The Rooster
April 2020
THE ROOSTER A monthly update from the Inland Empire Offroad Association
What’s New In times of unprecedented restrictions and changes to daily life due to the Corona virus, many of us are still looking forward to isolating ourselves in the sand dunes. Glamis is open as I write this, and since other vacation options are limited people are making plans to visit the dunes.
New Talon at Dumont By Mike Bacon, Photos by Mike Bacon, Pat Starr, and Malinda Sudduth As many of you know we purchased a new Honda Talon about a month ago and we took it to Dumont for its debut. Pat and I arrived very late Wednesday night and found a spot by Bathroom 11. We awoke to cloudy skies and some wind, but not bad. Jim arrived a little after noon and the weather soon started to turn with higher winds, more clouds and rain starting about 4pm. We went in for the night. My cousin Jon, his wife Malinda, and his friend Zack showed up about midnight during the pouring rain.
New Toy Mike Bacon has joined the Honda ranks by purchasing a brand new green Talon 2 seater. He took it out for its first trip to Dumont and had a good time.
Spring Break We are planning on a Glamis trip from March 24-30. We hope you can join us.
We got up Friday morning to find wind and cloudy sky, but no rain. We all got our cars ready and soon headed o to explore the river canyon and beyond. As we crossed the river the first couple of times I noticed it was running pretty high and was very muddy. Also the
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April 2020
skies were getting very dark and the wind was blowing hard and cold. I decided we might be better off avoiding the canyon and river this day so we detoured up to the old railroad route and went by the dunes out to the east then circled back to the South Pole. After a stop for pics and beverages we continued up over the hill and down back to camp. We all got together for bratwursts and salad for dinner, but did not have a fire due to the wind blowing.
Upcoming Events • March 24 (or earlier) - 30th: Spring Break at Glamis, Wash 6. • April 10-12 Easter Weekend. Are you planning a trip, let us know. • May 1-4: End of Season Dumont Trip: Mark your calendars now for one last fast ride of the season.
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Saturday dawned a little clearer, still cold and a bit windy though. We all took off for the canyon again and worked our way up through the canyon, crossing the river multiple times. We found the road I remember being there 12 years ago was all 2
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April 2020
washed out, and it appeared just recently, so we were riding in wash all the way through the canyon. One part of the canyon has these huge rocks poised on little columns of sand just waiting for unsuspecting UTV drivers to come around the corner before they give way and roll down the hill to crush brand new green Talons! We got through it though, TWICE! We went on to find some borax mines and other interesting scenery. It was a great ride through some beautiful country. Once back at camp we got together for chicken wings and hamburgers for dinner then had a nice fire.
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April 2020
Sunday Jon, Malinda, and Zack had to head for home so we took a short ride to the small dunes before they loaded up. That was really fun, I had never rode those dunes before and they are really nice to play on. When we got back to camp They loaded up and left Pat and me, and Jim to enjoy an afternoon ride up in the dunes. I wanted to push the new Talon a bit to see how it handled and was very pleased. We came back to camp and had a nice fire after dinner before turning in.
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April 2020
Monday morning dawned nice and bright, but we had to go home. Once loaded up we headed out and waved bye to Jim in Baker where we went separate ways. We had a lot of strong wind going home, and made it without incident. The Talon will go in for it’s first 100 mile service, then we’ll be on our way to Glamis at the end of the month. Hope to see you all there!
Remember When? By Mike Bacon Do you remember when the sand drags were held at the Ontario Motor Speedway? Right under the interchange of the 10 and 15 Freeways? It was towards the end of the 1970’s best as I can recall, although actual data is very scarce, and I believe only a couple of events were actually held.
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April 2020
The following information was posted on the BLM Facebook page for the Imperial Sand Dunes on Thursday, March 19th: “Continuing our service to the public while doing our part to address COVID-19 is very important. Following guidance from the CDC and recommendations from state and local public health authorities, the BLM is temporarily restricting in-person public access to visitor centers and public rooms in our California offices. Please check with individual offices regarding customer services available by phone or email. Visit https:// on.doi.gov/38ZT5OI for a complete list of contact information. The Imperial Sand Dunes are currently open for dispersed recreation opportunities. Please purchase permits prior to arrival. Permits are required through April 15, and are available online at www.isdpermits.net “ Continue to watch for updates related to restrictions imposed by the CA state stay at home order. At this time the dunes are still open, but we will alert members if that changes. -P.J.
This month we’d like to thank Mike Bacon for for writing articles and sending in pictures. As you’re sitting at home avoiding the virus, take a few minutes and share what you’ve been up to. Having a community to share these experiences with, even virtually, will help all of us in these crazy times. Please send anything you want to me at pkastle@msn.com and we will publish what content we have and a calendar of upcoming events every month. -Paul, Melissa, Allie, and Marshall. 6