Hell yes! Favorite is hiking down from the dam. But that's a long way back up., 1200' elevation change. Last time I had to carry my 5 year old back up.
Yep, i've done a lot of mountain biking on the Santa Anna River Trail. one of my favorite spots. one day we should set up a fishing trip out there maybe after some wheeling in big bear. it's been WAY too long for me, i havent fly fished since i left the east coast. I try to go when i go back to Maine to visit the rents, but that's unfortunately few and far between.
I sent an email to Sierra Nevada, as i wanted to hear their side of it. I got a pretty quick, nicely worded response. They have some points, although i don't know enough about the situation to know if it's all BS.
Daniel,
Thank you for taking the time to write, and thank you for expressing your concerns regarding Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and the Sierra Club.
Frankly, we were surprised to see your note because over the years, we have been supportive of the off-road community, and many of us here at the brewery participate in OHV (off highway vehicle) rides and mountain biking often. The Rubicon is a rite of passage for many of us in Chico, and we would be truly saddened if there wasn’t a place for off-road recreation in the wilderness here in Northern California.
We believe that there should be a balance in preserving wild lands for nature and wildlife, as well as creating spaces for people to use for recreation. Our primary motivation in our conservation efforts is keeping the wilderness wild and unspoiled so that when we have the chance to get out and enjoy it, it remains unencumbered with the trappings of urban life. This includes OHV.
In the past, we have supported groups such as the Sierra Club and the Center for Biodiversity because of their efforts to preserve vast amounts of wild spaces. We agree that these efforts can sometimes create friction with those who have a different perspective on how wilderness can be enjoyed. This is true with most groups working in the wilderness space. We’ve found that hunters, hikers, fishermen, backpackers and OHV enthusiasts can be the most active conservationists around. Responsible members of each group are equally interested in preserving wild lands for a myriad of reasons beyond simple conservation for conservation’s sake. These active parties are making great strides in building awareness and sharing the burden of keeping our wilderness pristine yet accessible for public use.
We still believe that the Sierra Club and the Center for Biodiversity are doing good work in keeping our wild lands wild, but we do agree that there can—and should be—a balance. We all need to work together to find a happy medium between conservation, preservation and access, and would welcome any dialogue from the off-road community on how to better achieve these goals.
Thank you for expressing your concerns. We hope this letter better clarifies our position.
Cheers!
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
