Trail building equestrians of New Mexico

[<GENTLETAMER1 AT peoplepc.com>]

 

Back Country Horsemen                  

Lower Rio Grande Chapter                                        February  09  Newsletter                                                                                                    

P.O. Box 445, Radium Springs, NM 88054

 

President:  Pat Buls, gentletamer1 AT peoplepc.com

V.P.:  Don Patterson,   donpat AT zianet.com

Secretary:  Joyce Getrost, jgetrost AT hotmail.com

Newsletter Editor:  Pat Buls

Website:  http://lowerriogrande.bchnm.org

BCHNM:  http://www.bchnm.org

BCHA:   www.backcountryhorse.com

 

 

                                                                                               

                                                                                     

 

                                                                                               

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

This month there’s lots to report, and it’s too nice outside to be inside on the computer!  This weather is what we all love about southern New Mexico.   I hope you’re all gettin’ out there and leggin’ up your horses, ‘cause we’re back to two rides a month – first and third Saturdays – and this Summer we’ll be goin’ to the Gila quite a bit to scout out some trails for the Rendezvous in September!

 

Our chapter contributed 647 hours of trail work and community service in 2008, putting in 5,666 stock hauling miles to get there!  In a year when gas prices came close to $5.00 a gallon, that’s quite a statement of our dedication!  Thanks to all of our members for the work and support of our efforts to help maintain back country trails and our continued access to them!

 

We welcome new member Nana Delanoy, and welcome back all of you who have paid your dues for ’09!  Those of you who haven’t, we hope you’ll continue to support your special interest group that’s always working to keep our back country trails open, and our right to ride on public lands in the forefront of our legislators’ minds -- the LRG BCH!  This year will be allot of fun, with a pot-luck ride planned in each quarter, and meetings rotating around to different members’ homes.  PLEASE NOTE:  our meeting day has been changed to the third Thursday of the month -- meeting time is 6:30 pm.    

 

It looks like a promising year for the environment, and if we squeak loud enough, maybe we’ll get the Right to Ride Bill through Congress as well!  Senate Bill 22 -- the legislative package that contains the Dona Ana County Citizens’ Proposal, the Roledo Mountain Trackways, the Ute Mountain National Conservation Area and Wilderness Proposal, the Chaco Canyon Wilderness Proposal, and the Sabinoso Wilderness Proposal -- has passed the US Senate and is now before the House for consideration.   Dona Ana County stands to receive permanent protection for more than 400,000 acres of our traditional riding areas. 

 

On Saturday, January 31^st Pat Buls and Don Patterson met with US Representative Harry Teague to discuss New Mexico horsemen’s concern for preserving land in our state for future generations to ride and explore as we have.  City Councilors Sharon Thomas and Nathan Small, sportsman and Wildlife Biologist Angel Montoya were there, as well as New Mexico Representative Jeff Steinborn (by phone), and Pat’s grandson, Danny, who bore witness of his love for the land and its hidden treasures in the photographs of our horseback trip to Valles Canyon last year. Mr. Teague was impressed with our sincerity and our concerns, and expressed his agreement that these cherished areas in Dona Ana County should be preserved.  We will be watching to see how he votes in Congress.

 

BCHNM BOARD MEETING REPORT

The January board meeting was a very productive one, with more members present than we’ve had in a long time.  There were lots of great ideas discussed for the Rendezvous, which is shaping up nicely, with plenty of time to work on it yet. 

 

Carol Edmonds was elected by acclamation to be our State Representative to the National BCHA Convention, which will be in Washington State this year.  The State Chapter will pay all of her expenses to the convention, which will also be attended by our other State Representative, Nick Martinez.

 

We were encouraged to discuss trail funding with our legislators this year, and contact our US Representatives to comment in favor of Senate Bill 22: 

 

Harry Teague https://forms.house.gov/Teague/contact-form.shtml

Martin Heinrich https://forms.house.gov/heinrich/contact-form.shtml

Ben Ray Lujan https://forms.house.gov/lujan/contact-form.shtml

 

The following website gives the explanation of the bill and its current status in Congress:

 

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgibin/bdquery/D?d111:12:./list/bss/d111SN.lst::|TOM:/bss/111search.html|

 

The Board liked the idea of contributing hitching posts to the campsite where we will stage the Rendezvous, and the Pecos Chapter volunteered to contribute the hithin’ post.  This will make it a work project, and therefore cover us under the Forest Service Workman’s Compensation.

 

Our State Chapter’s slate of officers is up for re-election.  Anyone interested in running for, or nominating someone to the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, or Treasurer’s positions may contact me (I’m on the nominating committee) at 525-9334 or email listed above on the masthead.

 

 RIDE REPORT

On January 17^th five LRGC members took a very enjoyable training ride into the Dona Ana hills.  Julie ponied her young molly mule and Ron Parker’s good gelding gave her a great example to follow.  Pat led the way and Joyce and Nana rode drag.  The bicyclers and ATV riders we came across were very courteous – the ATV rider backed up out of our way and even turned his engine off and waited patiently until the mule decided everything was cool.  However, when we returned to the parking area there was a note on my windshield from a cyclist who was disgruntled with the horse droppings on the trail that he described as “clearly predominantly a mountain bike trail made with sweat equity by mountain bikers.”  My hackles immediately went up, since these are shared trails with horsemen, hikers and cyclists.  We only rode on the actual trail a short distance out of the parking lot before we took to the arroyo and just crossed the trail occasionally along the way.  The cyclist’s note stated that “not taking the few seconds required to clean your horses’ droppings off the trail, leaving it for cyclists to ride through, really isn’t helping relations between mountain bikers and yourselves.”  Clearly he has no idea how much effort that would entail, nor the fact that it happens on our ‘blind side’ and for the most part goes unnoticed by horsemen.  But the writing is on the wall, folks.  We are going to be fighting for our right to ride on these shared trails if we’re not careful.  By ‘careful’ I mean at the very least, teach your horse to keep moving while he poops – maybe move him off the trail if you feel it coming, and ride cross-country when you can.  It’s just about impossible to get lost in the hills around Las Cruces, and it’s allot more interesting to chart your own course.  It’s a unique privilege we have here in the Southwest, and just as some bikers and ATVers would prefer that we stay off of the trails, we would clearly prefer that they stay ON them.  In their support, those mountain bikes do not have fenders, so you can imagine how a cyclist would feel about a green stripe down his back – think about it…

