GOING WEST



"C'mon pilgrim get on yer bike, we're going West and we got a lot to do" 

  With over 2200 hits on Trials Central, 54 comments, and almost as many on this blog it does seem
that for the most part the Ahrma "true" trials membership is totally dissatisfied with the lame duck
schedule that is currently on offer.

 While waiting for the RMTA to come out with their series we have explored the possibility of an ITSA
WEST chapter and so far things look very favourable in all directions. Rather than start a whole new
vintage org it seems sensible to expand Bob Ginder's empire and come under the umbrella of an
AMA sanctioned body and give those current ITSA members more places to ride and enjoy true trials
without all the hassle and nonsense of combined events and ..... dare I say it, not having to wait until
some other discipline has finished before WE can start.

 So at this early stage from the mainstay org we have myself, Ed, and John Holbrook on board with
Jimmy Allison in NM also keen and some riders in SOCAL who were disenchanted when Ahrma
rejected all their proposed work for an event.



Rivers, rocks, mud and banks in August ? .... it must be Casper!
 
 Looking at other venues first I would personally like to see Casper in there within whatever schedule
we devise as it must be one of the best places in the USA with perfect vintage sections. It has been
done before when "non Ahrma members" rode in a combined event, in fact 2008 was the year when
Bob held one of these at his place in TN.



A very tight "B" section at Bob's joint  Ahrma/ITSA event

 Locally I have Bull Hollow on my doorstep just across the CO/UT state line and I think this land is 
perfect for an ITSA 2 day event. Ed has a 5 year BLM piece of land at Turkey Rock CO and NM had a
great event to finish the year in November at Roswell where Jimmy is. Right here in Dolores I can
approach the Town Manager to see if we can use their land and the adjacent BLM offering for a week long Vintage Trials School culminating in an ITSA weekend. We might even be able to ride the bikes
in the town and have a section or two at the town watering hole if the Sherrifs can be persuaded. Well
with just those we have 8 events plus Fred and Dan's Casper event and we haven't even contacted
the So Cal riders for their input.

      

Bull Hollow has great variety



Turkey Rock just lends itself to trials


 Not wanting 2012 to be TOO big as a starter a schedule might go something along these lines:

April            SoCal

June           Bull Hollow

July             Turkey Rock

Aug/Sep     Casper

Oct              Dolores + Trials Camp

Nov             Roswell


....... and for the future we still have Tucker Ranch Cotopaxi Co, the Sipapu Ski Area in NM and two
really good sites in AZ at Alto Pit near Prescott and Holbrook on I40. So time to hitch up the wagons
and roll into 2012 aboard the ITSA West train.



The ITSA wagon train leaves the Ahrma badlands and heads West


TONY DOWN