Volume 26, Issue 6 November/December 2017 Page 1

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1 Volume 26, Issue 6 November/December 2017 Page 1 Los Padres Times President s Message This is the last newsletter of the year and I will make my message brief. The year is winding down and the holidays are around the corner. I wish everyone good health and happiness in the months ahead. I especially want to thank my fellow officers and board members whose tireless work ethic make up the backbone of this unit. I thank all of our unit members for maintaining your current membership status. Our unit is one of the largest in the state, and your support is greatly appreciated. I thank all of you who have made it your passion to help with trail maintenance and those that wrote legislative letters on behalf of backcountry Inside this issue: Presidents Message 1,2 Newsletter and Advertising 2,3 Board and Committee Members 2 Education Chair s Message 5,11 Bits and Pieces 7 Philosophy & Purpose 8 Work Projects 8 Membership and Application 4,13 Calendar/Events 6,14 HAPPY HOLIDAYS HAPPY TRAILS horsemen views. I have learned a lot this past year and made my share of mistakes. But along the way I have always felt a part of a special group of people. A big thank you is in order. We have our last general membership meeting at 6 pm Wednesday, November 15 at Continued on page 2

2 Page 2 November/December 2017 Volume 26, Issue 6 Los Padres Unit 2017 Backcountry Horsemen Officers and Committees President Brenda Mills brendadmills@hotmail.com Vice President Richard Waller (805) homeranch@gmail.com Secretary - Barb Riley therileys@wildblue.net Treasurer Cheryl McGray (805) cmcgray@msn.com Public Lands Kathleen Phelps kathleenrides@gmail.com and Richard Waller - (805) homeranch@gmail.com Continued from page 1 Margie s Diner in San Luis Obispo. This meeting is our annual officer and board member election. I encourage you to attend. We can always use a lending hand. See you soon. Brenda Mills LOPEZ LAKE TRAIL WORK CAMP OUT - Nov. 18th-Arrive anytime at Lopez Lake, tell the ranger at the entry kiosk you are there with CCCMB for the campout and they will direct you to our campsite and give you free entry. (HORSE CAMPING ALLOWED) - 6pm: Potluck dinner- bring some food to share with others! - Rest of the evening- head out for a mountain bike night ride or hang around the campsite and play some games. Please RSVP to info@cccmb.org for campout Trail Work to be done Sunday 11/19-9am-3pm. Please join us for the General Board and Election meeting on Wednesday, November 15th, 6pm at Margie s Diner in San Luis IMPORTANT NEWSLETTER DELIVERY INFORMATION Education Nancy Kimmell Chaides (805) njk@tcsn.net Newsletter - Susan Tuttle (805) callsusan411@yahoo.com Programs - Gail Perez (805) gperez@co.slo.ca.us Forest Service Liaison - Melody Fountain (805) melodyandbob@gmail.com Membership - Shirley Rasmussen shirleyrasmussenreg@peoplepc.com Historian Ellie Livingston ellielivingston20@gmail.com Member at Large - Greg Feinberg Starting January 1st, 2017 we will NO longer send the BCHC-Lp unit News letter through the postal service. The Los Padres Times newsletter will be available on the website, on Facebook and will be ed to you if we have your . Please be sure we have your correct and current address. Thank you for your understanding and helping us reduce paper waste and save money. EASY TO GET AND PRINT YOUR CAMPFIRE PERMITS ON LINE! Here is the Link - Los Padres Unit 2017 Backcountry Horsemen Committees Public Relations- Shirley Rasmussen Work Parties- Kathleen Phelps Rides NEED-Please sponsor or lead a Ride! Don t forget to check these websites for all the important things being done by Backcountry Horsemen!

