RUBICON TRAIL GETS $4000 FROM BFGOODRICH TIRES

 Rubicon Makes List of BFGoodrich Tires Outstanding Trails

Volunteers celebrate with a work weekend

By Del Albright, Motorized Recreation Advocate

Rubicon Trail volunteers continue to kick access and keep the Rubicon alive and well for all of us. On August 18-19, 2007, Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) gathered a force of folks to work hard, eat well, receive a grant, and celebrate with BFGoodrich Tires!

 BFGoodrich Tires partnered up with Tread Lightly! and United Four Wheel Drive Associations to establish recognition of six trails across the country for 2007. Every year, new trails will be added to this list of Outstanding Trails.

 FOTR received a grant of $4000 from BFGoodrich Tires on this work weekend. The money is designated for the preservation of motorized use of the scenic Rubicon Trail. Trail Boss Del Albright says it’s all about the volunteers.

 “The volunteers who work to keep the Rubicon maintained and open to all of us are setting the example worldwide for other trails and riding areas, “said Albright. FOTR has the specific goals of mitigating erosion and providing user education. 

 “We have our own Trail Patrol providing user information and outreach, as well as a massive Internet outreach program designed to educate users on responsible use of the trail so we can have it forever,” added Albright.

 BFGoodrich Tires is a major name in the off-road recreation industry and has committed to helping preserve the sport. “We want to show our appreciation to the volunteers who work so hard to keep special trails open with such passion and commitment to conservation,” said Joe Mazur, Light-Truck Brand Category Manager for BFGoodrich Tires.

 FOTR turned seven years old in 2007 and has logged over 20,000 hours of sweat, dust, and hard work on the Rubicon Trail.   At least three major work weekends are scheduled each year, with many other smaller work groups in between. 

 The Rubicon volunteers have very few meetings and no dues. Anyone who wants to work can join up and help, and you’ll be assured of a productive and fun day. Trail Boss Del Albright developed a unique project and volunteer management system that organizes each project, with everyone knowing their job and expectations.

 “With our leadership system, we can effectively plan a project and productively employ anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred volunteers,” said Randy Burleson, President of the Rubicon Trail Foundation.

 The work weekend that celebrated the Outstanding Trails program was just another example of FOTR volunteers doing amazing things in very little time. In one short day, FOTR moved over 200 tons of rock to fill huge mud holes over a 4.5 5-mile section of Wentworth Springs Road using towed utility trailers and some heavy equipment from the Eldorado County Department of Transportation.

 FOTR is supported and endorsed by every major off-road organization in California. http://www.delalbright.com.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)

WEBSITE (HOME PAGE)

PINTEREST (BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND MORE)

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

DEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)

 More land use and volunteerism help here:

• MEETINGS:
• RUN A BETTER MEETING
• NEPA: 
• LEARN MORE ABOUT NEPA
• LETTERS: 
• WRITE A LETTER
• SPEECHES:  
•  GIVE A SPEECH
• FACILITATE: 
• LEARN TO FACILITATE MEETINGS
• CLUBS:
• WHY JOIN A CLUB
• CONVOYS:
• ORGANIZE A CONVOY
• JOIN:
• JOIN THE RIGHT GROUPS
• TRAINING:
• GET VOLUNTEER TRAINING
• LEAD:   
• LEAD VOLUNTEERS
• JOBS:  
• CHOOSE THE RIGHT JOB FOR YOU

RUBICON TRAIL 2006 - THE HISTORY OF WHAT A YEAR!

 Rubicon Trail Roundup 2006 – What a Year!

By Del Albright, 2006 Trail Boss, Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR)

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: This article brings back and records some history of the famous Rubicon Trail and the Friends of the Rubicon).

 With nearly 20,000 documented hours of volunteer work time since 2001, the Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) has set new records for keeping a trail alive and well!  2006 was another spectacular year, with our final work weekend being August 19-20, with 80 volunteers hard at work.

 FOTR started in 2001 when a rumor hit the Internet that a gate was going up on the Tahoe side. We said NO GATE, and FOTR launched full-blown into history to save the trail and keep it OUR trail.

 Since then, FOTR has grown to be the strongest and most active volunteer force imaginable, with a substantial amount of political clout. With no dues and only one meeting a year, people are amazed at what FOTR can do. Every year, we achieve new heights in projects, management,, and involvement.

