eli

Sandawg Sorry I wasn't clear. I was asking bigdan where the paddles are. Sandawg you are shown in Henderson. bigdan isn't shown.

Where are you located?

Commercials not weird enough for ya? How about spacesuits? Apparently NASA was testing a spacesuit deployment system. Eli

Looks like they were shooting a Polaris Commercial at Dumont a couple days this week. Lot's of Polaris red but I didn't see anything new. At least part of it was shot around the NW corner of the dunes. Base Camp was around restroom 9. I doubt that's in very good shape this weekend. Most of the crew appeared not to use it. Three semi's full of RZRs and as many production trucks. The truck guys didn't seem too happy to be stuck in the middle of no where. Eli

It isn't just a matter of spending money at a certain Ranch. Close to the intersection there has often been an occupied RV behind a Conservatory sign and back in the brush. I'd suggest you might want to smile for the camera if you choose to turn illegally onto that county road. I wouldn't put it past them. Eli

I've made a wide open run along where they are now building fences or perhaps more than 1 What's gonna happen when somebody gets mixed up in one? Eli

Please remember that this isn't the last public comment meeting. After the plan is formulated there must be another one. After it's approved there is an appeal process. The meeting was a bit scary. The BLM representatives when they didn't know something turned to Brian Brown for help and the guy in charge of drawing up the plan didn't know where Sperry was for which the Sperry Wash is named. Maybe he will at the next one. I'm all for educating those new to the area. It bothers me when they turn first to a guy with a very greenie twist. When I found the Wilderness expert for the Barstow office he'd only been on the job a week. The other representative told me after the meeting that I needed to understand that there was a "lunatic fringe" that didn't respect anything they did to protect the wilderness. I replied that if they wanted people to respect the wilderness they might consider getting the postings right and enjoyed the look on his face. I also said I didn't consider Brian Brown "lunatic fringe" (I may be getting there however.) He immediately replied that he didn't either. Went way over his head that I was talking about the environmental damage at China Ranch. I ad libbed a comment about stream crossings in the Fish Lake National Forest in Utah which help protect the environment and while I understood that the BLM didn't have the money perhaps the conservatory if they were really concerned about the river did. This morning I wonder why the BLM doesn't. Dumont is tiny by comparison. The forest service has trail rangers, Leo's, rescue teams, trail markers,they have to reopen the hundreds of miles of trails every season due to fallen trees, improved steam crossings, gates, and fences to enforce the 50" rule and they do it all without a single user fee. I guess they aren't building fences to keep me out although Terry with his S might have an argument about that Still many trails open to those over 50" I've grown extremely tired of hearing of environmental damage real or imagined caused by out-of-bounds dune riders. I woke this morning enjoying the fact the I was able to toss back some damage caused by the greenies. I watched Brown's face carefully as I said it and Brown really isn't feeling any love toward me to today. Good, he's forgotten that without the T&T railroad his family would have moved on to other areas and he wouldn't even be in the area today without the T&T. I don't appreciate his efforts to "protect" it by keeping me and other that appreciate it out and further to screw with dune riders. In your comments you might consider adding you don't come to Dumont to look at fences. The only reason that the greenies don't object to fact that fences are certainly less that scenic is that the greenies don't really use the areas the fences are supposed to protect so they don't have to look at them. Scenic river perhaps once. With all the fences no more and there are fences coming and user fees are going to pay for them. Eli

Certainly Brown and Sorrels will attempt to stack the meeting. Neither are stupid. Therefore my get there early and get in line post. IMHO they aren't behind the no comments decision but it serves them. Again the BLM has taken ignoring public comment to an art form. None the less I'm willing to pick up my lance once more. Perhaps between us we can figure out how to do things differently than I always have done things and obtain different results. If you are paddeled up Sperry Wash isn't a place to visit. For which I will have to pay dearly I may try to steal the wife's Jeep. Dinging a rocker panel in the wash will get me in deeper than...well you get the idea. Worse case I'll just take the truck and forgo finding the fence. If Barstow built a fence in August they are under a lot pressure to get er done. IMHO this plan is going to go down fast at least by government standards. Eli