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

In case of questionable weather, contact Pat Buls at 525-9334, or cell #: 571-0221

February 7:  White Sands National Monument Ride and Pot Luck, 11 am.  Copy of use permit and directions attached.

February 19:  LRGC Meeting at Bob & Julie Basile’s place in Fairacres, 6:30 pm. 

Directions: >From the intersection of Valley and Picacho Ave turn west. Head West (towards Deming) down Picacho Ave and you will cross over the Rio Grande Bridge. After bridge you will cross through one stop light. Keeping heading west and look for the Fairacres Elementary School on the left. Right after you pass the school will be North Fairacres Road, turn left. Come down North Fairacres Road 5/10 mile (look for white pipe fence) and turn left again at Escondido Lane. This is a dead end street and my house is the next to the last on the right:  4207 Escondido Lane. There are large willow trees just before the driveway.

Note: If you are coming from the North you can take Shalem Colony Trail and it will take you to West Picacho. At the stop light make a right turn (west) on Picacho Ave. Look for the Fairacres Elementary School and follow reminder of directions above.

Julie’s Phone: (575) 639-1569

February 21:  Rio Grande Trail at Williamsburg, 11 am.  Bring brush-clearing tools if you have them.

Directions to Rio Grande Trailhead at Williamsburg:  take I-25 to Williamsburg (Exit 75, just south of Truth or Consequences), turn right onto Hwy. 187 (the first right you come to) and proceed about a half mile to the first left turn over a cattle guard and then turn right and proceed one mile to a parking area along the river.

 

March 7:  Soledad Canyon Patrol, 10 am.

Directions to Soledad Canyon:  Take I-25 to University Exit, proceed East past the Farm and Ranch Museum, continue another three miles to Soledad Canyon Road.  Turn right and follow Soledad Canyon Rd. to its end in the foothills of the Organ Mountains, about 7 miles from I-25. 

 

  March 14:  9 am to 5 pm, Cowboy Days at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.  We will have a booth and all members are encouraged to come and help set up our Leave No Trace Camp and spread the word about BCHA, enjoy the fun and entertainment, and help promote our cause.

 

March 19:  Regular Monthly Meeting: Joyce Getrost’s Place, 6:30 pm. Directions to follow.

 

March 21:  Faulkner Canyon Ride, 10 am.

Directions:  Take Valley Drive north from Las Cruces, (Hwy. 185) to Radium Springs.  Pass the Fort Selden turn-off (don’t turn – continue North) –  you will cross the river and then pass the Blue Moon Bar where the highway turns toward the West.  Faulkner Canyon Road is about a half-mile West of the Blue Moon Bar and has a green street sign.  Go left onto Faulkner Canyon Rd. and proceed about a mile to a gate.  Enter and close the gate behind you, then proceed about a mile and a half to an old stone house with corrals and windmill.  The arroyo widens out just beyond this house and you can park along the right side where there’s room to turn around.

 

March 28:  BCHNM Board Meeting, Kiva RV Park, Bernardo, 1:00 pm.

 

April 4:  Picacho Peak ride and Pot Luck from Pat Ethridge’s place, 10 am.

From the North take Hwy. 185 (Valley Drive) to Shalem Colony and go West (right) 2.5 mile to Skyline Drive. Pat's is the second house on the right, 4038 Skyline Dr.

From the South (Las Cruces) take Picacho (Hwy. 70) west to Shalem Colony and turn North. Go exactly four miles to Skyline Drive and go West (left) to 4038 Skyline Dr.

Pat's number is 647-4765.

 

April 9:  Regular Monthly Meeting, 6:30 pm, location TBA.

 

CLASSIFIEDS

Website creation and maintenance by Julie Basile – 639-1569 or NMGal AT q.com

Join in the fun of Formation Riding, Mondays at 10 am at Shining Heart Farm.  Call Pat Buls at 525-9334. 

Online Calendar for members:  http//www.familytimeplanner.com/LRGBCH1

 

Information on the Rio Grande Trail:

http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/emnrd/parksPRD/riograndeconcept.htm

 

For up-to-date info on National Forests and BLM areas, go to http://www.nmfireinfo.com or http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/information/firerestrictions/nm/restrictions_nm.htm.

 

Don’t forget to order your horse supplies online from COUNTRY SUPPLY at http://www.countrysupply.com and enter the Country Care Code:  BCHLRGC

Five percent of your purchase will be contributed to our club.

 

For some interesting info on the barefoot horse:

http://www.hoofrehab.com/index.htm 

 

For some very interesting info on feeding the horse:

www.safergrass.org

 

The web homepage of the New Mexico DOT BPE program has been updated,
now that our new BPE Coordinator Tom Trowbridge is in the saddle.
http://www.nmshtd.state.nm.us/main.asp?secid=11190

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Attachment: WS Horse Use Permit.pdf
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