PLANNING: 2010 ORTB West Coast Event

[Philberto]

** EDIT **: See the following thread for the west coast meet: http://forums.offroadtb.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1284

Since TECORE III is going on next month, and some members have mentioned the idea to me, I've decided to post up this thread for an ORTB West Coast event.

Everybody please chime in with your ideas for dates and locations and fun things to do. Let's see if we can beat the TECORE attendance!

I feel that for easiest accessibility, we should look around the El Dorado or Tahoe/Reno areas. My availability is centered around the weekends, but is pretty constant throughout the year.

** EDIT **: See the following thread for the west coast meet: http://forums.offroadtb.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1284

[fishsticks]

Posting for interest. I can probably make most time scenarios work with adequate notice.

[bgwolfpack]

I'm game. How far off are you thinking, guys?

(ADD)
Been searching this El Dorado Canyon area. Looks really cool. What else is known about this area around Tahoe?

[Philberto]

I grew up camping all around El Dorado... beautiful areas, and the Rubicon is out there...

Why don't you post up some of those trails you told me about near Tahoe/Reno?

[bgwolfpack]

Reno/Tahoe area.

Here is some listed trails with-in an hour or two.

Billy Bobs, Bronco Canyon, Budweiser Canyon, Hunter Lake, Moon Rocks, Steve's Loop, Twister all close to Reno.

Barney Riley Trail, Barrett Lake, Bear valley, Deer Valley, El Dorado Canyon, Fordyce Creek, High Rock Canyon, Rubicon, Pine Nut Mountains, Sand Mountain.

All of these can be found at http://www.fourwheeler.com in thier "Best cities" to wheel in section.

[Philberto]

I want to wait to hear OregTrailBlazin, Roadie, and Teebes chime in with their availability before starting to figure dates, since I know from wheeling with Roadie and Teebes that they are must-haves on any trip for sheer anecdotal knowledge alone, and I owe Johnny a trip since he was sick as a dog during our last trip and couldn't make it.

[bgwolfpack]

I want to wait to hear OregTrailBlazin, Roadie, and Teebes chime in with their availability before starting to figure dates, since I know from wheeling with Roadie and Teebes that they are must-haves on any trip for sheer anecdotal knowledge alone, and I owe Johnny a trip since he was sick as a dog during our last trip and couldn't make it.

Absolutely.

[The Roadie]

I'm sure here and very interested. Lake Tahoe is wonderful, but very high elevation and the snow melts very late. I've done week-long trips on the west side of the Sierra Nevada, and others on the east side, and far prefer the harsher east side to the touristy National Forest side. But there's great weekends to be had around where I broke my tie rod end northeast of Fresno. If we're doing a long weekend, Big Bear might still be more central for the Socal folks. More trails than you can finish in three days just around Big Bear. Or Idyllwild. Tahoe deserves a week by itself. But while I'm contracting, and not a permanent employee yet, I have no vacation with pay, so all I can take is weekends until I know if I'm going to be converted. And if the job doesn't last, THEN I'll have all the time for a long expedition, but less money to enjoy it. Sigh...

[SteveTB03]

I'd be willing to go on a trip for the west it sounds pretty fun. I've never been to the Tahoe area or anywhere you guys have mentioned for that matter, so it'll be pretty fun I think to experience a big trip with everyone here.

[Philberto]

Big bear may be central for us socal guys, Bill, but I don't really think it qualifies as central if we're throwing the WA and OR guys into the mix. Speaking of, haven't heard from Johnny much lately, and Doratus disappeared too I think.

[The Roadie]

Distances are so large out here it's like asking Florida members to go to TECORE. 12 hours driving to a central location and back at the end means four days min for the trip. And destinations worth going to all have more than two days worth of wheeling while you're there, and that would give less time for socializing except around the campfire until midnight every night. An event like MORA was scheduled to be two days on-site in Missouri, but I scheduled 12 days for it, and then broke on the way home, but that's an entirely different story. Alek and I planned vacation/expeditions around it and I don't think it will ever be repeated, partially because the offroading there wasn't really challenging or scenic. At least with any west coasters there.

So my thoughts are that a BIG west coast event should be planned as a vacation kind of trip, with three days min over a weekend at the central location - available for close-by folks to visit for the weekend. But WA/OR and San Diego members would have to plan real time off of work, and firmly commit to the event. Without firm plans, even with the most enthusiastic intentions, a relatively remote meet just doesn't have much chance of happening - see what happened to the Lake Havasu and recent series of San Diego intended meets.

Thoughts?

[bgwolfpack]

I understand the situation your in with work Bill. I realize you can't jeopardize it and that a days drive to go drive in the woods isn't necessarily high on your priority list. I respect that.

This very much will be a vacation for me with the possible extension from the Tahoe area to somewhere else. If I could I'd schedule 12 days off for this trip too and dove tail in 3 or 4 days in the Steen's. Spend time at the John Day fossil beds but for right now only this trip to the Reno/Tahoe area is being discussed and it's planning.
I can tell you definitively I will be doing some kind of a trip and I'm 99% sure Donny will come too, if not too bad for him. The idea of Tahoe is not for the scenery but the local. Hoping to appease all equally. I wish you could make it. If you can't I will still ask for you to please be a Steward for this group and it's efforts.

[Philberto]

I completely understand and agree with what you're saying. I also know that the main reason for the failure of the Lake Havasu Meet was extreme lack of firm committment. Given that we wouldn't be looking at anything like renting out hotel rooms or the like, I think we may be able to make possibly a Sequoia NF or the like work... maybe even Lone Pine/Bishop or something similar. What are your thoughts?

[HARDTRAILZ]

I am gonna have to back out of this one.

10 hours to Tecore is one thing, but like Bill said he scheduled 12 days, I dont have 12 days for a west coast run...yet.

Anyway, have fun and good luck getting everyone together.

I hope that next year i can get a real midwest offroad event planned. Badlands where I go was named to Off-road magazines bucket list of places to wheel, as was Rausch Creek.

[bgwolfpack]

HARDTRAILZ You put together a Midwest event in the Badlands a year from now and I'm on the list as confirmed. Between my wife and I we almost a hundred relatives to stay with from Minot to Rapid City. (really) Mmm free food.

Phil,

The Tahoe local seems reasonable considering the distance we all must travel from the north to the south and for anyone even closer or farther out. I think the Tahoe area has much to offer us and will be a great trip. How about mid July?

[djthumper]

As much as I would like to make it, I doubt I will be able to since I already have a 2 week vacation to go up the Oregon and Washington in August.

[Philberto]

This event is still open to time slots, and I'm not sure yet if I'll even be able to do anything until later this year. Finances play a big role in my decision, and this month has been rough. Tahoe sounds nice, but I don't know the area too well. Will research and let you know what looks good.

[SteveTB03]

The havasu trip was a HUGE disaster so many flakes saying they're going and then canceling it was ridiculous.

But so you guys are all deciding on either bigbear or Tahoe area correct?

[Trail X]

Flakes seem to be common in any meet/event. I've learned that from TECOREs... I think at one time I had like 15 signed up for TECORE I. We ended up having 5 or so.

[fishsticks]

I've been watching this thread closely. I've talked to my wife about it already. If we can nail something down with at least a month's notice, I'm 95% in. For us, Tahoe would be preferable, since my wife has family there.