News

NEW FUNDRAISER ALERT! Trail Aid: Beat Coronavirus, Support Trails, Win an Ibis (courtesy of MBOSC and IBIS Cycles).

“MBOSC and Ibis Cycles are teaming up to support public lands and public health!
The Covid-19 pandemic is unlike anything our organization or our community have faced before. We’re presented with a choice – do we sit back and hope for the best, or do we come together, take action, and support the things we care about most during this time of need? The team here at MBOSC is making it easy for you to make an everlasting difference in the health of our public lands and collective health with our new 4-week fundraiser, Trail Aid. For every $5 you contribute to support MBOSC and Covid-19 relief, you can protect vulnerable communities, support trails, and earn a chance to win the Ibis bike of your choice. What are you waiting for? Let’s beat this thing, give our trails some much-needed love, and get back in the saddle with our friends.
Through this campaign, MBOSC will give 25% of each donation to the COVID-19 Response Fund of Direct Relief, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest Food Bank, or Project PPE 4 Central Coast, depending on the fund selected at checkout. Our goal is to raise $80,000 for trails and COVID-19 recovery efforts through this 4-week fundraiser. Will you help us get there? Donate today through the link below to support the trail to recovery.”

A note from MORCA regarding recreating during the State and Local “Shelter in Place” orders.

MORCA is asking everyone to be aware of their trail behavior when participating at, and accessing, the few remaining open space parks available during state and local “Shelter in Place” orders.
While some state and local government orders allow travel to and use of remote open space parks for exercise, as long as we are following proper social distancing protocols, other orders prohibit this type of use. We are all encouraged to stay at home and pay attention to our state and local orders for the betterment of our community, state, and nation.

 

If you must get exercise during these trying times, MORCA requests that you exercise from your local neighborhoods. We ask that you not travel via car to the few remaining regional destinations that are trying to accommodate local visitors for exercise.
Vehicles parking close to each other in traditional parking areas, or other locations, is causing the public to become concerned that social distancing is not occurring. These reactions could cause further restrictions.
For those visiting Fort Ord National Monument, please do not park in the Toro Park Estates neighborhood. Avoid parking at residential locations like Anza Dr., Creekside Terrace Rd., and Portola Rd., etc. If you are going for a 5-10+ mile ride, we suggest you ride from your home. Public perception is everything and we are all in this together. Please help keep our trails open.
While you are out, remember to stay 6′ apart from people that don’t live with you, wash your hands, and do not leave your home if you are sick.
Final reminder: Cyclists, this is not the best time to try to push your skill level in order to post that best time on Strava. If you become a victim and require medical attention, you are harming more than yourself. You put others at risk, as well.
Please do the right thing.

 

Kind Regards,
Mike McGirr

 

BLM temporarily closes developed recreation facilities in California

Hi Friends:

I hope you and your families are safe and healthy. I wanted to let you know that today the BLM has approved a statewide temporary closure of developed recreation sites in California.

At Fort Ord National Monument, our trail systems are open for exercise and healthy recreation, but our two developed trailheads (Badger Hills and Creekside Terrace) and associated restrooms will be temporarily closed pending further notice due to Covid-19 concerns. Gates are currently open at those two trailheads, but tomorrow morning they will be closed. Please let us know if you any questions or concerns. Stay safe!

The health and safety of our visitors and staff remains the number one priority of the Bureau of Land Management.
__________________
Eric Morgan, Manager
Fort Ord National Monument

Bureau of Land Management
940 2nd Avenue
Marina, CA 93933
(831)582-2212 office
(831)206-2505 cell

Important Announcement: All MORCA Group Events Postponed Until Further Notice

To promote Public Health MORCA is suspending group rides, trail work and face-to-face group meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic.  We all must do the sensible things necessary to limit the spread of the virus.  When more is known about the course of the virus and its impact on our society we will be in a better position to forecast dates when normal activities can resume.

We all love to ride our bikes, it’s a healthy practice for body and mind.  If you do ride, remember to wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer. There are prescriptions for people to stay 6 feet apart.  We hope you can continue to ride your bike and if you ride with a friend or friends, please practice hand washing and sanitizing as well as safe distancing.

Want a say in the number and type of trails built on the Santa Cruz coast?

Make your voice heard & impact public access to the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument!

The BLM is now fielding public comment on how the public can access the 6,000-acre property just north of Wilder Ranch.

Now is the time to get involved & speak up for trail access! Public planning is decided by those who show up, and there are easy ways for you to get involved. Attend one of the public meetings below, and come out to Shanty Shack this Saturday to sign a letter (and get a sweet discount on a brew!).

. . . . .

MBOSC Letter-Writing Event

Saturday, February 29, noon-3:00 p.m.

