OUR friends at the California Bicycle Coalition are hosting the final Interregional Cycling Tourism Community Outreach Workshop and Stakeholder Meeting at 5:30 p.m. P.T. on May 25th.
WE’LL be there and hope to see you too!
IT’S a fantastic chance to make your opinion known!
AS Rob Williams, CalBike’s Community Outreach Manager, wrote in this recent post, you too can “help shape the future of cycling tourism.”
“We need your help to learn as much as we can about these Showcase and Trails. We’re relying on you, an actual cyclist who has ridden the roads, knows the proposed bike trails, and to tell us what needs to change and what that change should look like. We want our proposals to reflect the experience and needs of bicyclists and lead to real progress in making Northern California a premier cycling destination.”
“You will join other stakeholders—recreational cyclists, business owners, tourism, civic leaders, and government officials—who all want to encourage cycling for a better local economy, and a healthy resource for residents and visitors alike. We strongly encourage you to participate in this exciting and ground-breaking opportunity to shape the future of cycling recreation in Northern California.“
WE, along with other Alpine Co. stakeholders, participated in one of the five initial meetings CalBike held in Caltrans’ District 10 last month. It was well attended and lots of good ideas and information were shared.
WHAT a unique opportunity to contribute to the cycling landscape of the region!
LET’s keep the vibe going!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MEETING on Tuesday the 25th at 5:30 p.m.
SEE you then!
Feel free to download the cycling club flyer or meeting info. in the meantime.
Last year, as some of you may recall, the Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership (ESSRP), “a unique public/public partnership between the United States Forest Service and local agencies,” kicked off. One of “those publics” is the Alpine Co. Chamber of Commerce, one of many regional agencies involved in the project, and yours truly is a representative for the ACCoC.
This update expands on last year’s December post so for a bit more context/information click here and take a gander at that missive before you read on.
The mountains near and behind Mammoth Lakes as seen from the Lake Crowley area during the 2018 Mammoth Gran Fondo. Just a portion of the region on which this initiative is focused.
The partnership, covering roughly the area from Inyo County to Alpine County, began before Covid-19 became part of our lives and so we were initially able to meet in person. That has since changed and we now meet via Zoom. The initiative is comprised of four (4) tracks or programs:
Regional Recreation Stakeholder Engagement
Climate Adaptation and Resilience Assessment
Connection to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Audience
Project Development and Prioritization for Funding
The first meeting of the “Connection to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Audience” working group.
Connection to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Audience
This post is about that third track/program: “the Visitor Connection Working Group (VCWG).”
It all started in October of 2019 when the Chamber was invited to be a part of this effort in order to help “develop a regional strategy to connect with our Eastern Sierra Visitor Audience.” As Kristy Williams, Project Manager, put it: “We aren’t talking about how to get more people here. We are going to discuss the unique recreation, culture, stewardship, and tourism opportunities that exist here in the Eastern Sierra – and determine how, as a region, we communicate these opportunities to our visitors, including opportunities for stewardship.”
There are about thirty of us, give or take, that are working on this track and we’ve done quite a bit of work, from developing the visitor persona; to devising some particular words and phrases that we feel represent the area and the people who live, work and visit here; to (and this was what we did at our most recent meeting, which took place last week) selecting images that represent those words or phrases.
Speaking of images…One of the bitchenest (is that a word?) things you can do in the Eastern Sierra is ride a bike. This was me finishing the medio route (70 miles) of the Mammoth Gran Fondo in 2018. The MGF is just one of many organized rides (the Deathride is another) that take place in the Eastern Sierra annually.
It’s a Zoom ‘Thang
How are we doing all of this, you ask, without meeting in person?
It’s amazing what can be done with Zoom. Thanks to the incredible staff of the Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation, we don’t just yak as a group or look at slide decks the entire time. The meetings are highly collaborative and open and all ideas and thoughts are welcome. A distinct aspect of these sessions in my mind is the break-out room, or rooms. Several groups are formed and then we are magically and virtually transported (thanks Mr. Wizard) into these rooms with our colleagues.
