'05 Black Dog rescheduled to July 9-10

[Tawmass]

We tried to have it earlier to beat the fire-danger concerns, but things didn't align, so the Black Dog is officially rescheduled to July 9-10. Please make a note of it and we apologize for any inconvenience!
-Tom

[Bonnie Meadowes]

i have been to most of the historical, histerical Black Dawgs
i do not remember ever haveing started a fire,
but i do remember some pretty good soakers...
and haveing a bit of frozen snow in mid July
with Rodney Smith flying by
doubled up roosting ice...

is this the final, for sure date?
or do i need to learn how to read my friggin roll chart ?
(stop laughin Dann O) you nave
"off course, i nude i was going back toward lunch"
i was just spinnin out over the strare away heavens altitude
and hey, no dust ..... mon
plus it was downhill (you heard my bike it was clapin out O"compression)

so yeah, the black dawg is in the AMA as the first date
and would the "lack of FiRe dAnGer" really buy us some real single track?
or is that a USfs ruse???

How will they screw the 2005 pooch?
could we somehow go back 10 years, please
i really want to ride bonnie meadows again
Now that was one Kool trail

How about staging out of a whole different district?
like you did toward escadada a couple years ago
someplace where they won't pull the trail out at the last minute?
someplace i have not ridden forwards and backwards the last 12 years
someplace i could REALLy get lost~~~~~~~
(and Danno could ~~~ too)(just kidding bud)
I mean Hood River is really nice, but with so little single track
and the devious agents putting wagon train reinactments head on into
bike rides with "no warning" to either party
I mean, you can see what is next, right?
We obviousely are not welcome in the district, and short of going to court,
or rideing asphault,

some district somewhere else might have a better fit for us
AND OUR MONEY
and I for one am willing to take my money elsewhere
to a place that will not pull some last minute stunt,
make you change the course,
and pull the riders off some stellar single track
you thought you had a week before the event.

Perhaps some private ranch land and BLM district to the east?
I don't know, I am sure you have thought about this
I know you like the single track

[Tawmass]

Hey Lee,
All great concerns that we have been working over. That was the final thing that we decided too (moving the date earlier buying us single track - doubt it), hence one of the reasons the date was back to original time.

We have considered often the idea of a different location, it's just that a different location hasn't been found that has the same offerings that Mt. Hood N.F. does yet. We're looking.

As far as what hoops the USFS will make us dance through this year - remains to be seen!
-Tom

[Bonnie Meadowes]

Have you considered Prineville? Dick Dufourd is the COHVOPS Coordinator 541-383-4004 for the riding areas around Bend. I met him at the 2003 Pioneer ride of MRA in Prospect. He told me they have miles of trails over there, some of it woods. Of course Bend is farther away from Gresham as far as setting up the ride, but that district might user / promoter friendly and provide a whole new experience for the long haul.

[Tawmass]

Lee,
I know Dick very well. Bend is too far away and doesn't have some of the scenery. The places considered so far are Mt. St. Helens area, SW Washington, upper Tillamook Forest, Heppner and Santiam Forest.
-Tom

[RedMenace]

Lee,
I know Dick very well. Bend is too far away and doesn't have some of the scenery. The places considered so far are Mt. St. Helens area, SW Washington, upper Tillamook Forest, Heppner and Santiam Forest.
-Tom

It would be a shame to move it off Mt.Hood. Maybe you can find a different staging area, nearer to Hood River or Mosier and hit both sides of the Columbia. If you could cut a deal with SDS you could have acres of fresh territory over on the East side. You could also approach Bob Hanel and see if he would open up any of the family lands. I think they still own large chunks of Gilhooley Mt. and probably have other acreage around the county. If you made overtures to an existing resort or landowner who would stand to profit from our presence you might have a powerful ally when you approached the county people. Even cutting a deal with the county for the use of one the parks(Toll Bridge or Tucker Park would be good, but you would have to get right on it to have a chance at reserving one of them this year). Dufur also has a great little park with facilities, but the location may not offer any advantages. You wouldn't need to ride any farther than you do at Mt.Hood Village to get to the forest, but there is only one choice I know-FS44
Or maybe cut a deal with the Warm Springs tribe. Stage out of Kahneetah and go North and West. If you could convince the tribe that having our crowd fill thier resort that weekend was worth opening the res to us for two days it would be a truly unique experience!
Doing any of these options would open new territory and would have the potential of getting at least some gauranty of new single track that the USFS would have little or no control over, and you could still use some of the familiar trails and roads which you have already done most the rollchart and prep work for.

[Tawmass]

Mr. Menace,
I sympathize with you. I believe that the Mt. Hood NF is an ideal place (aside from USFS mandates and too close to metro) to continue the Black Dog, and your suggestions are all good. It would be too late to change things this year, but perhaps next year. I've pondered most all of your suggestions in the past, and haven't had a really good solution yet. The Mt. Hood Village as a staging area is ideal in its ammenities, but not as good on location (boxed in with wilderness and only two ways in/out). Kahneeta would be awesome, but working with the local tribe has proven difficult thus far. I would seriously like to explore more on the far south side of the forest and also crossing the Columbia, but the mileage becomes huge. Perhaps staging in Hood River one year, and Estacada or Detroit Lake the next - basically start shifting things around, might work better. Thanks for the input!
-TN

[Danno]

Hey People! I'm back..finally got the old computer sorted out.
Well the Old Dog is Moving...'CAUSE IT AIN'T DEAD! Yet anyway. Total relocation demands a whole lot of time and effort. Tom's a single parent with many weekly time restraints as it is. To go to a totally different area and generate all new routes and charts takes maybe 10 riding/driving miles for every 1 course mile used. Factor in the time in meetings with Land Managers, new Lodging Management, Lunch providers etc. It takes a lot of time and Tom is THE guy that does this part of the event! All us Helper Bees (Dogs) just go out and do the fun parts like scout for new routes
We are fighting a different political climate that is dictating the quality of our rides in the Mt. Hood area, but I don't think we are totally driven out as long as We the Public can use OUR Public Lands.
The Scaredy Cat ride that I'm working on is an exploritory venture with maybe some long range possibilities. It can have the scenic vistas such as Hood, maybe a Two-day event down the road, and more. I'm still searching for a staging area that could compare to Mt. Hood Village and drawing a blank. I should probably lower my expectations... Danno

[Bonnie Meadowes]

Personally, I would not mind paying a little more $'s to ride some really good single track
Afterall, by the time i take off work, maintenence the bike, pay fuel to get there, maintenence the truck and trailer, get lodgeing, ect
the cost of the actual ride ticket is small.
So if it was possible to buy entry into a riding camping area
and quaruantie good trail ride conditions
i for one would be all for it
it seems the era of "using" "public" land is drawing to a close
any future riding will be with private areas,
and those are even "threatened" if you are paying any attention
throwing our support behind those, just might, save our "sport"

here in my neck of the woods we watched the forest circus spend
record amounts of money making sure the 500,000 acre "natural fire"
killed just about everything (dead earth)
it was so hot even those sacret fire loving pines never sprouted
from the ashes, not a one, and i have been looking.

you can trust the forest circus as far as you can spit, Tawm
(I sure hope they have paid employees reading this)
~in the spring~ the girls~show their belly buttons~