Shanty Shack Brewing

138 Fern St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

. . . . .

Public Meeting #1

Wednesday, March 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District

1492 Pine Flat Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

. . . . .

Public Meeting #2

Thursday, March 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Louden Nelson Community Center

301 Center St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

. . . . .

Get talking points and more info at:

MBOSC.org/coast-dairies

Fort Ord National Monument “Safe Passages” initiative.

Safe PASSAGES is a new community-based initiative at Fort Ord National Monument (FONM)

intended to reduce trail conflict and improve safety for visitors on the multiple use trails. The acronym PASSAGES stands for Pass At Slow Speeds And Give Everyone Space. Community partners will be helping to teach good trail manners and reward visitors that practice safe passing interactions with other trail users.

For more information see the brochure at: Safe PASSAGES brochure

2020 Board of Directors

Your 2020 directors are: Mike McGirr, Brian Tomasini, Henrietta Stern, Nick Madronio, Jim “Mort” Morton and (NEW) Jen Acorn and Rodrigo Sierra. Thanks to all for stepping up to serve and thanks to Darrin and Matthew for their contributions in 2019. MORCA Bylaws call for the directors to choose officers in January.  Stay tuned.

2020 MORCA BOD Election Ballot

Dear MORCA Member,

The ballot for the slate of candidates for the 2020 MORCA Board of Directors is open and ready for your vote.

Voting closes on line on November 3rd, 2020, or in person at the November Board Meeting, 6:00PM, Monday November 4th at Turn 12, Monterey, CA

Please click the link here to download the ballot: MORCA Ballot for 2020 Directors

When you have cast your vote, please return the completed ballot to : election@morcamtb.org

Thank you for being an active member of MORCA, your Mountain Bike Club and the voice for responsible mountain biking in Monterey County.  MORCA works to ensure access to trails close to home and the building and maintenance of a sustainable trail systems.

Fort Ord Public Lands Day. Save the date!!!

Save the date: Saturday October 26th 2019

MORCA will once again support the Fort Ord National Monument for the 2019 National Public Lands Day with a “Ride and Trim” to brush out local trails in the vicinity of the Public Lands day site.

The event will begin at 09:00 AM. This is a ride and trim so either ride your bike to the public lands day site or drive in (follow the event signage from 8th Ave and Gigling Road).  Arrive early so we can start on time.  See the flyer here for more information 2019 NPLD Flyer  

Please register directly with the event at this link OR you can sign-up on the MORCA Trailwork webpage after October 14th.

Trail Worker Volunteers will be treated to an always exceptional lunch provided by FORT Friends, with entertainment to follow!

This event is always fun and rewarding. Come on out and enjoy a day of friendship and stewardship.

 

 

MORCA Board nominations open!!!

MORCA Board nominations are now open to the membership. Please nominate a member in good standing that you feel will help with the growth of our club and mission…OR volunteer yourself.

Please remit nominations to secretary@morcamtb.org by October 6, 2019 or mail MORCA at PO Box 1742, Marina, CA 93933 or bring to the board meeting on October 7th.

Please be sure to check with the person you nominated – that they are willing to sit on the board. The term is for one calendar year with the expectation of continuing for the second year.

MORCA mid year trail crew update!

We’re half way through the year and the MORCA trail crew has completed 485 hours of trail work. We’ve had 45 people volunteer and do trail work on 15 different days and worked on 15 diffrerent trails and we’re on track to break 1000 hours again this year. Our next trail day, in conjunction wtih Latino Conservation Week (http://latinoconservationweek.com/) will be our last “third” Saturday trail work day and we’ll start working on the Creekside Terrace side of the Fort Ord National Monument.

Brushing the trails!!!

Next month (August) we start meeting on the 2nd Saturday for work on the Fort Ord National Monument and will introduce a monthly trail work day at Toro Park on the fourth Saturday of each month. In addition we’re doing some weekday after work trail work on an ad hoc basis. If you want to give back to the trails we love to ride come on out and join us (https://morcamtb.org/local-trails/trail-work/).

Volunteer with MORCA at the Sea Otter Classic

The 2019 Sea Otter Classic is April 11-14, 2019!

MORCA will once again be providing volunteers to support the Sea Otter Classic. As well as participating in the kick off cycling event of the year, volunteering for this event helps raise funds for MORCA, drives membership for IMBA and MORCA and helps MORCA gain name recognition in the local community.

We need volunteers to help MORCA marshal the Dual Slalom and staff the MORCA booth. Volunteers will get free entry to the Sea Otter Festival a great experience and maybe more.

