What happens next?

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Thu, 02/14/2013 - 14:15

To answer that question, I might best serve by answering the question of, "What has happened since?"

The major point of this trip was the Board and Staff at BRC wanted feedback and not from a survey. There is no substitute for personal feedback. To that end, everywhere I went, I posed two questions to the people I met with:

1) What are your concerns with management of our public lands and waters?
2) What adjustments or changes do you think that BRC needs to make to improve our organization into the future?

The Road Home...

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 13:30

Meeting with the NMOHVA folks in Albuquerque, NM

The view from my office for the last and "winter" leg of the tour

Following the last meeting I had in the Phoenix area with the Mesa 4 Wheelers, the weather headed north was starting to concern me and I was anxious to head to Albuquerque for a meeting with the New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Association.

I chose to ride a lower route rather than the way most follow that leads north through Flagstaff and across through Gallup. I am glad I did. Weather being the deciding factor, the northern route would have been a bit chilly. I can also tell you now (from firsthand experience) that if you ever have the opportunity to ride (or even drive) 152 out of Silver City, NM east toward Caballo Lake State Park, it is a must do. On a motorcycle it is a gloriously curly road that takes you through the lower Gila National Forest and up over the 8000+ Emory Pass overlook that takes your breath--if not from the beauty, then certainly from the altitude, or the joy of the ride.

Literally, I have seen this from coast to coast

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 18:40

I provided an update to our members over on the BlueRibbon Coalition's website (http://www.sharetrails.org) today that I also thought appropriate to share over here because it is indicative of what I have literally seen from both coasts--and points in between--on this tour. Read my update below. Meanwhile, I am finishing up in Arizona and headed toward New Mexico for a couple more meetings and then home. The meetings I have had in Arizona have been awesome, but that is the subject of another post here.

From the Ocean to the Desert

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Mon, 11/26/2012 - 12:11

Some days you can't help but feel like the view was lifted right out of a western novel

From the Ocean to the Desert...

This time of year in the Southwest has a real appeal for many folks and I get it now in a way I never have before. The weather has been spectacular, especially for riding from hitch to whoa on a motorcycle like I have been. It is also beautiful--different from what I have had so far on this Tour. I've shared just a couple of photos here so you can get a feel if you haven't been here.

This last leg of this first phase of the Turn the Tide Tour has brought me through a good deal of Southern California, through Twenty-nine Palms, to Parker and Lake Havasu in Arizona and then across to where I am now. I spent the Thanksgiving Holiday with my Sister here in Phoenix and even had a meeting with some enthusiasts over the weekend. This week is a busy one with another meeting tonight (Monday, Nov 26), meetings Tuesday and Wednesday down in Tucson, and then back up to Phoenix for another meeting on Thursday. From there, I am on to New Mexico for a couple more meetings and then, I point the bike north toward home.

Each stop along the way has been unique and the people I am meeting with are great, providing lots of opportunities and their time for input to what we are doing at BRC. For example, tonight the meeting is an open Meet and Greet that Charlene Bower of Bower Motorsports Media (http://bowermedia.com/2012/11/meet-greg-mumm-from-blueribbon-coalition/) has put together at Fly-N-Hi Total Performance Center (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fly-N-Hi-Total-Performance-Center/31629915...). This weekend, I had a meeting with some folks from the state and from the Arizona Off Highway Vehicle Coalition. Tomorrow with the Tucson Rough Riders and ASA4WDC, and more as I mentioned above as the week goes on.

All of what I have heard and learned has contributed to me being excited to get busy with doing something with all of this. Like I have said before, it's only data until you do something with it. Then it becomes intelligence...

Listening is Good-Action is Better...

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Wed, 11/14/2012 - 17:54

Limits begin where the vision ends...

When I set out on the tour phase of BRC's Turn the Tide Tour 2012, I wanted to hear three things firsthand from the enthusiast community:

1. Your concerns with management of our public lands and waters
2. What adjustments you feel BRC needs to make to remain relevant into the future
3. How BRC can better unite the enthusiast community across the country

Acting in the self-appointed role of BRC's Chief Listening Officer, I've been on the road for 13 weeks. I've ridden my motorcycle over 14,000 miles, stopping all along the way to meet with enthusiasts--to listen to you. I hope to be home by early December, but I still have a few thousand miles to go and lots of people to meet with.

This tour has been a serious commitment on my part and it has proven to be very worthwhile. In reflection, I've often told my wife that communicating with you via email, Facebook or other written means is good, and telephone calls are better, but there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings with the folks BRC serves. I have heard and learned more from you on this tour than I could ever have expected. I am still learning.

And, it doesn't stop with listening. While listening is good, action is better. Information gathered by listening is only data. It doesn't become intelligence until we do something with it. Phase two of the Turn the Tide Tour 2012 is when that action is coming, and I am looking forward to the challenge.

