The GrrRizly Mountain Biking Page has had the distinction of being written about in the November 1997 issue of Mountain Bike Action! [See page 158] The article is called "The 60 Best Rides On The Internet". I'll include a couple paragraphs from the lead-in:

But if you can't ride your bike, don't need to fix it, don't have the energy to go down to the local bike shop, don't have any friends to talk to in person, or just want to burn off a few hundred hours -- it's time to surf the fat-Web. We should warn you that there are thousands of mountain bike sites on the net. Very few are worth wasting your time, and most are absolutely useless. But there are gems that will give you localized information on where to ride, local bike shops to visit, maps of riding areas and riding tips to check out. If you have the patience and the necessary RAM, you can even get cool photos and good ol' mountain bike gossip.

If you have the need to surf the Web, the MBA wrecking crew thinks you should take a quick peek at these sites.

Would you like to be notified by email when this page changes? Just click here.

Index

• Hawaii 5-OOPS SS team entered in the May 27-28 24hr "Round the Clock" race at Spokane, WA
• Dragon Tongue SingleSpeeds Tri-Cities, WA Area
  Come out and join us for some 1-speed lunacy!
• Tri-City Trail Descriptions & Conditions Tri-Cities, WA Area
• Bicycle Polo We play on Sundays! Come out and join in or just spectate.
• Columbia Plateau Rail Trail 130+ miles of unique southeast Washington scenery
• TRUE Bicycling Storys Tales to make you howl with laughter and make you realize that you're last ride wasn't as terrible as you thought it was. Don TRUE has a book out, "MOAB DOGS From HELL", about his exploits around Moab. Check it out!
• Mt. Biking Song Parody My tribute to the destroyed New Paradigm trail that was built secretly on Mt. Tamalpais, which is near San Francisco, CA.
• Bicycle Commuting
• Mt Bike Links Lots of links here so I moved them to their own page.
• Bicycle The band that rolls across the country on bicycles and rocks in towns and cities along the way!
• Mountain Biking Humor(?) Some attempts at humor, IMHO, and a chance to submit your own! (Added a JavaScript background changer just for fun.)
• MTB Recipes
• GrrRizly's Tropical Mountain Bike Riding Guide
  Don't forget to look for Isle Margaritaville while you're researching your next mountain biking trip to the Caribbean.
• GrrRizly MTB Animated Cursors zip file
• GrrRizly's Win95 MTB Logo Screens Mountain Bike based logo screens to customize your computer with. The first (and only) mtb logo screens on the Internet (that I'm aware of).

For free software on the Internet, check out the website.

A group of riders typically shows up at the State Patrol trailhead for group rides on Saturdays/Sundays at 6:30am (9am during the winter). If you're going to be in the area, bring your bike along and join us for some sagebrush singletrack.

OLYMPIA STREET
From 395 South out of Kennewick, turn east on 27th. (AM/PM, Arco, Subway intersection). Go two miles east to Olympia. Turn South (right) and continue 2 miles up Olympia street to the crest of the hill. Metal gate to the East (left) at crest. Park at crest of hill or alonside the asphalt road. PLEASE don't park on the private dirt road (to the left) at the bottom of the hill. We have permission to use the trails but the owner wants everyone to stay away from his home. Please respect that. Saddle up and head down the road to the first dirt road to the left. Then take the first dirt road to the right. Trails begin at the end of the very rutted dirt road.
CONDITION: Pay attention to the trails. There are some steep and rough downhill sections. Likely to be tumbleweeds in the trails.

JACOB'S ROAD
CLOSED. Please do not ride at this location until further notice.