3 Volume 26, Issue 6 November/December 2017 Page 3 LOOK-Newsletter Advertisement Members can place a business card size ad FREE! Non-members $30.00 for the year (6 issues) for a quarter OR smaller page ad. MEMBERS WITH BUSINESS CARDS -SEND ME YOUR CARD TODAY! Support our members LUCKY CALENDARS please support your State Board and Los Padres Unit Fundraiser The Los Padres Unit is asking for MEMBERS!! to donate $25 for an opportunity to be placed in a drawing to win money. If your ticket is drawn, your ticket goes back into the drawing for an opportunity to win again!!! For your donation of $25, you receive a GORGEOUS 2017 calendar which shows many of our activities throughout the year, in addition to other units projects. We are responsible for 325 calendars so PLEASE MEMBERS contact Nancy Kimmell at or njk@tcsn.net for more information on where to send your $25 donation and receive your BCHC calendar for Buy yours today! Santa Margarita Lake Workdays Santa Margarita Lake Workday, Sunday, 8:30am December 17. Meet at the White Oaks Picnic Area (tell the staff at the entrance gate you are volunteering for the workday so you ll get free entry). Atascadero Horsemen s Club will be providing lunch to volunteers. Work on the Sapwi trail expansion continues. Every Sunday for the next couple of months, Joe O Donnell of CCCMB will be working at the lake on either Sapwi Trail or on Falcon Trail. If you can, meet him at 8am at the marina on any Sunday (unless there is another CCCMB workday scheduled). Joe is doing the vast majority of work on Sapwi either by himself or with Ranger Chuck Woodard so help if you can. Kathy Redden A NOTE FROM YOUr NEWSLETTER EDITOR! Please send your articles, stories and ads to Susan at callsusan411@yahoo.com Please send in a Word document and JPEG picture format. Thank you! Confirm your asap! Deadline for BCHC winter newsletter is Jan Deadline for BCHA newsletter is Jan This newsletter is published six (6) times per year, in January, March, May, July, September and November. Deadline for submissions is the 15th of the previous month. word files and pictures to: callsusan411@yahoo.com

4 Page 4 November/December 2017 Look what you can get! If you refer a new member Five referrals equal one T Shirt; Eight referrals equal one Sweat-shirt; Ten referrals equal one Jacket. This is an annual JanuaryDecember contest. Remember to let me know if you refer anyone! Thanks Volume 26, Issue 6 MEMBERSHIP NEWS Membership coming Due November Deanne Daily Marlene Jacobus Nancy Lee Sheila Ryan December Brooke Townsend Mario Aguirre Rhea Benko James Bermann William Blue Russ Rantz Barbara Riley Members not yet renewed from Sept/Oct Diana Muraski Katie Pritchard Vickie Rausch Dave Rigoli Brooke Schick Trena Wilson Charlene Ackerman Pamela Atiabi Otis Calef Bruce Clark Lori Donnelly Denny Eston Barbara Hinmna Mary Horn Wood Doug Houston Pam Kelly Mike MacDowell Annette Macy Nancy Moore Jan Woodfill Shirley Rasmussen Thoughts and Prayers go tojennings and Donati families, Family of Ernie Phoenix, To all effected by the Los Vegas Shooting, fires and floods. Riding Warehouse Will now give a 15% discount to our members when we order using the BCH discount code. Shop today! Please contact Shirley for the discount code. shirleyrasmussenreg@peoplepc.com Rendezvous April 13-15, 2018 A big Thanks to our Los Padres Unit For stepping up Event will be at Paso Robles Event Center Hearst Equestrian Center Paso Robles, Ca. Volunteers will be needed Contact Shirley Rasmussen