It’s in those rooms where a lot of the heavy lifting is done.
Last week, our group (and there were three (3) others, groups that is, doing the same thing) was tasked with reviewing approximately thirty images that describe these words – MEMORIES – TRADITION – CONNECTION. Not an easy task by any means but the idea is that these images, from all four (4) groups, would be part of a package given to a team that would then “translate” them into our deliverables, which are things like brochures, handouts and videos that can be used to educate and inform visitors to the Eastern Sierra. Sorry, I can’t show you any of the images; they are top secret for now (and I didn’t take any screenshots).
Skin in the game…
As I wrote (as did Kristy in her email to me) in December it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not just about marketing to get MORE PEOPLE to the region. In fact, that’s what it’s least about. It’s really about getting people who are already here, or coming here, to be MORE INVOLVED. And having skin in the game is a vital component to that approach. Meaning:
Are visitors educated on what to do and how to act? For example, are they aware of best practices like where to poop (a big topic at our December 2019 meeting) and how to “leave no trace?”
Do visitors care about the region?
Do they want to help improve and maintain it?
Are they willing to educate their families, peers and friends about it?
More to follow…
Yup, it’s not a done deal yet. We’ve got several more meetings, the last of which takes place in February of next year. And we are just one group of many within the larger group. That means there are still lots of cats to herd and work to be done so that we can best utilize that grant money. In the long run that means selecting approximately eight (8) projects. Perhaps that means updated or new bathrooms for some deserving park or community. Maybe it’s about signage and kiosks that describe a particular route or feature. It could be something related to off-road vehicles (the kinds with engines). TBD. Once a project is vetted and approved, however, it will be up to the “winner” to get the funding and execute.
Do you have ideas for improving recreation in the Eastern Sierra? Infrastructure? Access? Programs?
Click here if you do, or if you just want to learn more, you can do that too!
We’re all in it for the long haul and if we do our jobs well then we’ll define the Eastern Sierra as the next Moab or Grand Canyon. A place where generations of us can continue to ride our bikes, climb mountain peaks or granite walls, take our grandkids 4-wheelin’ and catch some big ol’ fish. Before we get there, though, there is more work to be done.
And no, I’m not talking strictly about the impact this project could have on our business. I’m referring more to the impact it can have on the Alps, and the Eastern Sierra region, as a whole. For more about California’s Alpine Zone though, click here for an overview, courtesy of the USFS.
The southern CA Alps – Looking towards Mammoth from near Bishop. Part of the amazing region on which this initiative is focused.
A little background…
The Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership (ESSRP), an initiative that began in the spring of 2019 due to the largess of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Governing Board, authorized “$618,750 of Proposition 68 funding to go to the Town of Mammoth Lakes (on behalf of the regional partnership) to administer the Sustainable Recreation and Tourism Initiative.”
The partnership could potentially implement the following, depending on the outcome of the review and prioritization that has begun to take place here in the Eastern Sierra:
New trails and facility planning and construction
New and existing “hard infrastructure” including bathrooms, pavement maintenance, water, sewer, other buildings
Maintenance and staffing of visitor centers
County/Town recreational infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation, and new project Identification and work program development
Project planning including environmental review
Permitting facilitation and clean-up
The Partnership not only includes the town of Mammoth Lakes, but also the counties of Alpine, Inyo and Mono as well as the city of Bishop. Two (2) regions of the United States Forest Service (USFS) are also involved. Click here to learn more.
The first meeting of the “Connection to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Audience” working group. Yours truly is humbled to be a member of this group representing California Alps Cycling and more importantly, the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce.
What’s that mean for the California Alps and California Alps Cycling?