Terry I think if we are going to do any good we should sit before the written comment period expires. I'm retired so it certainly should be possible to get together. We need to get our hands on the written purposed plan and all maps. If they want to play Freedom of Information Act games I'll play but I don't start with a pipe. The bell on oral comments has rung and they won't change it. The meeting is simply and by design too short to allow them. Don't waste much of your time with trying to change that. If I manage to pull it off I'll be leaving Wednesday morning and running the grade to the North Pole and possibly running up Sperry Wash route to Sperry. Likely won't know until tomorrow late afternoon or evening if it's going to happen. It may be a waste of time but it also maybe worth another attempt to keep from losing any more miles. If at all possible I'll be there. RZR's are SxS's they have at two seats. I try to avoid the holiday weekends but if I'm out there when you are your welcome to come along. Eli

Tecopa Community Center may not hold too many. Get there early and get in line. Otherwise you may find yourselves standing outside a meeting filled with greenies. Been there done that too. Eli

"written comments will be solicited, but oral comments will not be taken". Unbelievable simply unF'n Unbelievable Eli

Terry, While I would like to get off on another foot and be there Wednesday. I have several issues to resolve before hand. It turns out the battery in my truck died in long term parking and it's no longer stocked although it's supposed to be here later this afternoon. My RZR needed work before I left. In the perfect world I would like to visit the new August fencing along the T&T BEFORE the meeting. In addition my trailers are stored across town. With my luck lately I'll get the truck fixed, get the trailer, risk taking the RZR down the grade and lose a wheel as it's a wheel bearing issue. The thing to remember when dealing with the Barstow BLM is yes duners mean a lot of $$$ to them. Greenie challenges in court costs everybody lot's of $$$$. It also is highly likely that Brown and the conservatory have obtained land (old Tecopa comes to mind) that in time will be given to the BLM. There's some program with tax advantages to do so. So while duners mean some $$$ to the BLM they aren't gonna upset Brown. Old Tecopa can be accessed via the Sperry Wash route and Western Talc Road the later of which the BLM or Brown have nothing to do with...yet. So in order to "protect" Old Tecopa it's likely that the fight is going to be in Sperry Wash. I don't know where the north edge of 5 miles of the Wild River recreation is exactly but as it’s 5.6 miles via the filled bridge it wouldn't surprise me that Sperry (or the last river crossing getting to it) is outside of it. If you don’t know the filled bridge I speak of it’s at the end of the wash that one enters just past the entrance by going pretty much straight instead of climbing the hill to the more commonly used camping areas or if you prefer at the extreme east edge of Dumont recreation area. You may not care, Brown doesn't and the Barstow BLM doesn't. There's old bridge crossing (which was never filled) on the T&T inside the Tecopa ACEC and an area known as the Palisades beyond that. It was an easy hike from the south boundary of the ACEC at least until non-native grown made crossing the river impossible on foot let alone with an out of bounds ATV. The Palisades is one of my most favorite places and was well enjoyed by others in the T&T group. Problem is the Barstow BLM built the post and wire at Sperry to “protect” the ACEC and turn the evil off-roaders east. It added about 6 miles round trip to that hike and my health simply wouldn’t and is unlikely to ever permit that addition. We lost that fight and as you said it isn’t going to ever change. Another bell rung. As painful as that was I accepted that fact and I and T&T group vowed “never another inch.” Needless to say we have lost miles since then and so have you. Perhaps you don’t realize it but it is a fact. Dumont Duners are slowly being fenced in. Once that is complete it’s much easier to close the remaining entrance. The law isn’t an immoveable object that will always protect you. Perhaps it should be but the reality is that it isn’t. I know I’m gonna lose almost everybody on this forum and I don’t promote entering closed areas. My views on the Barstow BLM and the BLM in general were formed from experience. My views on land use were formed in the 70’s with Guthrie, Dylan and with The Five Man Electrical Band. If that makes me negative and again so be it. From “This Land is Your Land” Written by Guthrie as performed by Dylan and not surprisingly left out of much of the time since. As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there And that sign said - no tress passin' But on the other side... it didn't say nothin! Now that side was made for you and me! From “Signs” The Five Man Electrical Band. What gives you the right? To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in. If God was here he'd tell you to your face, Man, you're some kinda sinner" Sign, sign, everywhere a sign Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign? Sorry about the Great American Novel of a posting but I may not resolve be able to resolve the issues above and make it to the meeting. Eli