FINLEY HILLS
From the Cable Bridge, south and east on State Highway 397 (Chemical Drive) 6 miles to where it dead ends at PIERT ROAD (by Sandvik Titanium main plant). Take free right on PIERT ROAD, continue south 1 1/2 miles to MEALS ROAD. Turn left on MEALS ROAD and continue up into the hills 3 1/2 miles to where maintained dirt road comes in from the left. You'll see the parking area from MEALS ROAD.
TRAIL NOTES: The FENCES are in on the WEST SIDE of the road now. There is an ENTRANCE through the fence about a half mile south on the road. It's OK to ride on the WEST side of the fence but PLEASE make sure that you close any gates that you go through (even if the gate was open when you rode up to it). Don't want the cows (any that are there) getting out and recreational users (horse riders as well as mountain bikers) getting KICKED out.
CONDITION: Some of the best singletrack the Tri-Cities has to offer. This MAP only shows some of the trails but it's a good start.
UPDATE TRAIL CONDITION: This summer, the Rim Trail got burned during a fire at Finley Hills. I've had recent reports, from someone who rode the trail, that the bridge connecting the Rim Trail to Rick's Revenge has been burned to a crisp. You can still get across the gulley but you have to portage across.

CHAMNA NATURAL PRESERVE(a.k.a. ACME CONCRETE)
From McDonalds in the south end of Richland, go 1/2 mile east on frontage road, then go south over the Interstate following the ACME CONCRETE COMPANY signs. At intersection just over the overpass, bear right and you'll see the parking area. Route starts on gravel road which leads over the railroad tracks to the south of the parking area.
CONDITION: The trails stay in pretty good shape all year long. The roads tend to get dusty during the summer. Certain sections of the singletrack trails have water on them during our "rain season" (Nov-Apr) and spring thaw. Please don't ride the wet trails if you're leaving ruts.
UPDATE TRAIL CONDITION: Thankx to some very hard work by Scott Woodward of the Tapteal Greenway, the River Trail is once again open. It took about four days of machete and weed-eater work to reopen the trails. The more we use the trail, the easier it will be to keep it open. Thank-you VERY much, Scott, for your hard efforts.

In addition, Scott is looking to form a team of volunteers to help keep the Chamna trails open in the future. At most, he thinks it might take a once a month effort in order to keep the trails down there open. Please get in touch with Scott at 627-3621 or if you can help out.

JUNIPER DUNES
East of Pasco south on road to Walla Walla. Turn EAST on KAHLOTUS HIGHWAY. Travel 5 miles EAST to FIRE STATION/CARR AVIATION (crop duster service) intersection. Turn left (north) into JUNIPER DUNES on PETERSON ROAD (Note: CARR ROAD is on the South side and PETERSON is on the North side. Confused? Ask for directions from one of the local bike shops before you go.
CONDITION: This area is best during the winter/spring when the sand is compacted. Too sandy to ride during the summer on a mountain bike. Area is also used by motorcycles.

STATE PATROL
On Highway 395 South out of Kennewick. Turn east on State Patrol access road (opposite side of 395 from Christenson Road). Park at Dead End (this is not a statement, just a parking area).
CONDITION: Most used course in the Tri-Cities. There's a recent city ordinance in effect that requires all unauthorized people to stay 1500 ft away from the Zintel Dam. New trials have been laid out in the past year so if you haven't been here in awhile it's worth your time. The new trails are some pretty tasty stuff! Major intersections have been signed with the trail names. Please control your speed and ride only on established trails. For more information on the trails up at State Patrol, stop by one of our local bike shops.
STATE PATROL UPDATE:
I parked in the wrong spot up at State Patrol (and got a written warning to prove it). Please don't park in the intersection. If police vehicles or fire trucks have to respond to a call they'll be coming down the road HOT! and might have to use all the road to make the corner. Here's [Parking] a little graphic that depicts the acceptable parking areas.
Why not dispense will all that trouble and ride your bike from your home to the trails? Or if you're pressed for time, you can always park down at the Park-N-Ride lot on 27th & Union and ride up from there. Thankx for your help and time.

If you notice anyone putting up signs or doing anything to the trails, try to find out from them who they are and why they're doing it. Get that info to the Finley Flyers (either through email [Randy Coleman or Kevin Axt] or leave a message on the Ride Line (734-8655) and they'll take it from there. Thankx for your help and I'll see you on the trails.

Main Index

GAME ON!

Just what is bicycle polo you ask? It's the same as regular polo except for the use of bikes instead of horses. Basically you have a playing field with goals set up at each end. You have to carry the ball down the field using the mallet. Like in soccer and hockey, you can block the ball with any part of your body or bike. In order to keep play as safe as possible, the rules are that the path that the ball is traveling on defines a "safe" zone. The defender can't cross that safe zone to get at the ball. For specific rules see the Northwest Bicycle Polo Chapter of the Bicycle Polo Association of America or the U.S. Bicycle Polo Association, Inc. web pages.