In our mind it means that visitors to the Alps, especially cyclists, gravel riders and mountain bikers (hey, this is a cycling blog after all!) could have more support when they visit. As some of you may know, infrastructure in Alpine County is a bit limited. I’m talking about public bathrooms, showers, and such. Our Chamber of Commerce, as well as other businesses in Alpine Co., do provide some of this but we need more. Other counties in the Alps (think Mono for example) do have better support systems but even they need additional support. As I’ve heard from some fellow attendees at our meetings, some of their infrastructure is a bit dated or limited. So, the idea behind this approximately two (2) year initiative is to vet and prioritize projects for which we can then seek grant money. “We” being the region, not just Alpine, or Mono, or Mammoth, for example. This regional approach will allow for much more comprehensive benefits. E.G. what helps Mammoth Lakes could help Inyo county; what Alpine county does or will do may be scalable to other areas.
Skin in the game…
It’s not just about marketing to get MORE PEOPLE to the region. It’s MORE ABOUT getting people who are already here, or coming here, to be MORE INVOLVED. And having skin in the game is a vital component to that approach. Meaning:
Are visitors educated on what to do and how to act? For example, are they aware of best practices like where to poop (a big topic at our 12-11 meeting) and how to “leave no trace?”
Do visitors care about the region?
Do they want to help improve and maintain it?
Are they willing to educate their families, peers and friends about it?
More to follow…
As I mentioned earlier in this post, this is a two (2) year initiative so there is definitely more to follow. The next public workshop is on January 16th in Lone Pine. Then, in February, is the 2nd “Connection to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Audience” meeting in Mammoth. I’ll be attending both and will continue to provide updates on our progress. In the meantime, if you have anything to add, please let me know.
Happy New Year!
We wish you all a happy and healthy 2020 and we thank you for being a loyal reader of our blog and if you’re a member of California Alps Cycling, you get an extra THANK YOU! Together we can accomplish a lot. Ride safe and Let’s Kick Some Passes’ Asses! in the coming year. There are oh so many to choose from, right?
A few pics from HQ this a.m. Look closely – See the “big guy” walking around in there?
Lots of things to talk about in this post: The Christmas Faire is coming; Grover Hot Springs has a new boardwalk; we’ve got some serious birding energy here including a first-time sighting; an amazing sushi bar in South Lake Tahoe; a patriotic visit with Snowshoe Thompson; a little bit of snow earlier in the week and a Deathride resurgence. Let’s get to it!
The Magical Markleeville Christmas Faire is this weekend!
A yearly tradition here in Markleeville but with an added twist this year: the Faire will be in the County Administration building so we all don’t freeze our hineys off like we have in the past. Things start with a pancake breakfast and there’ll be crafters, cookie decorating for the kids and Santa will be making an appearance too. Check out the Faire’s Facebook page for more information.
Christmas Faire banner at the Chamber
Presents under the tree in front of the courthouse
Grover Hot Spring’s New Boardwalk
I got out for a hike last week and did part of the Charity Valley Trail (from Hot Springs Road to Grover Hot Springs State Park), trekked around the park’s meadow and then took the boardwalk back the way I came. The park is always a great place to visit, especially the hot springs and now with the new boardwalk there’s one more thing to check out!
The meadow and the new boardwalk within.
Birds, birds and more birds
It all started with the sighting of a rare bird in these parts – the Yellow Browed Warbler. Our little town of Markleeville was invaded by birders from throughout the state – they were hoping to add the bird to their lists. The Record Courier (Minden, Gardnerville and Carson City, NV) did a little write up. Click here to take a look.
A few weeks ago, we spotted an Osprey here at HQ (click here to read that post) and there have been visits from other birds since, including the Evening Grosbeak. Having been here three (3) years this was the first time we had seen these happy birds – a flock of about 20-30 tweeted their way across the meadow, perhaps enjoying the morning sun. And our regular herd of turkeys is back, too.
A flock of Evening Grosbeaks outside HQ.
