Meeting Minutes

April 20, 2013

I. General Announcements

· The meeting/pot luck BBQ turned out good – 10 members and 8 guests! Spicy Teriyaki Chicken, Sausages, and Jalapenos on the grill, and cheese dip, pasta salad, Asian style noodles with shrimp and tequila shooters on the side. There was beer and whiskey too!

· Mammoth M/C welcomes it newest Member, Chris. Chris is a long time lurker (guest) turned full member on 4/20. Chris is an off-road enthusiast and a mammoth local, who’s interested in staying up to date on all the evils/lies of Travel “Management.” Chris is looking forward to an exciting summer of interesting rides, Mammoth Village events, and trips to Reno. “Wheel of fortune” slots are his favorite!

· New T-shirts are being sold for $15. John is busy selling lots of club tee-shirts to both members and non-member supporters. T-shirts are going fast, so reserve your shirt soon! Contact John or send your cash via paypal to LINK HERE. For all of our non-local members, you can also use our PayPal account.

· Member Russ and the gang had a successful (kinda) “MMC 2-day Death Valley Conservation ride.” You can read all about it on the website, HERE. A few members accused James of being overly dry with the ride report write-up...

II. PR Officer’s Roundtable Report

T-shirt money is still coming in and thanks for the following for re-upping memberships:

Sam, Steve, James, Bruce, Norman Kim, Angel, Joe (partial, and past fines still outstanding), Alan (paid $100 - last year’s membership, this years membership, and pre-paid for 2014 and 2015). Thanks Alan!

MMC treasury at $1230. Almost enough for a new bike or piece of property somewhere.

III. Land Manager Update

The “Forest Service” sent out a friendly reminder to the public about spring forest conditions and cautions when recreating in the forest. It’s good to see that we have official permission from our land managers to remove any type of “obstacle” (barricade) that may block a road or trail… In addition to this, Forest officials will also be working to “Open roads and trails.” Friends of the Inyo was unavailable for comment.

(Press Release copied from http://www.sierrawave.net/23960/early-spring-means/ and typical government rhetoric has been edited from original)

The Forest Service would like to provide the following updates and remind forest users of a few safety and resource protection measures as you visit the Forest this spring:

1. Groomed Snowmobile Trails are closed – The snowmobile trail network maintained by the Forest Service with support from California State Parks is no longer being groomed. Many trails are partially or completely melted out and signs and route markers have been removed. To protect forest resources and minimize erosion, the USFS asks that snowmobiles stay off of trails and forest areas that are not consistently snow-covered.

2. Digital 395 – Construction activities associated with the installation of fiber optic cables, known as “Digital 395” will be taking place between Mammoth Lakes and June Lake over the next several weeks. Construction may require plowing and the temporary closure of some roads within two miles west of Highway 395. If recreating or traveling in this area, please be prepared to adjust your plans.

3. Stay on the Road – Many roads and trails this time of year have snow berms, drifts, downed trees, rocks, and other obstacles that prevent travel by wheeled vehicles. Travel off road to bypass obstacles is prohibited. Users should either remove obstacles if safe to do so, or turn around upon encountering such obstacles, then report conditions to the Forest Service so that obstacles can be removed.

Barring a return of winter conditions, Forest Service personnel will be working to open campgrounds, day use recreation facilities, and roads and trails as quickly as conditions allow. Many lakes will be free of ice by fishing opener and conditions are shaping up to be excellent. Both the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center and Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center are now open, and staff is available to answer your recreation questions. The USFS wishes everyone a safe and happy spring!

For additional information, please contact the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center at 760-924-5500, the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center at 760-647-3044, or visit the Inyo National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.