Archives 2004
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Archives 2004 |
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October 8th, 2004 Next Meeting for the Chickasawhay and De Soto Ranger Districts in the De Soto National Forest is scheduled for: October 19: The Library of Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg, MS (Chickasawhay and De Soto) from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The 2004 Mississippi Hi-Point Enduro Riders' Annual Cook-Out will be October 30, 2004 at the traditional location. Further information available upon request.
July 2nd, 2004 **From the management & staff of the Mississippi Hi-Point Enduro Riders: Due to on-going "proceedings" regarding the Forest Service's Rattlesnake Bay OHV Trail Rehabilitation Project, the Mississippi Hi-Point Enduro Riders' 2004 Bear Whiz Enduro WILL NOT take place on the originally scheduled date of August 29, 2004. After more than 15 MONTHS of closure to riding (but not to Military Tank Maneuver Training), work has not yet begun on the Rattlesnake Bay Trail & there is a lingering question as to whether the contract to perform repairs to OHV Trails on the Desoto District (tentatively scheduled to begin in July, 2004) will even include the Rattlesnake Bay Project (your Federal Tax-Dollars at work...). If, by some chance, the opportunity to put on the enduro later in the Season becomes available, we will make every effort to work out a date to have the event. We appreciate the support of the Membership of the SERA & the 'Riding Public' for the past 12 years & look forward to many more years of enduro riding at Rattlesnake Bay. *Look for updated information here as it develops...
May 27, 2004 A few days after the Gulfcoast Sandblasters' 2004 Loggy Bottom Enduro, I sent the following letter to the Biloxi Sun-Herald in an effort to express my feelings on the event. After two weeks or so (and after I sent the letter a second time), they published a rather condensed version which left out several key points that I really would have like to have had included and which (I feel) severely changed the message that I had attempted to send. Of course I can't say that I am surprised... fred...
To the Editor: On Sunday, May 9, along with a few hundred friends and associates, I participated in the Gulfcoast Sandblasters’ 29th Annual Loggy Bottom Enduro. For those not familiar with the term enduro, it is an off-road motorcycle competition which takes place on trails laid out through wooded natural terrain designed to test the "endurance" of riders by requiring them to attempt to ride fast enough to maintain an average speed predetermined by the sponsors of the event. Attempting to maintain an average speed of 24 MPH along trails barely wide enough to walk along, severely crooked and designed specifically to hamper the best efforts of the riders over the course of 50 miles or more is most assuredly a test of endurance. And yet hundreds of us wouldn’t miss the Sandblasters’ event for the world. Heavy rains on the originally scheduled weekend forced the event to be put off for a week and created a lot of extra work for those individuals who put so much into making the enduro a success. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for those people who were instrumental in making the 2004 Enduro the success and the pleasure that it was... The members of the Gulfcoast Sandblasters Enduro Club and the North Florida / South Alabama Motorcycle Club for the countless hours spent preparing the course and hosting the event; the Harrison County Board of Supervisors for help with securing authorization for the event; the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance with traffic-control and safety; Desoto National Forest District Ranger Judy Henry, Operations Manager Steve Lee, Recreation Forester Andy Hunter, Law Enforcement Officers Tommy Tyrone & Ricky Cooley and the staff of the D’Iberville ‘WHATABURGER’ for their hospitality as I dined and prepared some of the "documentation" that I, as a competitor, used to keep me sort of in line during the event. Tommy Tyrone mentioned during his brief presentation at the Riders’ Meeting that we should be grateful for the opportunity to take part in these events in our National Forests. I think I speak for the majority of us when I say that I am grateful:Grateful that we have the type of people who would put forth the effort to provide these events for riders from age 4 to well into their Golden Years... Grateful that we have Public Servants, both local and federal employees, who are willing to work with us in these efforts... Grateful for the type of people who live in the Gulf Coast Area who have made it such a pleasure to visit the area every year on enduro weekend. I hope that the economic impact of an extra four or five hundred people dropping by for the weekend helps out some... Grateful for the thousands of members of our Armed Forces who continue to protect the Freedom that we too often take for granted, but without which so many of the activities that we enjoy would cease to exist... Grateful to God, who created the Forest which, while it definitely put my endurance to the test, has provided me with indescribable recreational pleasure for the last twenty years. My sincere thanks to all... Fred Pittman
March 30, 2004 New Section added -- Check Out Trail Tales for info on the Rattlesnake Bay OHV Trail.