Didn’t take this pic. – a close-up of an Evening Grosbeak
‘Beaks in the aspens
‘Beaks in the pines
Wild turkeys doing some trekking across the meadow here at HQ.
Another shot of the turkey-lerks.
It’s not [always] about the beer
That’s not to say I didn’t have any when my wife and I visited The Naked Fish in South Lake but the beer definitely WAS NOT the highlight of the meal. Yes, beer can be a meal but I often like it as an accompaniment to food – food. In this case, some of the best, most unique sushi we’ve had. The hamachi was glorious (so buttery) and the uni was briny, kelpy, rich-flavored goodness. And that poke bowl…I’m salivating now as I recall how good that was! The way they prepare the sushi, though, is perhaps the real highlight – works of art that you almost don’t want to eat.
Hungry for some awesome raw fish? Check this place out!
Flags (er, flag) flying at the ‘Shoe’s place
As many of you loyal readers and Strava followers know, Diamond Valley is one of my favorite places to ride. I did what I call the Diamond Valley Ewes (not the sheep, no, but two half-loops – but how does one write two yous, as in the letter?) which took me past Snowshoe’s place twice. The second time around I stopped to visit, as I usually do.
Markers (and yours truly) at the site where Snowshoe lived. Always a good rest-stop.
First snow (kinda…we had a little in Sept) of the season
It wasn’t much but it was enough to close Ebbett’s, Monitor, Sonora and Tioga Passes here in the California Alps. According to the CalTrans QuickMap app just now, they are all still closed with the exception of Monitor. It’s pretty darn cold here so it appears winter is on the way. We’d appreciate it, though, Ma Nature, if you’d give us a break or two before the big snow starts.
The recent dusting on the meadow here at HQ.
Deathride resurgence
The ride is under new management! The Alpine Co. Chamber of Commerce owns the ride (as it has for years) but this year we’ve (I am a board member) decided to take it to a new (different) level. We’re hiring a professional ride director and are exploring things like alternate route options, or additions. We’re also looking at making it more of a Fondo and adding a bit of a retro vibe. We’re still working out some of the details so stay tuned for more information about our Ruby Anniversary Edition. It’s going to be a blast!
Well, there you have it! I told you there was lots going on here in the heart of the California Alps. Here at California Alps Cycling we count our blessings every day. Living, working and riding in such an awesome place is a privilege that we don’t take for granted. We hope to see you here for a visit soon. In the meantime, let’s kick some passes’ asses! Assuming they’re still rideable.
Success on an Adopt-a-Highway day is a mixed bag, no pun intended. It’s great to be able to give back to the community but I wish we didn’t have to pick up trash in the first place. It’s mind-boggling to me that people still litter at all!
Bailey, Henry, Pat, Mark & January with the day’s haul from Saturday’s clean up.
Now to be sure, some of the littering was likely accidental – for example the Kenworth branded mudflap we found, or the socket wrench, with a couple sockets, likely left there by a distracted, or perhaps hurried, repair-maker (there’s not a whole lot of shoulder on that particular chunk of Highway 89 where this stuff was found).
Other than those “special” items, we found the typical beer cans (mostly Coors light and Chelada), numerous cigarette butts (seriously?), a filled (ew!) baby diaper, one-half of a plastic Easter egg, numerous plastic bags, various plastic car parts (headlight lenses, pieces of wind deflectors, taillight lenses, etc.), myriad bottles, including a few Sierra Nevada Summerfest, and other “fun” items.
The California Alps Cycling crew was joined this time by two folks from Sparks, NV: Henry and Bailey. They reached out to us after seeing our last blog post advertising the event. Chris (legacy member, Chris Schull) and I met them a couple months ago. We chatted a bit in town (Markleeville) as we were coming back from a ride and they were heading out. Henry and Bailey felt that it was important to give back to the community where they ride quite often and we can’t agree more. That’s one big reason we do it.