The Northwest Bicycle Polo Chapter, which is based here in the Tri-Cities, put on an International Bike Polo tournament in June 1996. We had teams come from India and Canada to compete. Over in India, bike polo is a much bigger sport than here in America. The team that they sent over consisted of professional players. They were awesome to watch. While we had the advantage in equipment, the Indians were much better at hitting and passing. Needless to say, the Indians rode off with the trophy. Both the American and Canadian teams put up a good fight though.

The Canadian style of play is closer to hockey (Wow, who would have guessed?). Their game has much fewer rules and tends to be more non-stop than the regular style of play. After scoring a goal, the team that scored has to ride through their goal before they can start to defend. Meanwhile, the team that got scored on can be carrying the ball down and trying to score. Definitely a good workout!

You might be a Canadian Bicycle Polo Player if ...
• You have chainring scars on your shins.
• You ride a heavily modified Brodie or Rocky Mountain bicycle.
• Your first choice of re-hydration beverage is a mug of homebrew beer.
• You "dab" a foot in order to get another player to substitute in and allow you to gasp like a fish for air on the sidelines.
• You find you're constantly sprinting for your own goal.
• You circle your goal in a clockwise fashion.
• Jack Nicholas never used a golf club like you do.
• You know that when someone talks about an "Off-road Toad" they're referring to a cool bike made in Canada and not making a snide remark about mountain bikers who spend most of their time in the mud.
• Two words: "GAME ON!"

I was first introduced to Don True's stories after someone forwarded one to the newsgroup I was reading. The story was called Christmas in Dover and by the time I got to the end of the "TRUE" tale, I was having to wipe tears off my face from laughing so hard. It reminds me a lot of the stories that Patrick McManus tells. If you want to know if someone is human, have them read some of these stories. If at some point they don't laugh, you need to make sure that they're alive!

Here's a short bit from a story called NIGHT RIDE.

" Right before Mark went over his bars, he said he heard this little weak voice trying to yell, 'I'm down. I'm down. Don't kill me.' My feeble warning gave Mark just enough time to apply some brakes and his roll over was slow and easy and almost in control. He then started screaming hysterically for Nancy the Nurse to stop and not kill both of us. She locked up her brakes and skidded halfway down the hill and stopped just short of us.

For the next 5 minutes, Nancy and Mark were witness's to the setting of a new Guinness World record. I now hold the title to the 'Greatest number of times the F word can be repeated in any 5 minute time period.' "

Go to The Official "TRUE Storys®" World Wide Web Site for the rest of the NIGHT RIDE story and all the rest of Don's adventures on his bicycle. Makes me want to go to Dover and look Don up to do some riding!

Just out is a book of Don's adventures with Jim the Animal. The book is called "MOAB DOGS From HELL" and all the adventures happen in and around Moab, UT. I got the following email from Don and I thought I'd pass it along:

Greetings from TRUE Storys!

Remember your visit to www.true-storys.com/? It was that cycling humor site, where Jim the Animal almost killed me!

Well Jim and I put a book together called "MOAB DOGS From HELL". It's all about him and me riding around the trails of Moab, Utah. Jim comes out real good in the book, but I must admit, I hurt myself real bad. Good God, the Utah red rocks are hard on a guys front teeth. I've never done so many face plants in all my life.

What we got in the book are 9 gut busting storys of trouble in Moab. We got: "North Beaver Mesa to Onion Creek" This is the epic struggle between coffee, beer, elk hunters, and women. We got: "Porcupine Cliff Hanger" If you've ever ridden this famous Moab trail, you may find me still hanging around somewhere on a cliff face. We got: "Jim the Animal" This story is about my first ride with Jim. I've lived in mortal fear ever since! We got: "TRUE Trailer Terror" My wife will never let me pull my daughter in a Burley trailer ever again! We got: Five other bicycle adventures on Slickrock and other Moab trails.

