Rob met me at Rocco's place on Tuesday (Sept 4) early afternoon to show me the trail work the North Wayne Outdoor Recreation Club (NWORC http://www.nworc.org/) has been putting in on the old New York Ontario & Western Railroad bed (O & W). We were able to just unload Rob's UTV right there in the Vacation Inn parking lot and jump right on the connector trail--pretty convenient. After riding the trail down to one end where it now starts, Rob and I rode (Can you say you "rode" if you are in a UTV?) back up the trail Arlo's place to cop a roast beef sandwich for lunch.

Arlo's is just up the road or trail from Rocco's place, depending on whether you are riding the trail or in your car on the road. The point is you can get there either way, street legal or trail legal. That is also part of the point of what NWORC is doing with this trail. Connecting the communities and businesses to the trails to provide economic gain alongside trail opportunity is important to this club. They understand the value and they are doing it right. It is all private property and they provide insurance to protect the land owner. The trail is designed that you need to be compliant with the state, they push safety, they've signed the trail, and work to ensure enforcement is patrolling. Snowmobilers also use the trail, so they have even created a temporal separation to keep other types of recreation off the trail in the winter to prevent conflicts, maximize safety, and ensure the snowmobilers have a quality experience. Most important, they are all about everyone being able to use the trail, motorized or non.

Yamaha is helping them by providing a grant to make a cross connector trail which the club calls the Yamaha X trail. Way to go Yamaha. When you see it first hand on the ground, you appreciate the value of their grant program even more.

Monday (Sept 3) I headed north again to catch up with Rob Gorczyk who is also on the board of PAOHV (among a host of other clubs) and another contact made through Dick Lepley. Catching up with Rob ain't exactly easy... I'm just sayin'. After meeting him, I can tell you that this guy is moving when he is standing still. I don't think I have met a more energetic and amiable advocate for our recreation.

I had kind of dropped a difficult task on Rob by asking to meet up with folks on the last day of the Labor Day weekend, as well as on the following Tuesday (Sept 4). As it turned out though, Rob put together a couple of very informative days.

I met up with Rob just north of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area in Dunmore, Pennsylvania at The New Lost Trails ATV Adventure Park. Rob thought it would be a good idea that I get a flavor of one of the types of opportunities ATV/UTV/Dirt Bike Riders have up here. The New Lost Trails ATV Adventure Park (http://www.ridelosttrails.com/) is a recreational off-road park situated on over 2000 acres. It is a family business owned and operated by Tony and Leslie Novack.

Not having really had much experience with this type of off-highway experience, I was most interested to see what they had put together. I was pleasantly surprised and understand the attraction. One guy I talked to in the parking lot told me he comes there because he knows what to expect and the trails give him the experience he wants. I had heard this same thing in previous meetings I have had along the way. Managed as private or managed by an agency, parks are growing in popularity.

Dave Whiteman is THE MAN! On Friday (August 21) Dave climbed on his BMW R1200 GS and rode over to meet up with me near Windber, PA. What an awesome meeting and ride he gave me in PA. Check the chicken strips on my tires in the adjacent picture. I can personally tell you that keeping up with Dave on those twisting-turning-rolling-up and down the mountain Pennsylvania backroads is both a challenge and a hoot.

We met up, at Dave's suggestion, at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (http://www.nps.gov/alpo/index.htm) not far from Windber. That was a cool suggestion and well worth seeing. Want to see what happens when you put a challenge in front of people? The Allegheny Portage Railroad is a pretty good example. Inspired me with what we face in our role as advocates and enthusiasts. We CAN make this better!

After the sidebar at the APR NHS, Dave led the way through a maze of roads that I couldn't decide if I wanted to just stop and take pictures or keep on riding. It is easy to see why all the clamor people make about adventure sport riding in PA. A perfect day and perfect riding was just what I needed and just what I got.

Just when you think your meetings with folks can't get much better, the partners you are meeting with step it to the next level.

On Wednesday night (August 30) I had the pleasure of attending a meeting with members of the Ohio Motorized Trail Association and the Buckeye Dualsporters in Carroll, Ohio that Bill Kaeppner had set up. Steve Kraft hosted the meeting in his awesome man cave full of memorabilia. The conversation was casual and informative and covered everything from the logistics of coming events to the dream of making connections between areas in Southeastern Ohio in "Hatfield-McCoy--ish" fashion and what good that would do for the rural economy of many towns.

Chasing my way across Ohio headed toward William Kaeppner's place (http://www.kaeppnerswoods.com/), it would have been wrong, just wrong, to pass through Pickerington (near Columbus), OH and not stop at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Because I was in a bit of a hurry, the ride wasn't all that great, but the stops were. I thought I would just share a few photos from the Museum.

It was gratifying to me to see the exibit where my predecessor and founder of BRC, Clark Collins, holds a well deserved place of honor. The man has big shoes to follow in.