5 Volume 26, Issue 6 November/December 2017 Page 5 INCENTIVE QUESTION I had four (4) responses for the September/October newsletter thank you for participating. The responses were Shirley Rasmussen, Linda O Dell, Greg Feinberg, September 6, 2017, at 6:33 p.m., and Peggy Phaklides, September 9, 2017, at 9:17 a.m. The winner was PEGGY PHAKLIDES. Congratulations PEGGY!! Peggy will enjoy $20.00 off the price of our unit s campout. The answer to the Question: What dental system did Jerry Gaona develop? Was Halter. The answer was located on page10 in the article for the Awards presentation. Our speaker for September was Jerry Gaona, an Equine Dentist. Jerry's Equine Dental Tools was founded 9 years ago by Jerry Gaona. From humble beginnings, Jerry has expanded the product line to offer everything you need for your work in Equine Dentistry. In 2014, Jerry moved the shop to his hometown, Atascadero, California. Dr. Gaona has developed several instruments used in Equine Dentistry. One in particular, is the Dental Halter System. This product actually holds the horse s head in place so you can extract or clean their teeth without the horse moving out of position. The next Question is: What issue of the Los Padres Times will publish MY (in case someone else wants to take over) last Incentive Question? The answer is located within a section of text throughout your newsletter. READ YOUR NEWSLETTER!! A $20.00 certificate will be given to the person with the correct answers from the newsletter and must be presented with your pre-registration form to any of our unit s camping activity requiring a registration fee. This certificate is transferable but cannot be applied toward merchandise purchase. PLEASE NOTE IMPORTANT RESPONSES WILL BEGIN AS SOON AS THE NEWSLETTER IS ON FACEBOOK. Contact VIA (NJK@TCSN.NET) OR PHONE CALL TO ME (805) The correct responses will be placed in a drawing container and the winner selected at the following general meeting. You must give me your name in your . The winner drawn will be mailed the $20.00 certificate for remittance at any unit camping activity requiring a pre-registration fee. You may win more than once. Any questions, please contact me. Also Susan Tuttle and I are not eligible to win. Nancy Kimmell Education Chair 15 equestrians volunteered for the SLO Ultra race doing horse support September 9. Thank-you Kathy Redden for organizing the equestrians! Race SLO had over 1500 entries for the 50, 26, 13, & 5 miles running races. These athletes are an inspiration. The oldest marathoner I saw is 83!!!! This race benefits the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo. A smaller team stayed to support the Mountain bike race on the 10th. Kathleen Phelps

6 Page 6 November/December 2017 Volume 26, Issue 6 Pioneer Days hosted a pre gala at the Paso Event Center - September Wade Taylor brought in a covered wagon for BCHC to use. Kaye Brums and Greg Feinberg both prepared desserts for the event along with 2 other groups. It was a fun evening, the weather was perfect. They had different people who cooked Ribs, Chicken, and Tacos. The guests feasted at will and then when they tasted all the yummy desserts they were to vote on their favorite and you won a trophy. Despite Kaye making 9 different ones and Greg only had two to serve. His third didn t quite make it to the serving table. And we served 548 cups of the BEST dishes. I couldn t get pictures when it started because we were so busy serving. (and tasting) Believe me we had repeat customers. Kaye and Greg s great desserts didn t win the trophy, so we took our pots and went home! NOTE to group, Next time have 2 cute young girls serve the dessert!!! Events and Activities for 2017 Like Backcountry Horsemen Los Padres Unit on FACEBOOK! Nov 3-5, Fall Camp n Ride, Porter Ranch CANCELLED Nov 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend Federal FREE days Nov 15, Wed B/Gen Mtg. - Elections- 6pm at Margie s Diner in San Luis Obispo Dec. Christmas Party TBD 2018 Rendezvous - April 13-15, 2018 CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE: Place it in your favorites!

7 Volume 26, Issue 6 November/December 2017 Page 7 The Sierra National Forest has presented Bob Skinner with the Volunteer of the Year Award for Leadership. He has volunteered 7244 hours on packing project trips since Working through the Back Country Horsemen of California, San Joaquin Sierra Unit Bob has taken the lead to open trails in the wilderness using horses and pack mules to transport people and equipment. Bob has been instrumental in ensuring complex projects that involve significant packing can be completed in an efficient, safe and quality manner. Bob's tireless attention to planning and implementation of projects helped generate a safe work environment on projects. His commitment to training both Volunteers and Forest Service staff with the skills he has developed continues to provide valuable tools for Volunteers and Forest Service employees alike continuing our mutual efforts to enhance the wilderness character of the Sierra National Forest. To get discounts on Travel, Hotels, Shopping and More, go to A percentage of sales help BCHC Bits and Pieces If you use ZamZuu shopping site; BCHC earns easy money Los Padres Merchandise Contact Nancy Kimmell 805/ or njk@tcsn.net Check the website for availability Merchandise is a non-profit status and provides for our unit members to purchase and display our unit s logo and promote membership for BCHC-Los Padres Unit. Please help and support your unit.