If you'd like to be the first cyclist on your block to read "MOAB DOGS From HELL", order a copy from:

Don TRUE
6309 SW 27th
Topeka, KS 66614

Send your check or money order for $8.95 for the book and $3.00 for handling.

See you all on the Net,
E-mail: truestorys@aol.com

Mountain Biking Song Parody

To the Led Zepplin tune "Stairway to Heaven"

Really Sweet Singletrack (a New Paradigm Trail tribute) by Chaing Ard

The mountain biker is sure
That just over that rise
Will be the start of some really great singletrack
When s/he gets there s/he knows
That it will be all downhill
'Cause s/he's been climbing for what seems like forever
Ooh, ooh it'll be the start of some really great singletrack

There's a trail sign up ahead
S/he looks twice to make sure
Just can't believe that this trail could be closed down
Wait, off to the right
There's faint sign of a trail
Maybe all is not lost for the mountain biker
Ooh, s/he can almost taste it
Ooh, s/he can almost taste it

Quickly looking around making sure nobody's near
S/he picks up the bike so to leave no trace
The trail beckons the eager mountain biker
To swoop and glide through the trees
And play upon the contours of Mother Earth
Ooh, and the biker wonders
Ooh, the biker really wonders

S/he'd heard it wispered around
At the local bike shop
About this great secret trail up in the woods
And s/he's wondering now
If this trail that s/he's on
Is the very same one that was spoken of

Wild laughter bubbles upon the biker's lips
But keeping quiet
S/he rushes by like the wispering wind
Yes, there were two trails s/he could ride on
But in the long run
S/he's glad s/he's riding on the secret one
And the biker's glad that s/he found it

The knobbies humming a sweet song
Of skill and daring the biker drops down the twisting trail
No skidding through the several switchbacks that would be wrong now
The biker communes with the secret trail

The trail is coming to the end
Two tall oaks guard the exit dear
The biker stops without a sound
Checks first to left and then to right
Making sure no one is around
S/he steps out from the secret trail
And rides off into the golden sun
With this great grin all plastered on
S/he'll be back soon to ride again

And s/he's riding the New Paradigm Trail

copyright 1997, Kevin Axt, not to be reproduced without permission.

Main Index

The green ribbon displayed here is in support of the Dave Lyman Memorial Green Ribbon Campaign. The campaign is to draw attention to victims of car-bike accidents, specifically Lyman himself, an avid bike commuter and mountain biker who served as vice-president of Cycling B.C. and as head offical for the Canadian province's off-road events. On September 3, 1996, Lyman, 34, was struck from behind by a car while riding home from his workplace at B.C. Tel Mobility. [Copied from BIKE magazine, March 1998 issue]

I started commuting to work three years ago and I really love it. It's a little bit more effort to get to work, but well worth it! I feel much more like going to work when I get to ride my bike there. In 1996, I was able to ride approximately 1445 miles (all of it commuting miles). The best month I've had so far, I was able to ride to work 16 out of 20 days (last year). While the company I work for doesn't actively encourage bike commuting, it also doesn't discourage it.

The route I take is a mixture of highways, arterial streets and secondary streets. Parts of my route are signed as bike routes. Lately, my route has been about 9.3 miles long and it takes me about 30-40 minutes (depending on traffic and whether I going home or to work). The most exciting/horrifying/boring part of the route is of course the highway. Its about 1.5 miles long with barely enough room on the shoulder for a car to pull off and then a guardrail (no median). Drivers around here tend to go quite fast in their hurry to get to and from work (The stretch of the highway that I ride on is part of what is known locally as the Hanford 500. It gets kind of interesting when a vehicle has broke down and I have to ride out into traffic in order to get around it. There have been a few occasions when an accident or something has blocked up traffic on the highway and I'm able to pass a whole bunch of people sitting in their cars. When that happens, it really makes my day. Strange/unusual things I've seen while bike commuting include: 5 point buck deer and at other times a group of up to four deer, beaver, river otter, kayaker paddling on the Columbia River, frisbee golf, ... I also find that the sunrises/sunsets are more fun to view from a bike than through the windshield of my car (IMO of course).

