ten years I toted a chainsaw, oil & gas, a "McCloud" (a combination rake & hoe tool) and a mattock/pick, straped them to my bike to these ignored trails and opened them up once again so that they could be enjoyed each year. What was most rewarding of all was introducing all Multiple Use enthusiasts to another great system of trails and reducing the demand on other areas. With the help of several Team Dual Dogs club member volunteers, we tallied through the years hundreds of man-hours keeping these trails open each Spring. After showing user interest from my organized rides, the forest service joined in with their efforts and requested money from the "Green Sticker" fund with my support creating even more trails. As with many other cases, we lost these trails to the efforts of the powerful conservantionists groups that have run the Clinton administration after our years of hard work. I personally feel a great loss to my form of recreation in one of the nation's best forests offering every American a rewarding outdoor experience. But the most disturbing is the fact that none of our opponents to Multiple Use was using them, or maintained them. Or the fact that the Sequoia trees were already protected. I'll return this favor at the polls November 7th. The Clinton administration has got to go! Please take the time to make your vote count for Bush & Cheney. Also, vote for Republican Tom Campbell to replace CA Senator Diane Fienstien. She has to go too! For more voter information, please visit California Off Road Vehicle Association's website at: http://www.corva.org See you October 28th & 29th! Enter today and save! -- Damon Powell Team Dual Dogs Promotions http://www.DualDogs.com