8 Page 8 November/December 2017 Volume 26, Issue 6 Philosophy and Purpose of Backcountry Horsemen of California To perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses and mules in America s back country and wilderness. To work to ensure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use. To assist the various government and private agencies in their maintenance To educate, encourage, and solicit active participation in the wise use of the back country resource by horsemen and the general public commensurate with our heritage. To foster and encourage the formation of new units of the organization. Concerned Men and Women Dedicated to Gentle Use of California Trails and Back Country Thank you for all the hard work you do!! WORK PROJECTS by Kathleen Phelps (kathleenrides@gmail.com) Some LP unit members on a pack trip to support the Mission Pine Springs camp for a 10 day Los Padres Forest Association project (LPFA) in October. Otis Calef, Richard Waller, Cory Periera, Barb Riley and Kathleen Phelps packed in &/or out. There were about 20 people involved in the trail work, mainly to clear fallen trees. If people want to help pack, they can contact me and I will them about projects (kathleenrides@gmail.com)

9 Volume 26, Issue 6 November/December 2017 Page 9 First Everything Backcountry Ride By Jennifer Best, BCHC-LP member On July 5, my daughter needed a ride to Madera to stay with friends for a few days. We had been camping up at Huntington Lake with friends the prior week and the weather and water were fabulous. I decided that, rather than drive home only to return to the valley, this was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of being so close to the Sierra. I packed up my mare, camping gear and dog, dropped the teen at her destination, then fled to Badger Flat Campground up the road toward Kaiser Pass just out of Huntington (Lakeshore). My plan: my first solo camping trip in the back country. I ve done a lot of exploring in the Dinkey Wilderness area via Jeep and hiking trails, but I d never come in from this side. Badger Flat is a 15-site, first-come, first-served, Forest Service campground with ample space, fire pits and pit toilets. The only other horse folk in camp were old-timers, one of whom had served as a packer and guide for years up that way. I camped the night there, then packed up early on the 6th to head up the California Riding and Hiking Trail into Dinkey. The trail was superb. Someone has done some incredible trailwork on this piece at some point, including spectacular granite work - granite stairs, granite creek crossing. The trail was easy to navigate, steady climb, some downed trees to navigate around (THAT S what I forgot - saw!), but otherwise tree-shaded, single-track, out-and-back trail which leads 10 miles to Rock Meadow, and on to Knight s Camp, Rodeo Meadow and other points for further exploration. We have dubbed it a two-horseshoe trail since we lost both rears along the ride. The first challenge for my mare was the wooden bridge crossing Rancheria Creek directly out of camp. While plenty wide for a truck and trailer, she wasn t keen on the wood, the sound, the water underneath the bridge. In fact the first several crossings were training lessons for us as we learned that water won t kill us, and might even taste pretty good as we progressed along the 1,100-foot incline to our intended destination: Rock Meadow. A very faded metal sign before you arrive at Rock Meadow directs travelers to a trail to the left. Close inspection reveals the words Dinkey Lake but having hiked the area, I knew for a fact that the trail to the right actually headed more directly to the lakes. The righthand branch, however, also leads to barbed wire fences, which are laid down in the off season and put up in the grazing season, for the Perkins/Collins/Weldon grazing lease. Follow the faded sign to the left for the upper trail skirting Rock Meadow to avoid the lease and its fences. The meadow features meandering streams typically full of pan-size trout. This trip, we found wildflowers, grasses, fish and mosquitos. More mosquitos than I ve seen in one place in more than a decade. We forged through the meadow, taking in the view on the fly, before climbing up to Dusy-Ershim Jeep Trail (not yet open for the season) and made our way another quarter mile to Knight s camp, once home to a grazing cabin and now a good, flat spot on decomposed granite (sand) with fire rings and easy access to a meadow below. The mosquitos, however, were savvy. Within three minutes, we were again covered. Horse bug spray had NOTHING on these bugs. I resorted to DEET for me, the dog and the horse. We doubled back to a beautiful area along Upper Big Creek with cascades and pools of rushing snowmelt, filtered some water to refill the drinking supply and cooking supply, then made camp. The mosquitos had abated, and it seemed like a good spot. Hi-line in place, dog and horse happy, tent (but no fly needed) erected, I pulled out my fishing rod, flies and discovered in my attempt to pack ONLY what I needed (to lighten the load), had MISSED picking up the reel! OH, the HUMANITY! Napping ensued, then a quiet sit by the river, freeze-dried dinner rather than trout, and bedtime as the sunset. Continued on page 10

