GUMBA new member training and yearly general meeting

[oh_blinding_light]

Interested in helping out this year?

Yeah I know it's flat and boring carriage roads, but it's carriage road riding with some of the best scenery on the east coast. And it's not really all that flat.

There are other benefits: you'll get to check out where the new single track will go at Minne, if you promise to do a few patrols at Mohonk you get a free season pass for riding and hiking there, you'll be helping fellow bikers when they get lost or breakdown, you'll be establishing a positive relationship with Minnewaska Park management, and all kinds of other good karmic stuff.

If you're interested, our training will be on Saturday April 24th from 9:30 am till around 3 pm. Plan to bring a lunch. PM or email me at [email protected] or go sign up at www.gumba.org/join

OBL
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Nimium est melior!

[Kevin]

These patrols are fun and the scenery is amazing. I only had to ask a few people last year to put their dogs on a leash, but other than that, it was literally a nice Sunday ride in the park.

I recommend this for experienced and beginner riders alike

[oh_blinding_light]

I probably should point out, as Kevin implied, that this is not an enforcement gig.

You are on patrol to help fellow bikers, lost hikers, rescue the occasional injured climber (only happened to me once in 6 years of patrolling), and gently remind the general public that yes, there are rules even in the woods.

I've never busted anybody while out on patrol, and have never had a serious argument with any of the Park/Preserve users I've talked to. I have even pointed bikers at the FITC web site when they wanted to know where there was some good single-track.

And as an added plus, the Park and Preserve really appreciate our help. If you want the Park to follow thru with the single track plan, it helps to be on their friends list. And even the Mohonk Preserve has talked about adding more single track (yeah, what they have is short and easy) to make other parts of the Preserve more bike accessible.

OBL
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Nimium est melior!

[oh_blinding_light]

BUMP

Anybody thinking of joining, but not sure? Sitting on the fence about the idea?

If Minnewaska gets "closed", due to the budget follies, there is a decent chance GUMBA will still be doing patrols. You'd be the only legal rider in a 25,000 acre state park.

And even if they don't get closed, they will be opening for bikes late this year. There was still a lot of snow up at Awosting last week, so they haven't done any trail clearing.

And I'll probably be posting for volunteers to do trail clearing at Minne sometime next week.

OBL
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Nimium est melior!

[Tim845]

For example, might it be legal if as a riding patroller I had to examine rumors of some bear scat containing a hikers whistle somewhere in the 'badlands' via singletrack?
I mean shoes wear a trail about the same as tires do -its scientifically proven
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Pedal, b*tches!!

[oh_blinding_light]

That would depend on the park's "rules of engagement". But generally no, GUMBA patrolers should be willing to not "poach" (or at least don't wear a club jersey if you happen to, I mean by accident of course).

But I have as a GUMBA volunteer been given permission to ride in areas off limits to the general biking public. At times this has included riding on gnarly single track (often called steep and winding hiking trails by other trail users).

Pedlar845, weren't you along when we road into the Awosting Preserve to do joint GUMBA/FITC trail clearing last year? Ranger Roy (a FITC member) rode us right along the Long Path to get there. It was off limits for normal bikers, but other trail users have a strange reluctance to argue with a Mountian Biking park ranger with a chain saw slung over his shoulder

OBL

Bear scat with whistles in it is more common in Grizzly country, you need to be a bit west of here to find them.
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Nimium est melior!

[oh_blinding_light]

BUMP

This Saturday!
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Nimium est melior!