One of the other reasons we do it is to help keep our watersheds clean.
“As an interconnected system, an impact to any part of the watershed affects the rest of the system downstream.”
Did you know Alpine County includes the headwaters of five (5) watersheds?
Yup! The American, Carson, Mokelumne, Stanislaus and Truckee Rivers all get their start here and so it’s that much more important to prevent garbage and other nasties from getting into these rivers.
And, we aren’t the only ones that take this seriously. The Alpine Watershed Group does too. As their tagline reads, they are: “Working to preserve and enhance the natural system functions in Alpine County’s watersheds for future generations through collaboration, education, and proactively implementing stewardship projects.” We’ve donated to the AWG before and today we became a sustaining member. Perhaps you can help out, too? Just go to their website and donate, or volunteer, or both. They, and we, would love to have you!
Speaking of healthy watersheds…We have been frequented here at CA Alps Cycling HQ recently by an osprey! We saw it fly over town a couple days ago and then noticed it on Sunday, perched on a branch here, eating a snake.
The last several weeks have been a lot of work, but with lots of fun times, too. I haven’t had much time to blog but I finally came up for air so here’s a run-down of our recent activities here in the heart of the Sierra Nevada.
Markleeville Spring Clean-up and Cinco de Mayo Celebration
It all started on the anniversary of that famous (infamous?) day, which commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza. It is not a celebration of Mexican independence, as some mistakenly think. Okay, there’s your history lesson for today. Thanks Wikipedia!
Here in Markleeville, it was our chance to do our first clean up of the year and do a bit of commemoratin’ ourselves (after the work was done, of course). Eighteen (18) intrepid volunteers, including your truly, my wife and California Alps Cycling co-founder, Patricia, joined us, as did our club mother (and my Mom), January. In fact Mom gets the kudos for the excellent salsa and guacamole that we munched on post-work day. I brought the cerveza, though.
We mowed, weed-whacked, lopped, trimmed, picked-up and well, you get the idea. We tackled Markleeville Park (as we have affectionately named a vacant lot in town), Coyan Park, and Heritage Park. We picked up a bunch of limbs, branches and such that had accumulated by one of our welcome signs and we picked up trash – on the section of highway we’ve adopted between Turtle Rock Park and Camp Markleeville, which includes town.
Several bags of trash, a bike helmet and a totally thrashed mile-marker (snow blower got it I think) were part of the haul. We made about three to four trips to the local bio-mass pile, too. Lots of mass to bio, if you will. A shout out to Karrie and John Baker, of Alps Haus and Al’s Got Gas, Bait & Tackle, here in town for their support (as always). Quick plug – We have some CA Alps Cycling schwag for sale (it’s a consignment ‘thang) at Al’s so stop on by and grab some (and get some gas and tackle while you’re at it)!
Washoe Earth Day Celebration
The following Saturday (last weekend, May 11th), Chris (Schull, legacy member) and I met at the Hung a Lel Ti gym as we had lots of bikes to repair. The day had been a long time coming with the associated planning that comes with such big events. Susan Jamerson and team did a bang up job getting ready for the event, with a bicycling focus added to the day. Part of that included a repair station so that kids could get their bikes fixed up for the races that were to come. I spent the previous week or so gathering donations (prizes for the race winners) from local merchants and friends as well as prepping and packing the gear, tools, stands, tables etc. that we’d need for the repair center.
Chris & I arrived about 8:30 a.m. and we already had some repair candidates waiting. Hung A Lel Ti Chairman Irvin Jim met us upon arrival and he and a few of the riders helped us unload and then we set to work. Was quite the trip down memory lane as the bikes we worked on were not what we were used to riding, at least now that we were old (er). These were bikes we rode as kids! Too fun. We mostly fixed flats and such but there were other repairs needed too – from brakes to derailleur hangers and many points in between. We figured we wrenched on about 12-15 bikes and we got them all done in time for the races, which started at 10:00 a.m. It was great watching the kids race and we basked in the knowledge that we helped them be able to do that.