10 Page 10 November/December 2017 Volume 26, Issue 6 Continued from page 9 By morning, the exterior of the tent was being bombarded by hundreds of mosquitos who could smell hot-chocolate-infused blood a mile away. I learned, while making my morning cocoa, that the mosquitos were just as happy to drink that from the pot as they were to belly up to the human, canine or equine bars. With no reel, I opted to head the 7 miles back to base camp at Badger Flat where the old guide was just headed out for a training ride with his three-year-old mare and a mule. He invited me along. Of COURSE I bit! We headed across Kaiser Pass Road on the trail for Potter Pass. There were drifts of hardened snow, dangerous snow bridges where the ice melt flows down the trail and creates tunnels under the drifts, thinning the drift so it won t support the weight of human or horse, and plenty of small water crossings. At Potter Pass, we dropped down the steep, rocky descent into Kaiser Wilderness where we forged another mile or so to the first of the Twin Lakes. Cool, clear water, trees, granite face, typical overwhelmingly beautiful Sierra setting. The horses gutted out the climb back out, before we dropped down to Huntington Lake for dinner at the saloon before a return trip, complete with side trips, tempting tiny waterfalls, and rising full moon for my first-ever night ride for a total of 16 miles out and back from our midday camp departure. First solo horse packing. First solo camping after a lifetime of camping with family and friends. First night ride. First snow ride. Fantastic experience. Next time, I m packing the reel first. YOU NEED TO KNOW- Fee increases proposed for National Parks. Walk-in, bike in and equestrian ride in fees goes from $10 to $30 for entrance to the 17 busiest parks. Some more information you need to know! As part of our commitment to improve the visitor experience and ensure America s national parks are protected in perpetuity, we are considering increases to fees at 17 highly visited national parks during peak visitor seasons. The public comment period for this proposal will be open from October 24, 2017 to November 23, 2017 here:

11 Volume 26, Issue 6 November/December 2017 Page 11 Volunteer Hours Important! I am unsure what to say at this point about Volunteer Hours, other than our local unit submits their volunteer hours to the State, which in turn submits them to BCHA. Volunteerism is one of the most important activities BCHA can use in our effort to perpetuate enjoyable common sense use of horses in the backcountry. Volunteerism earns horsemen a seat at the table where decisions concerning access to public land by pack and saddle stock users are made. Individual volunteer efforts support the Backcountry Horsemen of America mission statements, along with Backcountry Horsemen of California. VOLUNTEER SERVICE BY BCHC LOS PADRES UNIT, BCHC, and BCHA is consistently underreported. With that in mind, I NEED YOUR HOURS!!! I know many of you have worked on several projects this year (Pismo Preserve, Los Flores Ranch, Santa Margarita trail) and/or camped out, rode trails, etc. do I have any hours so far NO. (I think Richard just sent me some hours). I have been Education Chair for several years. I have, myself, kept track of projects that people have done and reported their hours. I have put explanations on how to report volunteer hours in the newsletters. I continuously ask if you have questions, call me. I am not mean I can explain. But I need your HELP and I need you to have your hours to me so I can report them to the State by the end of the year. Please, please November/December send me your time. Nancy Kimmell, - Education Chair From Back Country Horsemen - North Bay Unit: EMERGENCY! Stewart Ranch, serving horse camping and riding into Point Reyes on the Marin coast, is in danger of permanent closing. Amanda, of Stewart's, says: Don't waste your time writing to anyone but the Director of National Parks in Colorado. Locals or California people have no influence in this. The NPS Commercial Services in Colorado has decided that Stewart Ranch does not raise enough money to justify improvements or maintenance and they want to close it down. If you care... write to the DIRECTOR who is himself a horseman. Please spread this far and wide and fast. Michael T. Reynolds, Acting Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC Phone (202) This decision is ultimately coming down from him. Keep in mind that he is a horseman. He should hear from many horsemen who use the horse camp to justify its renewal.

