As we move into 2013 we will be looking to get our schedule up and ready for the coming season.
Our first year got a reasonable response from the Vintage Trials Fraternity bearing in mind how hard
it is to get people to commit. I have a few things I would like to see happen in 2013 in my role as
“El Presidente”.  January MUST have the venues and dates squared away and of course named
organisers for the events with no “ifs, buts and maybes”.

One of the thoughts I had, and of course it is “open” and a majority gets their say, is to have enough
events that riders can compete in more than one class across the season. Many trials riders, and
especially Vintage, often have a stable of bikes and would love to ride more than one machine that
they have fettled to their own personal perfection. I have my Superglitz and the Cub, Ed has his Fantic
and his pride and joy TY175 and I’m sure Chuck will be riding a “Stumper” and also his regular bike.

Ready and waiting for 2013

Superglitz needs some competition riding!!

If we end up with 14 or so Championship events, which could be possible, then we could retain our
best 6 rides for a Championship and ride two classes, and don’t forget we will be running the NEW
early mono class with who knows who’s turning up with discarded TY stump pullers and the like.

A “Classic” early mono stump puller…… cheap as chips!

…… and the short wheelbase version at a dealership!!!!

I was interested to see the Ahrma statement over Chehalis, certainly worth a read, but nothing about Diamond Don’s which I understand got the Trials CNX. Personally I enjoyed DD’s from some of the
aspects and I always felt that it was under utilized and due to reasons I won’t go into now, could have
been made into a cracking event with more thought and effort. Don and I had spoken about a 2 Day
and he was all for it.

Well enough of the Ahrma saga  back to what WE want to do. The biggest danger is doing nothing in
a timely manner!! If we sit back and wait for everyone else to come up with their schedules we always
run the risk of not being able to do what we actually WANT to do. Of course there will be clashes but
there is no guarantee that the events we try to deconflict with would actually produce a sizeable
difference in our entries…… nice idea but experience says this doesn’t always work.

Personally I’ll be trying to get Bob and his merry band of men to come and sample Dolores this year
along with the Utah team who made it to Bull Hollow so just an extra 50 miles away and you are in
Dolores with all our NEW land slap bang in the center of town. Might even persuade some of the AZ
CAT org to join in the fun. Also as we ride in the Parade we get to ride public highways to and from
the event !

Some of Casey’s land right by the road

Never used prime trials land…….. and FREE !

Last year we gave 19 points for those that did a Trialsmaster duty, do we want to continue with this?
Also last year we were lenient on ITSA membership but this year if YOU want Championship points
you MUST be a member of Mountain West and the main ITSA body.

Insurances and permits were all handled well with no last minute problems anywhere through the
series so I would suggest we leave that sector alone. Awards were satisfactory and gave winners a momento of the day and our supplier seems to work well with us.

I didn’t hear any preference to either A-E sections or the standard 1-4 splits that we are all familiar
with so that can be left to the Trialsmaster to decide what the venue is best suited to. I know here in
Dolores there WILL be several “One line for All” sections included as I did last year, it is when all’s
said and done the way trials were. I don’t believe we SHOULD tell Trialsmasters how to lay out their
trial, it is their individual right to set the course, loop, in whatever manner they see fit and neither
should we insist that the event has a set number of sections per day. For example I may have 12
sections and 3 loops on Day 1 and then 15 sections, a much longer course, with only 2 loops on
Day 2.

      ……and REMEMBER, this a Club, for YOUR benefit and enjoyment,
nothing else, so WE NEED all YOUR inputs within the next month to
make 2013 the best yet.

TONY DOWN 

“Did she get her wish ?”

…….. And so it came to pass that after much collecting of wives tales, blue flames and other indicators Brenda’s “Snow Dance” and prayers were set to be answered. My plans for an exploring weekend on Superglitz were cruelly dashed by the Snow Gods as the system rolled in.

Thursday night and the forecast is snow from 1 a.m. onwards and then snow all day Friday. The day
kicks off leaving the house circa 0530 with about 2″ on the ground of wet snow. A crawl into town but
by the time I’m in Cortez the roads are just wet. A cautious run out to my start point but then it starts
into blizzard conditions. At the second stop I have to reverse down the hill, drop the chains then take a
run at it. No major problems on the morning run other than being pretty slippy.

By the afternoon nothing much has changed as it seems to be melting as fast as its falling. Come the
end of the elementary run the temps are going down and the roads are getting quite unpleasant!! Not
sure why but just about every truck I meet is one of these Fords with those extended wing mirrors ???

The big eared Ford !

Town roads are still wet but out in the country its beginning to pile up and no sign of plows. This older
bus is on the limits for its tires and I’m forced to use chains frequently on every gradient and many T junctions. A few slides, a few near in the ditch incidents and a moment when the chains didn’t seem to
be doing much but I got away with a “3” having cut down to solid ground. Overall I was pleased to get
the bus back home after perhaps the most unpleasant drive I have ever had in a school bus……
INSANITY !!!

Took some time getting going in reverse…… result 3 !

It continues to snow all night as the temps stay down and by Saturday morning we have a solid 6″ with
more on the way. Plows cut it down and by lunchtime with rising temps the main roads are clear and
wet. Brenda does a supply run while I hump more wood.

The forecast says tapering off but by 1700 its snowing hard and the main road is covered again. Its
still snowing hard by bedtime and the “deptho’mometer” on the balcony rail is showing a good foot.
Outside the polar bear falls over under the weight of the snow but remained inflated….. something to
do today.

Monday morning  on the run and not too bad

30% chance today but its been snowing solidly for the last 3 hours and shows no sign of letting up.
The depth guage is now around 15″. The forecast keeps changing and now its snow through
Wednesday with about 5″ mid week.

Dolores always takes a bit hit

Somewhere over the 1 foot mark

Monday night and the forecast is worse again with snow on Tuesday, a big dump of 7″ Tuesday night
then snow all day Wednesday for another 3″. Tuesday morning and its changing again with 9″ now
likely o’night….. also heard that we may have a Snow Day ???? I thought that was unheard of in
Colorado School Bus driving circles !

Wednesday morning, not a snow day, 2-3″ of fresh snow, so off we go. The extra snow gives my bus
some added traction and all goes well in the awful conditions rounding up the elementary kids.

Wednesday morning before dawn on road 17 (I hope)

Set off for loop 2 for middle and high school and on an uphill right hand cambered bend there is a
snow plow slap dead in the middle of the road having spun out.  I get out to help and both he and I
are having trouble standing up on the polish glass surface……. my door slams shut and I’m forced to
climb back in through the back door. He gets his chains on and pulls me to the summit and off we
go again.

The storm intensifys with blowing snow, a 25mph wind and white out conditions. I’m limited to 15
mph, the wipers are icing up and I’m beginning to wonder if I’m ACTUALLY on the road ?? Very
unpleasant but the tortoise lumbers round staying out of the ditches. The afternoon run is much
brighter as the storm has whipped through leaving a 30 mph cold wind in its wake. Up in the high
country the wind is howling and icing sugar snow is streaming across the roads forming drifts which
need to be plowed before dawn.

Wednesday afternoon as the storm departs

Pretty, but bitterly cold with drifting snow

This morning bright and sunny, a little wind and the temp at -1F !!! ……… So Brenda, be careful what
you wish for with this White Christmas thing ! Oh, by the way, we took 1st Place again in the Dolores
Christmas Lights display.

1st place again (without the snow)

Her wish is fulfilled

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

TONY DOWN