What an awesome place to ride
After our hard, but oh so rewarding day acting like bike mechanics, it was time for some us time! We headed up Ebbett’s Pass to Raymond Meadow Creek for a “chat n’ ride” as I call it. Nary a car was seen so we were able to yak and take in the scenery without much trouble.
Chris hamming it up at Silver Mountain City. Those are the remnants of the old jail there behind him.
Raymond Meadow Creek was raging!
Then, on Monday (just a few days ago), we took it one step further and rode Monitor Pass; my second trip up the mountain since the Friday before. It’s a hard climb but we figured it would be a good way to start the day because we planned on finishing it by watching the Amgen Tour of California come into So. Lake Tahoe for the finish. Get it? We suffer in the a.m. and then drink beer and eat while we watch the pros suffer in the afternoon!
The Amgen Tour of California
Off to Tahoe we went. We kicked things off with some suds and sammies at Artemis; we hung out at the bar and enjoyed the vibe before we walked a couple miles up to Heavenly to avoid the crowds, or so we thought. Fortunately for us (and other race-watchers) there wasn’t much of that. Unfortunately, if you get my drift, there wasn’t much of that. Too bad – seeing these athletes do their thing is an amazing experience. Anyway, compared to last year it was a piece of cake. In fact, we realized about 2/3 of the way there that we could have just driven on up and parked near the start/finish/festival. By then, though, it was too late. We were committed!
We got to the start/finish in plenty of time to have a brew (see above) and check out the vendors and schwag. The weather was perfect and I don’t think there’s a better place to watch a bike race. You still have some time to check out some of the race, yourself. The women’s race starts today which means you can watch two races! And, of course, there’s the Giro happening too! And, on top of all the wonderful cycling coverage, there’s basketball and hockey playoffs for those so inclined. I’m into the Warriors but have yet to watch the Sharks play. I will though; I have to represent since I’m a San Jose native. Exciting times for sure! At least for some of us, right?
Check us out on Facebook!
That’s right, we finally got our arses in gear and set up our FB page! We also have a Twitter feed and have begun setting up our Instagram page. It’s not easy trying to find the time and I appreciate your patience, loyal reader, as we continue to build and “social-ize.”
Thanks for reading, especially this post. I know it’s a bit long-winded.
We’d love to know about your adventures! Comment on this post so other followers can partake and perhaps live vicariously through you.
Be safe out there
In closing, just a little reminder to be safe in whatever outdoor activities you do. Have the right gear, get the right training, do the right research and you’ll have the right fun! Ride on!?
Finally…The Brewer’s Blackbirds have arrived here at California Alps Cycling HQ! A sign of spring for certain!
A Brewer’s Blackbird showing off the iridescent blue that is so cool.
We’ve also seen robins, yet another sign, and just this week, our first hummingbird visitors – an Anna’s and a Rufous.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
The Aspens are starting to bud and the rivers and streams are flowing (almost raging). There are waterfalls a plenty and the lakes are starting to thaw. And, that shiny, bright orb in the sky can be seen most days.
Most importantly, at least from my perspective, I can get some serious riding in – outside. Just last Sunday, fellow CA Alps Cycling member Chris Schull and I, did just that! We started in Genoa (best bar around), went up to Spooner Summit, around part of Lake Tahoe, up Luther Pass and into Hope Valley, back down Woodford’s Canyon (Hwy. 88) and then, after fighting serious headwinds most of the day, we were blessed with a screaming tailwind all the way back to Genoa. We both PR’d 40k in about 57 minutes! My previous was about 1:07. We froze our hineys off for most of the day but that last leg was wondrous – you probably could have scraped bugs from our teeth due to our ultra-wide smiles.
‘Twas a great day indeed!
Click here to check out my Relive video of the ride.