12 Page 12 November/December 2017 Volume 26, Issue 6 Wheels Over Wilderness H.R. 1349, the Wheels Over Wilderness bill, introduced by Congressman Tom McClintock (R-CA), carves a gaping loophole in the 1964 Wilderness Act, which has stood for a half-century as one of America s bedrock conservation laws. The bill would open America s 110 million acres of wilderness areas to mountain bikes, an unprecedented assault on wilderness areas across the country. The Wilderness Act Prohibits Mountain Bike Use in Wilderness The Wilderness Act prohibits the use of motorized vehicles, motorboats, and other forms of mechanized transport in wilderness areas. For five decades Congress has resisted efforts to undermine the Wilderness Act by opening wilderness areas to uses that are currently prohibited. These efforts have failed due to strong public support for wilderness. This latest effort deserves to fail as well. America s Public Lands Room For Everyone America s public lands are national treasures and every year hundreds of millions of people visit these lands to hike, camp, bike, fish, ride horseback, and paddle. Spanning over 600 million acres of forest, desert, mountains, rivers, prairie, and grassland, our public lands retain plenty of room for all types of recreation. Just one-sixth of our public lands are designated as wilderness areas. Excluding Alaska, just one-eighth of public lands are designated as wilderness. When considering all lands, less than three percent of the land in the lower 48 states is wilderness. With less than 3% of the land in the continental United States designated as wilderness, there are plenty of lands including public lands that remain open to mountain bicycles outside wilderness. Mountain Bikes Do Not Belong in Wilderness Mountain bicycling is a wonderful form of outdoor recreation. But like some other recreational pursuits, it is not suitable for wilderness. The primitive and unconfined recreational experience provided by wilderness would be lost should hikers and horsemen be forced to constantly scan the trail ahead and over their shoulder for rapidly approaching bikes. As a form of mechanized transport, mountain bicycling is the type of mechanization the National Wilderness Preservation System was established to exclude in order to protect wilderness s rustic and primitive character. In short, wilderness is meant for forms of transport foot, horseback, and canoe that are compatible with an experience based on solitude, tranquility, and compatibility with the wilderness environment. Places like the Montana s Bob Marshall Wilderness, the John Muir and Ansel Adams wilderness areas of California s Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Shenandoah Wilderness along the Appalachian Trail have long been enjoyed by hikers and equestrians. These experiences would be indelibly altered by mechanization along the same trails that have been non-mechanized for hundreds of years. There Are Better Approaches to Enhancing Mountain Biking Opportunities Across the country, wilderness advocates and mountain bike organizations have worked together to develop legislative proposals that preserve access to important mountain bike trails and protect adjacent areas as wilderness. Efforts like the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act in Colorado and the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act in Montana have been widely celebrated and serve as models for building successful partnerships between stakeholders and land managers. These efforts have secured the support of wilderness advocates and mountain bikers. This collaborative approach is the best way to address public land management issues. H.R is yet another attack on our public lands that undermines one of our nation s bedrock conservation laws, jeopardizes America s wilderness and won t advance mountain biking. The legislation is opposed by conservation organizations, sportsmen, equestrians, outfitters, and others who support retaining that small percent of our nation's rustic outdoor heritage that remains as wilderness. For more information please contact: Michael Carroll, The Wilderness Society, Michael_carroll@tws.org, Randy Rasmussen, Back Country Horsemen of America, WildernessAdvisor@bcha.org,

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14 Page 14 November/December 2017 Volume 26, Issue 6 Backcountry Horsemen of California Los Padres Times Return Service Requested BCHC Los Padres Unit C/O Cheryl McGray 606 S Hart Drive Santa Maria, CA Current Calendar 2017 Nov 15, Wed B/Gen Mtg. - Elections- 6pm at Margie s Diner in San Luis Obispo Nov. 23, Thanksgiving Dec. Christmas Party TBD Dec. 25, Christmas Come early to order your own dinner. Help support the restaurant meeting place!