Terry My attacking the duners at the meeting (of which I have an interest admittedly not as great as yours) would serve about as much purpose as your attack on the wrong person. I did reach out to many groups, attempted to work with the BLM and attempted to find some common ground with the greenies. I understand that Sperry Wash is a Federally approved route and I've watched that route get narrower and narrower over the years. I'm not happy about that but that's a bell rung. I'm not interested in it getting any narrower nor further wilderness postings south of there and west of the grade where the acts are more clear. Years ago I lead a small group of less than a half dozen vehicles along the T&T. I (we) were approached by a BLM LEO and read the riot act for being in a closed area. I had done my research and had contacted the wilderness expert in the BLM office. Finally I asked the LEO if she knew him. She replied that he was in the back seat of the SUV. I approached the SUV and the back window come down about a half of inch. I introduced myself and asked if I had miss-understood him in any way on the phone. He replied I had not. I asked what the LEOs problem was and he did not reply. I returned to the LEO and told her I couldn't stop her from giving us tickets and taking our vehicles but as confirmed by the expert this wasn't EVEN BLM land let alone wilderness and pointed to my gps. A short time later the greenie was with the BLM Manager was coming from a closed area looking for the only fencing crew IMHO to show it off to her. I have no longer any respect for the BLM. If you think I'm negative so be it. This isn't about bad people being were they shouldn't be. That's the excuse and that's the history. I do expect the Dumont Duners to continue to get screwed. That's not an attack that's an opinion although somewhat different from yours. You attacked the wrong guy. Apology accepted. When I'm in a better place I might actually have a conversation with you but thus far I haven't. We are in fact from the same ocean but miles apart with our methods. I don't hit the BLM with a pipe neither do I trust them with good reason. The BLM is in fact the power but only in their own mind. They are supposed to be managing the lands for the people. Problem is that we the people are going to continue to get what we always have gotten as long as we continue to do what we have always done which unfortunately wasn't enough. As I said before the BLM has taken ignoring public comment meetings to an art form. It's about time for we the people to tell them NOT ANOTHER INCH and not "well if we let them fence the T&T that doesn't affect me and maybe they will stop there." They won't. I've been there and I've done that and it didn't work. Eli

Terry With more than due respect, your memory is as bad as your math. I don't know what the heck you are talking about. You and I have never spoken by PM by phone or in person. The T&T group has never had the funding staff or pull to stop the BLM from doing what they darn well pleased. Nor have I ever been a successful financial consultant or an unsuccessful one for that matter. If the present manager is a female and has been there 8 years then the manager I speak of was clearly before her. Again Barstow BLM presented the Sperry Wash trailhead plan in 2000. (Now that I have returned home from the death in my family my notes clearly show it was posted west of the grade in first in 2000, 20001 and 2002. You do keep notes of your conversations with those that have never done you wrong don't you?) It’s still posted there to the best of my knowledge which was last season. Again please ask those who have never done you wrong by what Act of Congress was that done? Apparently the female manager wasn't there yet. I'll expect you to eat your own words publicly on this forum. I could give a crap if there was ever funding for the trail head at Sperry. I give a crap that Bartstow BLM has felt and continues to feel (apparently including those have never done you wrong) free to post as wilderness west of the grade. Frankly it scares the heck out of me that you don’t know anything about where the wilderness is or by what Act of Congress it got there. If you expect people to stay out of wilderness GET IT POSTED RIGHT. Keep the fences from destroying what I enjoy most and that's the grade. Sperry Wash looks like a LA parking lot with all the posts and cable. BTW I also dune but am most active with the T&T group that I started apparently long before your time. I'm sorry you feel that the only do'ers are those in YOUR group. You are very sadly mistaken but that's the one reason the greenies are so successful. It sickens me to see the trash that's left at Comp Hill and I have picked up a bit and towed a duner or two back to camp including a young child in Sperry Wash with a broken down quad that never should have been there alone and without water in the first place. Exactly how much trash have you picked up on the T&T grade? You won't see many railfans east or for that matter west of the grade as they are there to follow the Tonopah & Tidewater. If you choose to pick nicks it's duners that's are outside of the approved areas not railfans. Perhaps that’s a position you would prefer I take on Wednesday. Previous loses....yes there have been a few: The Tecopa ACEC The post and wire 3 miles before you even get to that ACEC Valjean Wilderness cutting the grade to Riggs Wilderness posting on the grade south of the North Pole The wilderness posting west of the Dumont Wye. Yet even more post and in Sperry Wash Wilderness posting west of the grade at Sperry Wilderness postings west of cuts and north of the filled bridge. But never mind Terry it will never happen to you and next time you attack someone please get your facts right. I stand corrected, your head is clearly not in the sand at the top of comp hill. Eli