So, if you haven’t made plans to come up to the Sierra soon, I strongly recommend it. Fishing season on rivers and streams opens on April 27th and there are myriad Earth Day celebrations, clean-ups and festivals happening everywhere.
In fact, as part of our mission to “help the communities in which we live, work and ride” we are taking part in a clean-up day on May 5th. We’ll be doing some garbage pick up on the 3-mile stretch of Hwy. 89 that we’ve adopted, as well as some other work around Markleeville along with other members of the community and the Markleeville Enhancement Club (founded by my friend, and former Co. Supervisor, Mary Rawson and me). We’d love to have you join us. Let me know if you’re interested by commenting on this post, or send me an email (mschwartz@californiaalpscycling.bike) if you prefer.
In other news…
The Alpine Trails Association is making plans to work on the Thornburg trail, once the snow clears, and I’ll be out there doing what my crew chief tells me to (with my new Pulaski). Al’s Got Gas has recently opened (used to be Markleeville Gas) thanks to our friends, and local philanthropists John and Karrie Baker. They are getting ready for their grand opening on the 27th and not only will they have fuel, but also fishing supplies, fun things to do for the kids, and FatBike rentals (with tours led by yours truly).
I’m also VERY EXCITED to announce that we’ll be opening our first retail outlet at Al’s. We’ll have tees, jerseys, bibs and vests, cinch packs, and decals for sale. Stop on by and get some fuel, munchies and cycling schwag!
Another plug for the Bakers…They also own the Alps Haus Cafe (awesome sammies and soups, and cold beer) so you can get some good grub, too.
Hope to see you soon…
We hope you too are partaking in the wonders of Spring and hope to see you soon here in Markleeville. Let me know when you’re coming up. I’d be happy to show you around.
There’s a Great Blue Heron there in the middle of the river – on the rock just to the right of the little Spruce tree.
Snapped this image from HQ just this morning. It’s going to be a beauty day!
2018 was a good year here in Markleeville and I hope you all can say the same about your year. As I cast my mind back (RIP Paul Sherwen) to try and recall the year’s milestones I have to admit some of the details are a bit sketchy. Nonetheless, a massive thank you for your support and I herewith recap the year as best I can with the hope that it gives you a sense of pride in what we’ve all accomplished in a relatively short time.
Advocacy
Two days of spreading the gospel of cycling as I like to call it: One at the Deathride this past summer (when we officially launched C.A.C.!!!) and the other was at the Magical Markleeville Christmas Faire (MMCF).
At the first, our Club Mother, January Riddle, and I, spent some time talking with many riders, some first timers. I think we helped some of the neophytes better understand what was coming. Most importantly, we talked to many members of the community about what we cyclists do (on and off the bike) and why we do it.
At the second, during the MMCF, I brought in a bike and some winter gear so our neighbors could see what we ride and what we wear. I had many great conversations, including some with community leaders, and we also socialized our first advocacy piece, our Etiquettes and Statutes handout!
Community Service
As you may recall, we adopted the 3-mile stretch of Highway 89 from Camp Markleeville to Turtle Rock Park and it irks us something fierce when we see litter on “our highway.” We’ve been known to pull over to grab a lone piece of junk just to keep it pristine. We did two Adopt-a-Highway litter pick up days – both during the 2nd half of the year. Bags of garbage and detritus removed and lots of thumbs up from passers by received…
One of our founders and Club Wife, Patricia, with our Club Mother, January, after our first clean up day in July of this year.
Merch
Many of you have already purchased your kits, vests or tees and it’s much appreciated! We’ve also gotten some cool decals made and this coming summer, we’ll have some cinch bags (aka sackbacks, sackpacks, whatever you want to call ’em) available for our bag drop at the Deathride. Right now I’m working on an online catalog integration with Square and once that’s done (taking way longer than I had hoped) all California Alps Cycling merch will be available online. If something interests you in the meantime, email me at mschwartz@californiaalpscycling.bike and we’ll figure out how to get it to you. Members get at least 5% off so why not join our merry band of troublemakers too? Click here to learn more.
Some windblockability,eh?
Bibs. Yup, bibs.
Members and miles
We now have sixteen (16) members and collectively we’ve ridden over 40,000 miles this year! That’s a lot of time on the bike and it’s a conservative number (I don’t have stats for all of us). Congratulations to all for a successful and crash free (serious crashes, at least) year.
Weather and Air
Our weather station went live this year, as did our AQI. Check out our Weather and Air Conditions page for some data that matta. It’s cold here today, by the way so I took the easy way out and Zwifted. Brrrr here, jungle there. Cool app., that Zwift.
2019 Goals and Wishes
Goals for California Alps Cycling this year include getting our catalog on line, hosting with aplomb (cool word, aplomb…) the bag drop at the Deathride, doubling our membership (spread the word, will ya?), sponsoring or participating in four (4) advocacy related events and having four (4) Adopt-a-Highway clean-up days. I’d also like to get our social media channels up and running and have a some group rides going too. Ambitous perhaps but as I like to say “You’ve got to have BHAGS (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals)!
Wishing all of you a safe and ass-kicking year on the bike (and any other endeavors in which you are planning on participating).
Happy New Year riders! Now, Let’s Kick Some Passes Asses!
Last weekend we set up our booth, as did a bunch of “Christmas Crafters,” at the Magicial Markleeville Christmas Faire. The plan originally was for all of us to set up around town but due to the nasty weather we ended up at Turtle Rock Park instead. No worries…it was a wonderfully cozy time and the pancake breakfast (thanks firefighters) was excellent!
Ready to enlighten, educate and advocate!The view across the room.
The Faire went from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and while it wasn’t as well attended as it might have been had the weather been more cooperative I was able to have many conversations with both locals and out-of-towners about cycling, cycling equipment and more. I also took the opportunity to put together a little informational piece that I hoped would enlighten non-cyclists on why we do what we do out there. It also addressed several statutes that I felt should be socialized a bit.
Would love to hear what you think about it. Does it need more? Less?
Let me know by either commenting on this page or email me at mschwartz@californiaalpscycling.bike if you’d prefer to get more into the weeds. Would really appreciate it!
From outside the Faire after the snow stopped.
Ride safe and remember to: “Kick Some Passes’ Asses!” whether that be on the bike, skis, snowshoes, running shoes or boots!
Last Saturday, Mike Barton and Rich Harvey, members of the Alpine Watershed Group, joined members of California Alps Cycling (yours truly, January Riddle and Patricia Schwartz) in an Adopt-a-Highway litter clean-up along Highway 89 in and around Markleeville. Brian Peters, Community Development Director of Alpine County, also gave up part of his Saturday to help out.
Our bags piled up
and ready for pick up by CalTrans
We collected eight (8) bags of garbage including the following items:
A cell phone (smart-phone) – a brand of which we had never seen.
A cooler lid along with two (2) other lids from totes of some sort. Nope we didn’t get the totes too.
A rolled up dollar bill. Someone was doing something illicit but I appreciated the tip nonetheless.
A couple dozen cigarette butts. Really, people still do that?!
About fifteen (15) or so beer cans. All but two (2) were either Coors or Coors Light. The other two were a Bud Light and a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Does this say something about Coors drinkers? You decide!
Many, many mini-wine bottles. Mostly Sutter Home…again! Okay, what’s the the Sutter Home people?
Quite a few plastice garbage bags (ironic, don ‘t you think?), a 10×20’ piece of black plastic, and
A chunk of car bumper, a slice of roof rack and a headlight unit, sans bulb.
This was all collected along a three-mile stretch of the highway, from Camp Markleeville to Turtle Rock Park!
It was a good day of community service and a big ol’ C.A.C. THANK YOU goes out to all of our intrepid volunteers.
