Cleanup Success, Map Pickup and Roadless Rule
We had a huge turnout for Saturday’s Maple Springs/Four Corners cleanup and ride, our CNF trail maps are ready for pickup with another print run coming, and there is still time to make a comment on the Roadless Rule.
Maple Springs Ride and Cleanup A Huge Success
In our last newsletter, I encouraged folks to join us for our upcoming Maple Springs/Four Corners ride and cleanup. Well, this past Saturday, folks certainly showed up! We had incredible participation, and the cleanup ride was a huge success.
I honestly thought this would primarily be a group ride with some roadside trash pickup and maybe 15 minutes of cleanup at Four Corners. Instead, because so many people showed up ready to help, we were able to make a much bigger impact by tackling an entire illegal dump site. We hauled out so much garbage—including multiple containers of discarded motor oil and a full-size tire—that it took two trips in Keith’s pickup truck.
Thank you to everyone who showed up and helped take care of our mountains with us. It was a fantastic day of stewardship, peak bagging and epic mountain biking—all in our backyard.
Check out the event write-up, photo album and video recap.
The crew hauling out the trash at an illegal dump site.
Our CNF Trail Maps Are Ready for Pickup
I’ve printed the 24” x 36” poster maps and am working on getting them to everyone who ordered one. A few additional orders came in, and I now have more orders than maps on hand, so I’ll be doing another print run next week.
If you’d like one, the poster maps are available for a $60 donation with local pickup only. Let me know ASAP if you’d like one, and make your donation so I can include your map in next week’s print run. You can view and download the map from our website.
This is the new and improved map showing the proposed trails and The Santa Ana Mountains Traverse.
For map pickup—or simply to join me on a ride—here are a few upcoming opportunities to meet up:
TODAY Thursday, September 24 - Luge Loop: 5:45 PM meet / 6:00 PM ride. Meet at the Cook’s Corner/Luge dirt parking lot.
Tuesday, September 29 - Black Star: 4:30 PM meet / 4:45pm ride. Meet near the gate where the dirt trail begins.
Thursday, October 8 - Irvine Regional/Santiago Oaks (The Path Bike Shop group ride): 5:15 PM meet / 5:30 PM ride. Meet at Lot C.
Roadless Rule Webinar and Reminder to Submit Your Comment
As I mentioned in one of our recent newsletters, USDA has proposed rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule. Many environmental and outdoor recreation groups—including our own local OCMTBA—oppose the proposal. I also prefer keeping the existing Roadless Rule in place.
Last week, I joined several other organizations involved with the California Roadless Defense group in speaking against the proposed rescission during a live webinar. Drawing on my experience as a volunteer and someone who has spent many hours biking in the Trabuco Ranger District, I shared what the Roadless Rule means to us locally and why I prefer maintaining the existing protections.
The Santa Ana Mountains are an incredibly special place for many residents of densely populated Southern California. Here in the Santa Ana Mountains, the Trabuco Ranger District provides the largest contiguous public open space for recreation in Orange County. Inventoried Roadless Areas make up about 40% of the district’s non-wilderness area and include 37 of its 50 miles of official Forest Service trails.
The proposed rescission would remove protections that currently restrict road construction and timber harvesting, while also opening the door to greater access for mineral, energy and other development in these areas. My concern is that, over time, that could fragment and change the connected backcountry landscape we currently enjoy. For me, that continuity, that wildness is what makes the Santa Ana Mountains so special.
The public comment period on the proposed rescission closes Tuesday, October 6, 2026. If you recreate in the Santa Ana Mountains and have not submitted a comment, there is still time to make your voice heard.
Watch the Roadless Rule webinar and submit your comment before October 6.