Catching up where I've gotten waaaay behind

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Tue, 11/13/2012 - 18:45

On the ride south in the Avenue of the Giants, the answer is Yes I did the tourist thing

Good thing Nick Haris was there to drive me over the mountains to Carson City

Red Rock Canyon Area on the ride to Pahrump from Vegas

For those who have never been, the SEMA Show is huge... this is just one lot

The past several weeks have been a flurry for me and now find myself I apologizing for having gotten so far behind... again. Several people who have been following this even emailed me to make sure I am okay and to see what was up. Here is a summary of what I have been up to in hopes of catching up.

After the meetings in Oregon, I headed south to California. Nick Haris with the AMA had made a gracious offer to stay at his house for a couple of days while I was in the area and I want to thank him for that. Nick is a great guy and it was good to spend time with him. It was even better that Nick was willing to come out to ride with me a while and show me around the area. That whole area up in northern CA is absolutely gorgeous. When the weather moved in, it was also helpful that Nick was there to get me over the now snow covered mountains to Carson City to the meeting Gary Lambert had set up for us in Nevada with groups from the area. Gary did a great job gathering representatives from several groups for us to talk with. In addition to Nick and Gary, there were folks from Pine Nuts, Dust Devils, Sierra Trail Stompers, Friends of the Black Rock, Nevada Motorcycle Rider's Assoc., Western States Racing Assoc., and from District 36 of the AMA.

From there, it was time for me to make a reset run to Las Vegas where in all the same week there was the SEMA show, the BRC Annual Board meetings, the BRC Annual Membership meeting, and the annual meeting of the North America Motorized Recreation Council (NAMRC). Whew! There was a lot going on there and lots of people and businesses to meet with at the end of October and the beginning of November.

Riding California's Avenue of the Giants

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 17:12

After the meetings in Oregon, I headed south for more in California. Along the way was the Avenue of Giants. I thought I would share some of that ride with you, especially for those of you who haven't been there. The whole area was pretty incredible.

(To view this video without the location information in the introduction, go here: http://youtu.be/UfzVuI723wc)

Tags:

Avenue of the Giants

Oregon Dunes Rant

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Wed, 11/07/2012 - 11:23

My host and president of Save the Riders Dunes, C Jody Phillips standing on the foredunes

The foredunes formed from the beachgrass with the lowland swamps developing in behind them on the right

Check how quickly the beachgrass encroaches on the dunes... the carsonite sign was put in at the edge of the dunes just last year

While I was in Oregon, I had the pleasure of meeting with some of the good folks of Save the Riders Dunes, specifically I would like to note Barb and Lance Rowland whom I met with for coffee along the road (see my previous post at http://www.wearebrc.org/content/emerald-trail-riders-association-eugene-or), and C. Jody Phillips (President) who put me up at his house, fed me, and gave me a great deal of his time to tour and discuss the issue of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA). They, along with thousands of others have been involved for years on this issue, as riders of the dunes, as local folks whose livelihoods depend on this, and as citizens concerned with their environment and the management of their public lands. (NOTE: You read about Save the Riders Dunes by following them on Facebook at; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Riders-Dunes/294886641722)

I've intentionally delayed this blog post about the Oregon Dunes for the specific reason that we have been waiting for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Oregon Dunes NRA 10c Designated Routes Project to be released. I had it on good authority that it was due to be out "any day." It is out now and you can reference our recent BRC Alert for more information on that at: http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2012/10/22/oregon--siuslaw-nf-releases....

I share that because you need to get involved with this project, however I don't want to get the beach grass wrapped around the axle for the purposes of this rant. Sticking to the point, I was waiting to post because after all the efforts of enthusiasts leading up to this moment in the planning process, leadership of the Forest Service had told them, "Wait till you see the plan, you will be pleasantly surprised." I was waiting because I, along with every other enthusiast had been given a glimmer of hope--maybe they (the USFS) are listening. I didn't want to jeopardize that small, outside chance by going out on a rant.

Sadly, I knew better.

Emerald Trail Riders Association, Eugene, OR

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Mon, 10/22/2012 - 18:18

Just before leaving the Portland/Vancouver area, I had one last meeting before heading south to Eugene. Once again, it is just the way things have often worked for me on this trip. I kept getting pointed toward making sure that I meet up with Barb and Lance Rowland when I got down to the Oregon Dunes. As it turned out, when we talked on the phone, they weren't going to be in the area when I was going to be in the Oregon Dunes area because of a work related convention they had up north.

Columbia River Gorge... Sneaking between weather fronts from Kennewick to Portland/Vancouver

Submitted by Greg Mumm on Mon, 10/15/2012 - 21:55

From a bluff near Maryhill by the Stonehenge replica

If memory serves, I believe this was between White Salmon and Cascade Locks

Just a beautiful ride on Saturday, October 13. I thought I should share a few photos. There were two weather fronts forcast to be coming in from off the coast that I was trying to sneak between enroute to Portland/Vancouver. Trying to avoid having to don the scuba gear :) For the most part, it was successful. I only had to put on the rain gear for about the last 60 miles, and that just because the drizzle started to get annoying. Stayed on the Washington side the whole way (Highway 14). Passed lots of Wineries and saw lots and lots of windmills through here.

We Are BRC - Turn The Tide Tour 2012