I love the smell of C-112 in the
morning, it smells like victory... It's that time of year again gang. If we
were back east or in the frozen north like some of you who are
reading this, our fun would be coming to a close. But here in the
sunny desert southwest the off road season is just beginning to
heat up. Midnight oil is being burned all over the southland
by the tanker load as we speak. Chrome and aluminum being
buffed to a dazzling shine, torques and tire pressures being
checked and rechecked. Top ends freshened, carbs jetted, I can hear
my neighbors Acura V6 powered rail echoing in the distance as he
tachs it up to 8,000 RPM in his garage... BRRAAAAPPP!
I believe I'm getting an erection...
God I love the desert! When I'm out
there shredding the big dunes on my 'Zilla, I'm two parts Mad Max
and three parts Lawrence of freakin' Arabia. The feeling of
cresting a giant razorback WFO in fourth gear, nosing over and
changing directions mid-air as I drop into the next bowl. Then
hitting the gas hard, lofting the front wheels and shooting a 100
foot rooster tail as I follow the sweeping arc of it's smooth face
as it feeds into the next bowl...
Nirvana. Heaven. Valhalla. Home.
They say home is where the heart is. If
that old axiom is true then my home is Glamis. Steep faced sand
dunes towering over 40 stories tall, stretching for more miles than
you can ride in a month. Endless bowls of drifting, blowing sand
begging to be roosted. There just ain't nowhere else like it. Not
to mention the non-stop cruising at Oldsmobile and Competition
Hills, more chrome and polished aluminum than a mortal could
imagine...
I think I'm gonna cry. The summer months
are tough on us crusty old Glamis Rats. Downright painful in fact.
No blowing sand, no gettin' yelled at by Jeannie for making hot
passes through Boardmanville on our way to her icy, cool
refreshments. No sitting at Comp' Hill in front of a comfy fire,
sipping a hot toddy and watchin' the Hill Rats thrash their
machines into the wee hours of the morning. Thank God summer's
finally gone and it's time to go duning!
Top Ten Things I Love About Glamis!
Seeing the dunes stretch across the horizon as far as
you can see as you're rolling towards them on California Highway
78.
Marilyn's nasty double cheeseburgers.
Water skiing behind a quad in the canal until Fish
and Game chases us off.
Jack Daniels, ZZ Top and Ted Nugent around the
campfire at 3am.
Endless, epic BIG air.
Sand in my teeth, my eyes, my food and my sleeping
bag.
The cold beers at Boardmanville.
The sound and fury of Competition Hill.
The way you can see every star in the universe on
those perfectly clear desert nights.
And thing thing I love the most... Long, fast hard
rides, shredding the bowls with my buddies...
There are dozens more things I love
about Glamis, it's the most incredible playground for OHVs in the
world. But don't forget, there are forces out there that seek to
close it. Liberals from San Francisco who have never even seen a
desert, let alone enjoyed it's mysteries, it's beauties, it's sheer
vastness. We alone are it's stewards. It's our duty and
responsibility to use the land wisely and to pick up after
ourselves when we leave. And to treat our fellow dunatics with
courtesy. But most importantly to be heard, if we don't fight for
our rights... Who will?
There is a lawsuit pending in
Federal Court that could lock up millions more acres in the CDCA
(California Desert Conservation Area). The Blue Ribbon Coalition
has filed an injunction and is fighting this suit with all it's
strength. But they need your help, both financially and in
appealing to your legislators. PLEASE take a moment and go to their
website, become a a member of the BRC and help them help us, it's
your duty. We've all been apathetic for far too long.
Get up, go look at yourself in the
mirror, ask yourself, "Have I done everything I can to further the
sport of off roading and to guarantee that my children have the
opportunity to enjoy the magic of these vast, wide open spaces?"
Years from now, when you're bouncing your grandchildren on your
knees do you want to be telling them fables of how you used to be
able ride from the Chocolate mountains all the way into Mexico? Or
do you want to take them, and show them for yourself?
Join
the BRC, get involved, make a difference...
Speak Out!
Mr.Dune
A note from the Editor…
This is my forum, not yours! If you don't like my views or
opinions, then get a life!...The views and/or opinions expressed herein
are not always the opinions of Off-Road.com or it's parent company
Advanstar Communications, Inc.
(Although frequently, they are...)
E-mail Mr Dune at: mrdune@off-road.com for instructions on finding
a life.
Please be sure to check out Off-Road.com's Land Use
Section,
Written and produced by Brad Ulrich. And jam packed with
information
on the latest shaft jobs our government and the Eco-Nazis are
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