Sign up to volunteer at: https://www.morcamtb.org/calendar/sea-otter/

Trail Grant Opportunity for Local Trails

XT Trail LogoWorking With Local Clubs, The ExtremeTerrain Clean Trail Program is Helping To Protect Our Favorite Trails 

ExtremeTerrain’s Clean Trail Initiative Program is looking to improve trails near you.  The Clean Trail Program was founded by ExtremeTerrain in 2015 and set up to fund trail improvement projects.  These projects can include anything from trail clean-up, trail restoration, trail expansion, and more.  They have funded just under $10,000 in trail projects to date.

ExtremeTerrain has worked with numerous clubs and groups.  They have worked on many privately and publicly owned off-road trails to enact changes for the betterment of trail conditions for the communities being served.  They assisted in Truckee and we all love spending a weekend Mountain Biking up there.

ExtremeTerrain has granted over 22 grants for trail improvement projects, funding just under $10,000 in trail improvement projects all around the country. In just the past few months, ExtremeTerrain has approved an additional 10 grants and is shooting for more.  MORCA is making a request for assistance for our local trails at Fort Ord National Monument.  Things are looking good.

Applying for a Clean Trail Grant is easy; head to here and click to apply for a grant, filling out a short questionnaire. With a grant from ExtremeTerrain, you can get the tools you need to clean, restore, or expand your own local trails, helping to maintain the trail system and improve it for future off-roaders.

Election for 2019 Board

Hi MORCA members.  It’s that time of year again.  We need to elect our board for 2019.  If you are a current IMBA member with MORCA chosen as your primary chapter then please complete the ballot at this link: MORCA_Election_2018 and email it, snail mail it or bring it to the general member meeting on November 5th 2018 at English Ales in Marina.  Instructions are on the ballot.  Note: We plan to increase the number of board members to 7 as the first order of business at the November meeting.

Nominations open for the MORCA board!!!

MORCA Board nominations are now open to the membership. Please nominate a member in good standing that you feel will help with the growth of our club and mission…OR volunteer yourself. Please remit nominations to secretary@morcamtb.org by October 1, 2018. Please be sure to check with the person you nominated – that they are willing to sit on the board. The term is for one calendar year with the expectation of continuing for the second year. Questions? Contact morca@morcamtb.org

State of Mountain Biking Survey

Please take a moment to take this survey. It will assist IMBA and other mountain-bike advocacy groups and communities to better understand the current state of Mountain Biking.

Understanding the current state of Mountain Biking!!!

Monthly MORCA trail work this Saturday August 18th!!!

MORCA Trail crew leaders will be leading trail work this Saturday August 18th to trim trails 24 and 63 on the bluff east of the Bunkers. We’ll be re-establishing the trail corridor (trimming brush).
We will meet at 8th Avenue and Gigling Road and plan to car pool from there leaving at 9 AM and returning by 1 PM.  Arrive early to get signed in.
For more information and to sign up go to: https://morcamtb.org/trails/trail-work/

Monthly MORCA trail work this Saturday June 16th

MORCA Trail crew leaders will be leading trail work this Saturday June 16th to trim trails 17 and 23 west of Addington Rd. Depending on crew size, we may run the DR mower on trails 20 & 51.
We will meet at 8th Avenue and Gigling Road and plan to car pool from there leaving at 9 AM and returning by 1 PM.  Arrive early to get signed in.
For more information and to sign up go to: https://morcamtb.org/trails/trail-work/

MORCA Helps Monterey County Parks Sign Trails

MORCA uses $17,900 funds gained via a grant from the Monterey Peninsula Foundation to assist Monterey County Parks with over 24 miles of Trail Signage.

Twenty-three volunteers from MORCA and County Parks Staff worked together, May 6th and 7th, and completed Phase I of a much needed trail signing project in what is known to locals as the “Happy Trails” area located between Seaside and the East Garrison Development. 

The project was to install a number of instructional “stay on trail” and directional “way-finding” sings on the existing trails.  Phase I was the installation of 170 signs on ten miles of these trails.

The trails are used by hundreds of hikers, bikers, and horse riders each week.  Having these signs with specific trail designations will be valuable, not just in helping users have a better idea of their location, but also in helping local fire and emergency staff understand where an incident is when they get a call.

District Supervisor Jane Parker attended at lunch on Saturday to thank the groups for their efforts and mentioned the positive impact this will have on the general public’s safety and enjoyment of the country trails.

“I want to thank the Monterey Peninsula Foundation for awarding MORCA the grant to make improvements to recreational open space, Monterey County Resource Management Agency in getting approval for the work and Monterey County Parks staff and the MORCA volunteers for taking the time out of their busy schedules to hit the trails and make the sign project a reality.”  Nick Madronio

While it was expected to take more than one weekend to complete phase I of the project, there were enough volunteers to complete the project in one weekend.