We Win One For the Duck

WE WIN ONE FOR THE DUCK

ROUNDUP

Unorganized isn't the half of it. Not only was there a Fifth Annual Barstow-to-Vegas Memorial Trail Ride, Political Protest and Silt-Flinging Festival, and not only was the ride not organized by the Phantom Duck of the Desert, by order of the court this year, but the 1979 event consisted of at least three rides, none of which was really organized and each of which was fun and politically useful.

But first, a true tale of deception and deceit:

In the last chapter of the Phantom Duck vs the Bureau of Land Management, we •learned that the judge had dismissed the charges against the Duck. He agreed not to organize the annual ride, held since 1975 in memoriam for the Barstow-to-Vegas race.

The BLM agreed to consider issuing a permit for a trail ride, w hich isn't the same .as a race, for the traditional week-end across the traditional area.

Next, nothing. The BLM announced that they would approve a race in Nevada and a race near the Mexican border of California, which was supposed to substitute for a trail ride east of Los Angeles.

Then they said there had been no applications for a ride permit.

Then the BLM announced the emergency closing of two areas through which the ride has taken place. The land would be barred from use during the traditional week-end.Really barred, as in the offramps from the Interstate would be shut, the local sherifFs office would be watching all the roads, etc.

Why? Because, said the announcement, there had been so many requests for ride permits that obviously people wanted to go riding there, on land designated for offroad use on existing roads and trails. If the public wants to use public land. why. what choice does the BLM have but to close the land for such use?

Soon as the newspapers announced the closing, motorcycle folks closed ranks. The Duck, the AMA. the various desert clubs protested. State Assemblyman Bob Hayes, who was elected on a pro-off-road program. also protested, while revealing that the state police were not going to close the ramps and the sheriff was not going to be lying in wait for people riding trails that have been used by the public for years.

Cycle News announced a poker run. on the pavement from the old starting area to near the old finish area. Road riders could ride as a means of letting people know they were on the dirt bikers' side.

Next. BLM backed off and said it would be okay if riders went through the closed areas on powerline roads, that is. people would be allowed to go where thev were allowed to go anywav.

Meanwhile, the racing clubs had been pouring over their maps and had found a : better route, a serious of challenging sections linked by open trails and outside the closed areas.

So it was that at 8 a.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving several hundred riders, on all manner of machines, headed east from the old race starting area. Some went on the pavement, some went down the designated powerline and some went into the foothills.

Thing was. the rides were truly unorganized. Nobody really knew where the other people were going and what they were doing. So it happened that at the Baker gas stop, there were trucks waiting south of the highway and bikes waiting on the north side of the highway. At Cima, the trucks were at the first powerline crossing and the bikes were at the second. The club route crossed the BLM route, then the club ride markings intersected the ribbons for the race in Nevada. CW had six bikes on the ride, four on the BLM trail and two on the club trail. We saw each other as the paths crossed, with each group thinking the others were lost. One of our guys managed to cross the race finish line, rather than the ride finish, and was a bit disappointed that they didn't award him a trophv.

But that's not what mattered. We. motorcycle fans of all persuasions, turned out. We supported the Duck and the AMA. we persuaded the BLM that there are a lot of us —they had airplanes following and rangers taking pictures from the bushes, so they do know how many of us there are.

The desert survived. The Phantom Duck isn't under arrest and we had a nice day on the trail.

If the BLM learned anything, it should be that if they simply issue a trail ride permit to the Phantom Duck of The Desert. Inc., the 1980 ride will take place, on trails open to the public, with markings understandable to all.

What we learned, after getting lost and wandering into race courses and finishing in the dark, is that the ride was better organized when the Duck didn’t have to be so unofficial.;