 2006 was one of our best years yet.  In June we had two major work weekends.  One weekend in July, we worked extensively on the Tahoe side.  And in August, we had our big work weekend to develop erosion control measures on and near Walker Hill of the Rubicon Trail.  Projects included the construction of a log bridge with rock abutments, closed-off bypasses, a log ramp built at the base of the hill, construction of erosion measure water bars, and general trail maintenance.

 We ended the work day with a huge Mexican food buffet sponsored by Hummer and put on for us by Robbs Resort (www.dorobbs.com).  Hummer has been a generous donor to the trail this year and holds the title as the first manufacturer to donate directly to the Rubicon Trail Foundation and FOTR.  They also hold first place for contributing workers to Rubicon Trail projects.  On the July work weekend, Hummer sent eight folks with strong backs to help us on the Tahoe side work day.  For the August work day Hummer of Sacramento (http://www.hummerofsacramento.com/en_US/) sent 5 strong backs. Thank you, Hummer!

  FOTR prides itself in getting the job done while having fun – and being productive.  Every task is clearly laid out and properly planned.  Every volunteer has a job and gets credit for the work they do.  We use the Recreational Incident Command System (RICS) as developed by the author to ensure our projects come off as organized, safe, and productive.  Most all team leaders within FOTR have had some sort of leadership training, either one of the author’s courses or some form of business leadership training.  It makes a difference to the end result.  After an FOTR project, people walk away feeling satisfied and productive.

 FOTR is truly a team effort.  By using specialized email networks and lists, we ensure communications are ongoing and thorough.  All opinions count.  There are no Robert’s Rules of Order, no formal bureaucratic structure, and no delegates.  With the help of www.pirate4x4.com, we share opinions and ideas on the Rubicon Trail Talk forum.  Anyone can chime in and help.

 We rely heavily on our Team Leaders and email network administrators to provide the leadership that is sorely needed in our sport. Each level of leadership provides clear expectations and objectives to those on their Team. For the most part, leadership is earned in FOTR—not given. FOTR folks earn their place in line by hard work and a demonstrated passion for helping. 

 In addition to FOTR, we have developed a separate 501.c3 non-profit educational foundation called the Rubicon Trail Foundation.  This Foundation intends to raise money and help support FOTR and the Rubicon Trail into the future.  Eventually, we hope to buy land as funds become available.  FOTR and the Foundation work hand in hand to keep the Rubicon Trail our icon of four-wheeling.

 There will be a few more projects in 2006, perhaps with short notice.  But stay tuned and check in often at the links below or visit the Rubicon Trail Talk on Pirate4x4.com.

 The prospects for a solid, lasting, well-maintained Rubicon Trail have never been better.

Please visit our websites to learn more:

www.delalbright.com/Rubicon/rubicon.htm

www.rubicontrail.org

www.friendsoftherubicon.com

(NOTE: FOTR and the Rubicon Trail Foundation are alive and well as of this writing, still saving the trail for access for all into the future).

##

 MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)

WEBSITE (HOME PAGE)

PINTEREST (BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND MORE)

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

DEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)

 More land use and volunteerism help here:

• MEETINGS:
• RUN A BETTER MEETING
• NEPA: 
• LEARN MORE ABOUT NEPA
• LETTERS: 
• WRITE A LETTER
• SPEECHES:  
•  GIVE A SPEECH
• FACILITATE: 
• LEARN TO FACILITATE MEETINGS
• CLUBS:
• WHY JOIN A CLUB
• CONVOYS:
• ORGANIZE A CONVOY
• JOIN:
• JOIN THE RIGHT GROUPS
• TRAINING:
• GET VOLUNTEER TRAINING
• LEAD:   
• LEAD VOLUNTEERS
• JOBS:  
• CHOOSE THE RIGHT JOB FOR YOU

BRC Congratulates FOTR at 14 Years Strong

"Founding Father" BRC Congratulates Rubicon Trail

By Del Albright

Founding Trail Boss, FOTR
Founding President, Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF)

In March of 2001 I worked with Lance Clifford to set up the first ever forum for one trail, the Rubicon Trail, on http://www.pirate4x4.com. Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) was born then, with the forum going live in April 2001.

BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) is the reason I was able to work nearly full time as founding Trail Boss of FOTR to develop, organize, train, build and lead this awesome group of volunteers for many years to help make it what it is today -- 14 years strong.

I facilitated the start up of the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) as a follow up to FOTR in 2004, and lead this group for several years as founding President.  It was truly an honor.

We should never forget BRC's role in making all this happen.  And if you want to say thank you, and see more success stories like this, JOIN, RENEW or DONATE to BRC at:

https://www.sharetrails.org/support/join-or-contribute

I am proud to have held the helm for so many years, but also very thankful that BRC gave me the blessing to do all that I did for FOTR and RTF with my BRC hat on.  I would never have been able to do it otherwise.

Del

##

WORRIED ABOUT THE RUBICON TRAIL

IS GOVERNMENT LISTENING TO THE USERS?

I left my leadership position in Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) and the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) a few years back, thinking that we had laid a positive foundation to continue these incredible efforts to keep the Rubicon Trail open to all of us...all year; for all types of rigs; with challenges for us all.

NOT THE CASE!!!

I am sorely disappointed in the way the trail has changed in the last few years, and I am not afraid to step up and say that government is NOT listening to the users.  Not in this case.  Something is wrong and we need to bring some slap down on the deaf ones who "govern" our use of public lands in the case of the Rubicon Trail.

From the  blowing of the Gatekeeper, conducted like an ambush in war, unbeknownst to users and unspoken in public forums beforehand; to the resizing and near paving of Little Sluice in spite of comprehensive surveys and public input against such maneuvers behind the scenes; to the changing and possible closure of Soup (Bowl, Kitchen).  It is NOT what the users have asked for and have said in public forum. Government is NOT listening.

And do we have some of our own supporting these insidious, sneaky, behind the scenes moves?  I'm not sure; but I am sure that the folks I talk to, do NOT support these radical changes to the Rubicon Trail.

Oh, let's ask ourselves who has invested tens of thousand of hours in hard work, sweat, blood and back-breaking work in making this trail a trail for all?  Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR), that is who. Since the first work party in the summer of 2001, and hundreds of work parties since then, every summer....FOTR has earned the key to this trail.  Why does Government think they know best on this one?

FOTR earned tens of thousands of dollars in grant money for government agencies to help us manage the trail, maintain the trail, and mitigate the issues with erosion and use. So why would not government LISTEN to the users in how the trail should look in the future? YOU GOT ME.

Here's my suggestion for you if this does not wrap your winch the right way:  1) make sure your membership is current in fighting outfits like BlueRibbon Coalition and Cal4wheel; 2) make sure you're participating in Google groups for FOTR with your voice being heard; and 3) donate to those groups fighting for access THE RIGHT WAY, for you.
More on BRC here at http://www.sharetrails.org
More on Cal4 here at http://www.cal4wheel.com
More on Del at http://www.delalbright.com

Whatever you do; do NOT let your voice go unheard.  Back it with donations and memberships.  Be in the game.  It is OUR public lands we are talking about.
Del

RUBICON TRAIL FOUNDATION SUPPORTS NEW LANDUSE BOOK

Rubicon Trail Foundation Becomes Premier Advertiser/Sponsor of New Land Use Book

We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) by having them as one of our premier sponsor/advertisers in the landuse and volunteerism book we'll be releasing soon.

RTF knows the new landuse book will be invaluable to helping the effort to keep the Rubicon Trail alive and well for all, while building a stronger volunteer base.  With subjects like how to give a speech; how to write a letter; how to lead volunteers; and tons of info on land stewardship, this book will supplement the great job already being done by everyone working on the Rubicon Trail.

According to Scott Johnston, President of RTF, "Del was instrumental in the creation of RTF and his classes for OHV advocacy got RTF off the ground and running!! We could not pass up the opportunity to support this book and its tricks and tips."

RTF is a federally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to this iconic trail we all love.  They are all about supporting the Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) work projects and keeping this trail alive and well into the future.Their Officers and Directors represent a wide variety of Rubicon Trail users and supporters.

We thank the great crew of the Rubicon Trail Foundation for helping to make this new book FREE to off-road enthusiasts. 

More on RTF at http://www.rubicontrailfoundation.com

Del & Stacie