I'm trying to gather together Internet links on commuting information. I'll add them as I can.

Commuting Links
• CJ Silverio's Bicycle Commuting Page
• The Vancouver Cyclist Advantages of Bike Commuting Page
• ABC's of Bicycle Commuting

A good deal, IMO, is to join the Bicycle Commuting Club that is run by Bicycling magazine. They'll pay you to ride your bike to work. Yes, you read correctly. It costs $5 to join (lifetime membership) and they'll pay you $0.01 for each time you ride your bike to or from work (at least five miles), with a maximum of $0.02 per day. They send you some sheets to keep track of your riding on. At the end of 12 months you can "cash in" your riding time for products (they'll send a list of what's available when you send in your 12 months of record sheets) or bank it up for later use. Along with the record sheets, you get information designed to help make your commuting easier (including a book Bicycle Commuting Made Easy). Hey, it's not like you're going to rich off this. Look at it this way - you get paid for working out and getting an endorphin buzz.

I'm lucky in that I live close enough to my office that I can ride to work in a reasonable amount of time. The local bus system goes right by my office so on the days when I can't (or am just too lazy to) ride, I can catch the bus. The local bus system, Ben Franklin Transit, just recently installed bike racks on most of their buses. There aren't any restrictions on when you can use the bike racks (other than first come first serve). I'll be able to ride all year long this way and if the weather becomes too nasty to ride home, like in the summer when it gets to be 95F°+ in the afternoon, I have a backup system.

I've decided to keep a running total of my commuting miles on this web page. I'll try to update the total at the end of every month. So check back often and see how I'm doing! This is in no way meant to be bragging. I just like to keep track of my mileage for commuting. I have a personal goal of riding at least 1000 miles each year and also try to beat my previous year's mileage while I'm at it. Lately, almost all of my riding has been road miles but at least I'm getting out on my bike. :-)

Background
The Columbia Plateau Trail was established by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission's acquisition of 130 miles of surplus right-of-way from Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in 1991. In the fall of 1995, Commission staff initiated master planning efforts for the trail facility. To date (November 1996), staff have completed numerous site inventories and conducted meetings with most adjacent landowners and community leaders along the trail corridor.

The Columbia Plateau Trail facility is a 130 mile abandoned railroad corridor that begins near Ice Harbor Dam, on the Snake River just east of Pasco, and continues east and north to Fish Lake, a Spokane County park property located northeast of Cheney. The corridor passes through Franklin, Adams, Whitman, Lincoln and Spokane Counties, as well as the communities of Kahlotus, Washtucna, Benge, Lamont and Cheney. The corridor is blessed with spectacular scenery associated with the Snake River, Devils Canyon, Washtucna Coulee, Columbia Plateau scabland landscapes and forest/wetland habitats of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Significant features within the corridor related to the railroad era include 7 large trestles, 11 bridges, 5 tunnels, several water towers and rock slide warning devices and controls.

The Columbia Plateau Trail interacts with other trail developments in the region, including 1) The Spokane to Fish Lake Trail as developed by the City of Spokane, which continues along additional surplused BN right-of-way and 2) The Cross State Trail, former Milwaukee Road rail corridor and currently managed by DNR, which intersects the trail between Benge and Lamont.

Conceptual Development Plan
The preliminary conceptual development plan suggests that a multi-purpose trail be developed from Ice Harbor Dam in the south to Fish Lake in the north. Major trail access areas could be provided at Ice Harbor Dam, Levey Landing Park, Snake River Junction, Kahlotus, Washtucna, Benge, Lamont, Amber Lake and Cheney. Primitive camp areas, accessible only from the trail, may be provided at frequent intervals, locations to be determined by available and suitable site conditions. Trail users anticipated include hikers, bikers, and equestrians. Because of the spectacular geological formations and scenery, as well as unique natural and cultural resources on the trail corridor, interpretive/educational signs or pamphlets may be provided.

Trail Development
The trail is proposed to be 12 ft wide, surfaced with compacted crushed rock. Trail surface will be excellent for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders, as well as suitable for touring bicyclists. Trestles are proposed to be decked and fenced to provide safe crossing for all trail users.

