California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, Inc.
8120 36th Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95824-2304
916-381-8300

Story and photos by Jack Raudy
(530) 389-9154 or e-mail jraudy@foothill.net

DAYTON, NV (May 9, 2003) – For the Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) board members from throughout the United States, this recent four-wheel drive adventure into northern Nevada’s backcountry must have seemed like series of scenes from early western movies.

With volunteer drivers from the Motherlode Rockcrawlers club in California and the Reno-based Hills Angels 4X4 Club in Nevada, joined by the Nevada Nomads, Twisted Metal Extreme Offroad and the South County Trail Riders, the contingent began its daylong journey on the El Dorado Canyon Trail just minutes east of the historic town of Dayton, Nevada.

As we passed scores of interesting geologic formations and a pack of wild horses, Mark Beguelin, president of the Hills Angels club, came on the citizens band (CB) radio and explained, "this canyon is roughly between the historic mining district of Como and Dayton. Before electricity, coal was popular in heating miners’ homes, businesses and numerous saloons that were located in this area. While this canyon was excluded from valuable metal deposits, coal was discovered in the canyon and extracted for several years until the seam petered out."

Del Albright, Blue Ribbon Coalition Ambassador and long-time member of the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, served as trail boss and narrator for the El Dorado Canyon Trail trip. Larry Calkins, former president of the Association, who now resides in Dayton, served as assistant trail leader.

 "With the varied multi-recreational backgrounds of the board members, everything from dirt bikes to snowmobiles to mountain bikes and ATVs, I wanted to provide these folks with a quality four-wheel drive experience that would strengthen their understanding of our issues and opportunities," said Albright.

After a thorough drivers’ meeting, we locked in the hubs and headed into the picturesque canyon that parallels a present Piaute Native American reservation. Beguelin explained to the group that the El Dorado Canyon is very popular today with various multi-recreational groups and offers ideal loop opportunities or one-way trips between Dayton and the Carson Valley.

Another volunteer on the trip, Carole Vance of Dayton, also a former president of the Calif. Assn. of Four-Wheel Drive Clubs, said that she and her husband, Ron, enjoy this particular trail and were eager to participate. "We really like this trail as it is close to home and also a gateway to the Pine Nut Mountains, where we can spend a day visiting Como and other interesting areas. We totally believe in what the Blue Ribbon Coalition is doing to keep public lands open for the public, so this was a perfect day."

The contingent stopped for lunch beside a deep streamside cave that was used for centuries by Native Americans. Clark Collins, BRC executive director and a passenger in Mark Begulelin’s rig, had a chance to reflect on the trip: "We really want to thank our members from the area for showing us a good time on one of their local trails," Collins said. "It’s important for us to meet our members and learn about their issues in this kind of outing. The business we conduct at a board meeting is vital to the accomplishment of our mission, but we need to take the time to enjoy the activities we are fighting to preserve."

Keller Hackbusch and his wife, Maria, were making their first four-wheel drive trip with their three-month-old daughter, Gracie. "We believe in the work of the Blue Ribbon Coalition and appreciate the officers’ interest in northern Nevada," said Keller Hackbusch. "Since becoming off road enthusiasts, we made a promise to ourselves and our club, The Hills Angels, that we would do what we could to help the U.S. Forest Service and other organizations dedicated to keeping the trails open for public use."

Finally, after climbing thousands of rocks, enjoying miles of breathtaking scenery, and watching new friendships in the making, the group arrived at the Minden Airport, where they joined other Blue Ribbon members for a memorable barbecue dinner.

"I really enjoyed the trip," said BRC president Jack Welch. "The weather was great and the local four-wheel drive volunteers really know and understand this country. I was pleased that the drivers took time to talk about the history of the area and why it was important to keep the trail open. In addition, the leaders of the trip showed real concern about the route and making sure that wherever we traveled, we were treading lightly."

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Jack Raudy, of Colfax, Calif., is a frequent contributor to Blue Ribbon Magazine. He is the former executive director of the Calif. Assn. of Four Wheel Drive Clubs and served as a PR consultant to the Calif. State Parks OHV Division for 10 years. For questions or comments on this article, contact Jack at (530) 389-9154 or email jraudy@foothill.net 

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