motorcyclebloggers.com

Wow. I got a chance to sneak a ride in early Sunday morning for a couple hours. I went to the usual spot of Bartlet Lake (Cave Creek, AZ area) since its close and has some reasonably fun twisties. If I did not work out in the middle of the desert, I would not have recognized the park’s surroundings.

If you’ve been to the Phoenix, Arizona area in the past, one color comes to mind - desert sand. Well, all that has changed since January. I may as well be in Ireland with all the green. We have had record rains…much like SoCal…this year. Enough to possibly end the official nine-year drought depending on the snow melting pattern from the high-country this spring.

Last time I was at Bartlet Lake, you could see the drought line in the rocky cliffs where the water level used to be. I am happy to say that the water level is up. I don’t know exactly where it is compared to where the water level should be, but the Valley’s water supply is in good shape overall.

I know the pic isn’t the greatest due to morning haze (in the air, not my head), but check out all the green. As a Michigan State Spartan Alum, I can proudly say GO GREEN!

While all this is great for the water supply and the scenery is awesome, its not all good news. By July, all the green will be considered ‘fuel for the fire’. Fire-fighters are gearing up for a different kind of fight. Normally they prepare for the wildfires in the ‘High-Country’, but this year the concern is within the Valley…right here in town.

Fires will inevitably be started by some door-knob throwing a cigarette butt out the window of his or her cage as is usually the case. Why? Because they stink up the car (nice). Anyway, another potential source is dirt bikes / ATV’s. Back before we had our second daughter, I rode in the desert a lot. I had it pretty nice being able to ride from my garage though the sub and right into the desert playground as I live on the northwestern edge of the developed Peoria area.

I haven’t been out this year yet, but the trails are busy, busy, busy with the warming weather and the saturated ground providing excellent traction and (more important) a dust-free experience. I can only hope that people are smart enough to use the required spark arrestors. It has been at least ten years (I am told) since spark arrestors have been so critical.

I even bit the bullet and put a Supertrapp on my Yz426f. I know, I know - a Supertrapp?!? Look, I wanted the best bang for the buck and the Pro-Moto Billet end cap was the same price…and I got a pipe out of the deal. That aside, it comes with the expected disc stack along with a ‘race’ (open) disc, and a sparky (full) disc.

When I moved here 3.5 years ago, I decided to play by the rules. I finally got my street endorsement after twelve years without, got the BLM permit for the dirt bike, and put the sparky on. I’m now at the age and responsibility level (2 kids) where defiance just costs me money - lots of useful money.

Nah, I’m not an environmentalist. I’m simply a land-user who does not want to wreck a good thing. Maybe a practical conservationist sounds good. Bottom line is this: If you live in the southwest (including California), get a spark arrestor if you don’t already have one. If you plan on visiting with a dirt bike / ATV - we welcome you, but do the same. With public land usage for recreation always on the political chopping block, why give the law-makers who are vastly non-users, a reason to shut it down.

Heh - gratuitous RSVR shot: