MOAB, Utah (April 4, 2012) – BFGoodrich Tires, in collaboration with Tread Lightly! and United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA), today announced the trails selected for its 2012 Outstanding Trails program. Nominated for uniqueness, terrain type and enthusiast following, the trails selected for this year’s program are Blanca Peak Trail in Blanca, Colo.; Mirror Lake Trail in Sierra National Forest, Calif.; and Bents and Dents Trail in Mount Olive, Ala.
Launched in 2006, the Outstanding Trails Program is dedicated to the responsible use and preservation of off-road trails while promoting the trails’ conservation efforts. To help with costs associated with the trail’s conservation efforts, BFGoodrich Tires will also present a grant to the associated off-road clubs at events throughout the year.
“We’re proud to see the amount of support and attention that the Outstanding Trails program has received over the last seven years,” said Renato Silva, light-truck brand category manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “We’ve met 29 tremendous clubs and their volunteers along the way, and all of them are equally passionate about spreading the message of responsible four-wheeling. It’s been great to work side by side with them to help maintain some of North America’s most beautiful trails.”
BFGoodrich Tires 2012 Outstanding Trails
During the course of the year, BFGoodrich Tires will be at club events associated with these trails to highlight the uniqueness of each location and educate off-road enthusiasts on the responsible use of the trails. The clubs will also receive a $4,000 grant for preserving the scenic off-highway trail system and continue conservation efforts for three of America’s most beautiful areas for off-roading.
- Blanca Peak Trail, nominated in 2011, is a rocky six-mile trail with many granite outcroppings. It offers many challenging obstacles, including Jaws 1–4, as well as views of the valley, Como Lake and spectacular mountain scenery. The trail is maintained by Creeper Jeepers Gang, a family oriented 4-Wheel Drive club, which promotes safe and environmentally sensitive off-road recreation and family.
- Mirror Lake Trail, also nominated in 2011, is located in the Sierra National Forest about 13 miles east of Shaver Lake on Highway 168. The trail features beautiful lake scenery with steep boulders and large hills for the more experienced off-roader. The trail is maintained by Lock and Low 4-Wheel Drive Club, which promotes family four-wheeling and fosters safety and education of responsible four-wheeling. Lock and Low is an active member of the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs
- Bents and Dents Trail is one of the premier trails in a vast trail system of extreme obstacles at Gray Rock ORV Park in Mount Olive, Ala. The trail is one of the most extreme and versatile trails at the park, with lines to accommodate vehicles with a variety of modifications. The Bents and Dents trail starts in a valley and winds its way uphill to a large rock garden area with various ledges and rock sizes. For the most extreme drivers and rigs there is an alternate line at the top end of the trail on the right side called the lunch line it is ridiculously steep and off camber. This trail, as well as many others in the area, is maintained by Central Alabama Offroad Society (C.A.O.S.), which promotes safe family oriented four-wheeling from mild to wild.
“For the past seven years, UFWDA has been honored to be a partner in this program alongside BFGoodrich Tires and Tread Lightly!,” said Todd Ockert, former UFWDA Director of Environmental Affairs. “The three trails and clubs nominated in 2012 are top notch, and it was personally a pleasure to nominate Mirror Lake Trail and the Visalia Lock and Low Club for this award. They are dedicated to maintaining Mirror Lake Trail and working well with the Forest Service to enable public access to Mirror Lake.”
About the Outstanding Trails Program
The BFGoodrich® Tires Outstanding Trails program was established in 2006 to raise awareness for responsible use and preservation of off-road trails while providing support in the trails’ conservation efforts. Through 2011, the Outstanding Trails program has recognized 27 off-road trails and 27 clubs across 16 states and two trails in Canada. The program has provided more than $100,000 in grants in support of the various trails conservation efforts.
Both Tread Lightly!® and UFWDA are non-profit organizations dedicated to responsible and ethical outdoor recreation. BFGoodrich Tires collaborated with these two groups to select the finest off-road trails and continues to work with these organizations on restoration and education initiatives.
United Four Wheel Drive Associations is the world’s leading representative of all-brand, four wheel-drive enthusiasts. UFWDA benefits, developed and tested over the past 30 years, include four-wheel-drive safety and awareness education; such user ethics programs as adopt-a-road, conservation volunteer and volunteer trail patrol; assistance with new club formation; education seminars to aid four wheelers through complex state and federal programs affecting trail access; internet forums designed to instantly connect members globally; and unlimited member access to its full-time legislative advocate and nationally recognized attorney who works exclusively for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts to protect access and prevent road and trail closures. For more information on the UFWDA log on to www.ufwda.org or call 1-800-44-UFWDA (800-448-3932).
Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through ethics education and stewardship. Tread Lightly!’s strategic educational message, along with its training and restoration initiatives, are designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of those who enjoy outdoor recreation with the needs of the environment. The federal government recognizes this by acknowledging Tread Lightly!® as a sole-source service provider of education and training on how to be environmentally and socially responsible while using motorized and mechanized vehicles in off-highway settings.
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.BFGoodrichTires.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BFGoodrichTires or on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BFGoodrichTires.