Author: Desert Toad; Published: May 20, 2011; Category: Current Events, In the Media; Tags: None; No Comments
Texas mountain bike trails of Big Bend experienced a burst of activity over three days in late April when 14 Wounded Warriors came to ride 100k with former President George W. Bush. Barrett Durst of Big Bend Ranch State Park asked Mike Long to help choose the routes beforehand, and Crystal Allbright of Desert Sports and Kevin Urbanczyk of Sul Ross State University joined the bright orange-vested ones to assist and lead rides during the event. The routes covered 12 miles of the Lajitas Resort Trail System on day one, and in the state park day two consisted of 30 miles including a stretch of the Government Road and day three finalized the 100k with 21 miles encompassing the Contrabando Dome Loop. The warriors held up in fine form on the rugged terrain as they kept pace with President Bush and they were thrilled to be joined by Lance Armstrong on the last day of riding.
Here’s ‘Doc’ Kevin U’s article in the Skyline (page 1, page 2), a Sul Ross State University paper.
‘Camera Lady’ Crystal was asked to submit her version to Big Bend Now.
Other local coverage by Big Bend Gazette with additional photos and info in the May 2011 issue of the Gazette.
W100k includes excellent images of the occasion by Paul Morse and other photographers along with insightful interviews with the warriors.
Author: Desert Toad; Published: Dec 14, 2010; Category: Current Events, In the Media, Mountain Bike Event, Trails; Tags: Festival, Mountain Bike; One Comment
Rock Quarry Trail - Big Bend Ranch State Park
Prime time on the trails is now. There’s mucho ground to cover and fine weather to pull you along this winter. Trails are in good shape and ready for mountain biking enthusiasts.
Yes, it’s buzzing about mountain biking in Big Bend. Big Bend Trails Alliance and Desert Sports have paired up with Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa to offer some outstanding mountain biking for all levels of riding. From the challenging jeep roads in the national park to the smooth packed trails of Lajitas to the rugged, epic of the state park.
Did I just say epic? Just getting here can be epic, but now much of the Big Bend Ranch State Park trail/jeep road system, known as the Fresno-Sauceda Loop, has been deemed EPIC by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). Jeff Renfrow of Big Bend Trails Alliance applied for this honored status, and now it’s time for cyclists to celebrate this fine award.
Join us for the Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest on February 17-19, 2011! We’ll be featuring some of the outstanding riding in the Big Bend. Old Ore Road in the national park on Thursday, Lajitas trails on Friday, and portions or, if you dare, all of the state park’s EPIC loop on Saturday. Family and Kid rides on Friday and Saturday. And, of course, there will be celebrating. Details about the fest are still on the ironing board, so we will be posting very soon on the Desert Sports website.
In the meantime, check out ‘the buzz’….
“Mountain Bike Dream Ride in Big Bend Ranch”
by Karen Hoffman Blizzard
Texas Parks and Wildlife
“IMBA Unveils Six New Epic Rides”
“The 2010 Epic Rides”
IMBA Trail News Fall 2010 newsletter – hard copy only
Cover photo by Crystal Allbright of KT Misener on the Rock Quarry Trail, Big Bend Ranch State Park
“Biking in Big Bend Ranch State Park is Truly Epic”
by Pamela LeBlanc
Austin American Statesman
“Are IMBA’s Six New ‘Epic” Trails Really Epic?”
by Chris Lesser
Adventure Journal
Mountain Biking Big Bend Ranch State Park
a Texas Parks and Wildlife Film
This piece will air on TPW TV in March.
and then, a bit dated but never posted…
Biking Big Bend
a video by Crystal Allbright, music by Julian Mock
Author: Desert Toad; Published: Oct 3, 2010; Category: Current Events; Tags: hooping; 7 Comments
Dust off your hula hoops for WORLD HOOP DAY on Sunday – 10.10.10! Have fun, stay fit and exercise your imagination. We’ll be hooping all day at Desert Sports with a group hoop from 5 pm – 7 pm. Don’t have a hoop? We have a fleet of hoops to try and a few for purchase…all sales go to making hoops for the young ones at Casa Hogar Orphanage in Ojinaga, Mexico. Give a kid a hoop and watch the smiles. Can’t make the Terlingua gathering? Join the world of hoopers wherever you are hanging out, and plan for next year’s date – 11.11.11!
Author: Mike Long; Published: Aug 28, 2010; Category: Big Bend Info, Current Events, Rio Grande Info; Tags: Big Bend Info, Canoeing, passport, Rafting, Rules & Regulations; 3 Comments
Ok, here is the latest update on Passport Requirements for going on river trips on the Rio Grande in the Big Bend area of Texas. We are in receipt of a letter from the National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, that relates policy changes for River Usage on the Rio Grande along the Texas/Mexico border. These statements reflect changes in the enforcement of existing regulations by US Customs and Border Patrol.
The following are direct quotes from the letter we received from Big Bend National Park:
“First, a U.S. Passport is not required to use the river in Big Bend National Park or the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River. Additionally, a U.S. Customs declaration form is no longer required for river trips.
Second, visitors and river outfitters may not use the Mexican bank of the river, as international border crossing is only legal at a Port of Entry. Visitors may not hike into Mexico or the side canyons of Mexico. Visitors additionally may not plan a trip to camp in Mexico or on the Mexican shore. The exception is in cases of emergency: visitors may land on the Mexican side of the river to scout rapids, to bail out a boat, to repack gear, and for other safety reasons.”
These policy changes were presented to us in a letter dated August 20, 2010.
If you have questions on how this new interpretation of the regulations will affect Desert Sports river trips, give us a shout (either email or give us a call). While these changes will have an effect on some of our camps and hikes, we are still able to visit the fantastic canyons of the Rio Grande. Stay tuned for more updates.
If you have questions on the new enforcement of these regulations and how they affect the current NPS policy changes we suggest contacting the following folks:
Bill Wellman, BBNP Superintendent; bill_wellman@nps.gov
David Elkowitz, BBNP Chief of Interpretation, david_elkowitz@nps.gov
Bill Brooks, Customs and Border Patrol, Marfa Sector, william.brooks@dhs.gov
Author: Mike Long; Published: Aug 7, 2010; Category: Big Bend Info, Current Events, Rio Grande Info; Tags: Canoeing, Rafting, Rio Grande; 2 Comments
LET’S GO RAFTING!!
Mexico is releasing water from a reservoir on the Rio Conchos. Just yesterday, 8/6/2010, in the late afternoon the release hit the gauge at the Presidio Bridge. The Rio Grande is flowing at 1145 cfs (cubic feet per second) this morning, up from 215 cfs yesterday, past the Bridge and should be reaching the Lajitas area in the next couple of days. The release is coming from the last of the reservoirs on the Rio Conchos and as of yesterday is flowing at almost 2000 cfs. We have no information on the duration of the release, but based on information from the International Boundary and Water Commission, it looks like there is quite a bit of water behind the dam.
This is a great flow rate for the Rio Grande and allows us to do all our river trips through the Big Bend area of Texas. If you are planning to visit the Big Bend in the next week or so, give Desert Sports a shout.
We’ll keep you posted as we get updates.