Typical trail access area developments may include parking for single and multi-vehicle units, restrooms, picnic area(s), drinking water, an informational kiosk and an emergency telephone. Typical primitive camp area developments, which would be accessible by trail only, may include designated camp sites or tent areas, drinking water, restrooms and an informational kiosk. Service access roads, separate from trail, could also be provided where feasible. Fires will not be permitted.

The interpretive/education program could address the railroad history, Native American settlements and use, geological formations and history, as well as significant vegetation and wildlife species. Numerous interpretive elements could be highlighted in a guide that would be provided in a publication, rather than numerous individual signs along the trail.

Trail signage may consist of 1) entry/identity signs at access areas, 2) mile markers (at 1/2 mile intervals) using historic railroad references, 3) markers for both interpretive stations and field locations for guide publication and 4) informational kiosks for general information, regional guides, emergency info, current location and trail facilities.
Phased Development

• Initial trail development is being completed by the City of Cheney, per Commission action of October 1994, which through a cooperative agreement permits the City to construct a 3.25 mile section of trail from Cheney-Spangle Road to Fish Lake (Northern Unit). This will be the only asphalt paved section of the trail.
  
• State Parks Phase 1 Development would construct trail and access areas from Ice Harbor Dam, upstream along the Snake River to Snake River Junction, approximately 14.5 miles (Southern Unit).
  
• Phase 2 Development would construct trail and access areas from the Cheney Access Area to Amber Lake, approximately 12 miles to the southeast (Northern Unit).
  
• Phase 3 Development would construct trail and access areas from Snake River Junction to Kahlotus, approximately 20.5 miles. This Phase also includes decking/fencing of 4 trestles and minor repair of 4 tunnels (Southern Unit).
  
• Alternatives for future phases include trail and access area development from a) Kahlotus to Washtucna, 14 miles, b) Amber Lake to Lamont, 14.5 miles, c) Lamont to Benge, 24 miles, with links to the Milwaukee Road/Cross State Trail and finally d) Washtucna to Benge 20 miles, including decking/fencing of Cow Creek trestle.
  

The above information was taken from a summary report on the Pasco/Fish Lake Trail that was submitted to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission in June 1996. If you have any questions or comments about this planned trail development you can contact the lead person for the planning efforts, Bill Fraser.

If you're interested, you might want to check out the Cowboy Rail-Trail in northern Nebraska. At 320 miles it's the longest rail-trail in the world (so far). Nebraska is planning on opening the trail sometime in 1997.

COLUMBIA PLATEAU TRAIL PROGRESS Updated: 7/14/99

• Work is progressing on the 12 mile section from Cheney Trailhead to Amber Lake, in Spokane County. According to contractor, they've got everything surfaced except a 4 mile stretch. Of course there are other items to be addressed before Trail is officially opened for public use.
• Name changed from "Pasco/Fish Lake Trail" to "Columbia Plateau Trail"
• The City of Cheney has paved a 3.5 mile section of the Trail, (South Cheney to Fish Lake). This includes installation of parking, vault toilets and shelters.

I read about this band in the article in a 1996 issue of "Mountain Bike" magazine. The concept sounded interesting (of course it would to a bike junkie like me) and decidedly different.

Bicycle is an alternative rock 'n' roll band that tours by bicycle. Band members Brian Chenault, Forrest Kemper, and Kurt Hans Noel Liebert set out from New York City in the summer of 1995, and pedaled to Seattle along the northern part of the United States promoting thier[sic] first CD titled "Wheel". During the tour they recorded a second CD titled "Souvenir". In 1996, Bicycle toured the east coast towing all of their guitars, amps, and drums in bicycle trailers attached to their mountain bikes. Beginning April 1, 1997 they toured along the Pacific Coast of the United States from Tijuana, Mexico to Vancouver, British Columbia, stopping to play gigs in towns and cities along the way.

Keep on spinning guys!

You are visitor to this page since the counter was added on April 14, 1997.

This page last updated: Thursday, September 1, 2000 Sign the GrrRizly Guestbook View the GrrRizly Guestbook Write me a quick email if you don't want to fill out the Guestbook. I'd love to hear from you. Return to the GrrRizly Homestead