February 2nd, 2004 And Now A Few More Philosophical Words From Your 2004 Blazing Saddles Hare-Scramble Event Coordinator... 7:15 P.M. Sunday February 1, 2004 What can I say? 216 riders at a non-co-sanctioned SERA Hare-Scramble !!! And, from what I understand, I even managed to get through the day without saying something that offended anybody. What are the odds against that? If I may be quite sincere for a moment, I would like to express my deep appreciation for the manner in which all (well, almost all) of the participants in today’s record-breaking event conducted themselves. As far as I am aware, the only blood shed today was from accidentally inflicted cuts, scrapes and abrasions. Not bad for a bunch of us off-road riders who typically get no respect from mainstream America... The first time I ever met Mr. Charlie Carter I told him that, come February 1, after the race that we were proposing to run through his patch of green grass and big pine trees had (hopefully) been finished, the only question on his mind would be, "When are we going to do it again ?" I knew that (for all practical purposes) the outlook he would have would depend approximately 99% upon the impression that the participants would make on him. There is only so much an event organizer can do to assure a smooth running, harmonious and satisfying event. The rest is up to the ‘Laws of Nature’ and the people who drop by to take part in it. The members of the Mississippi Hi-Point Enduro Riders did all we could do. The people who showed up to ride, watch and support the riders did an exquisite job of demonstrating just how civilized and well-behaved a group (estimated at somewhere near 1500 total ‘through-the-gate’) can be when necessary. Congratulations, everyone... You definitely made the right impression today. I just wanted to pass along a few words of encouragement; we all know how hard good news is to come by these days. Now if you will pardon me, I think I will go get that nap I so desperately needed this afternoon about 2 o’clock. Fred Pittman, President
January 21st, 2004 And Now A Few Philosophical Words About The 2004 Blazing Saddles Hare-Scramble From Your Friendly Neighborhood Event Coordinator: As your friendly neighborhood event coordinator for the 2004 Blazing Saddles Hare-Scramble, I would to take this opportunity to pass along some insightful and possibly valuable information regarding the 2004 Blazing Saddles Hare-Scramble. First of all, we are riding for the first time at the Sunset Moto-Cross Facility near the peaceful and serene community of Sunrise, sort of between Petal and New Augusta, Mississippi. For anyone who is not familiar with the area, there are two fairly simple and easy routes by which to access the area. From north, west or south (as in Meridian, Jackson, Natchez, Slidell or the Mississippi Gulf Coast), I would suggest whatever thoroughfare you would typically use to get as far as the intersection of Interstate Highway 59 and U.S. Highway 49 (I-59 Exit 67 / adjacent to the Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center) {or, if coming into Hattiesburg by U.S. Highway 49 from the south & you prefer NOT to use the Highway 98 By-Pass to Interstate 59, follow Highway 49 through Hattiesburg and turn right (East) onto Highway 42 at the Red-Light in front of Honda Sports Center }. Now, where were we? Ah, yes... From the 49/59 Intersection, go south on Highway 49, turn left at the third Red-Light (Highway 42 East / in front of Honda Sports Center); follow Highway 42 into Petal (approximately 5 miles from 49/59 Intersection); continue following Highway 42 east from the intersection of U.S. Highway 11 (this intersection is approximately ¾ of a mile after crossing Leaf River on Highway 11/42); approximately 6 miles east of the Highway 11/42 Split, turn right (look for RED ARROWS beginning here; at this location you will also find a green highway sign informing motorists to turn left to Macedonia or right to Sunrise). Anyone coming from the Mobile area can turn right (north) onto Highway 29 at New Augusta (you remember New Augusta; it’s where the Forest Service thinks they have the upper hand with the Rattlesnake Bay OHV Trail. But I digress...) After turning right off Highway 98 at New Augusta, follow Highway 29 north to the thriving metropolis of Runnelstown, Mississippi. Turn left (west) onto Highway 42 in lovely downtown Runnelstown and go 4 miles to the Petal City Limit Sign and the Macedonia/Sunrise sign previously mentioned; look for RED ARROWS beginning here; turn left (or turn right, go to the first intersection, turn around, go back south and cross Highway 42; I would never assume that I am in a position to dictate the manner in which anyone drives...) Follow RED ARROWS through 4-WAY STOP at Lakefront Grocery; turn left at the next STOP SIGN; look for RED ARROWS and signs turning right through gate into Sunset Moto-Cross Park (approximately one mile after turning left at STOP SIGN). As this composition is taking shape, I have just returned from a pleasant and enjoyable afternoon of lightweight trail preparation. Considering the amount of rain this area received yesterday, the ground was incredibly well drained with a very few wet spots along the eight miles or so of the course. This tells me that the soil can stand a lot of rain without turning into some sort of nightmarish quagmire. While I am fairly certain that there are those of us who could find a place to get stuck, I believe one would almost have to work at it to find a place along the course to get stuck. Not that there isn’t a place or three to sling a bit of wet dirt on an old pal who might be close behind you. At my semi-advanced age, it can be fairly difficult to get excited an upcoming club race. However, when one considers all the positive aspects of this event (new area to ride, nice people running the moto-cross track, pristine large pine trees on sandy soil, no government employees to work with to coordinate logistics and another unspecified positive aspect or two), I have to admit that I am looking forward to this hare-scramble even more than my last dental appointment. So far, it’s just been one of those "everything seems to fall into place" sort of things. With a little cooperation from the weather, this could turn out to be a race of epic proportion (I really don’t know exactly what that means; I think I heard it in a movie one time. But it seems to fit this scenario...). If anyone happens to know any gung-ho moto-cross racers who are always talking about how much faster they are than the typical hare-scramble riding enthusiast, tell them to come on out and prove it. We have a mile of honest-to-goodness moto-cross track and seven or so miles of woods trail that is plenty wide enough for a 4-wheeler to fit (a lot of it is wide enough for a Sherman Tank, but we don’t have a class for them), so it’s not like we’re going be running an enduro test-section after leaving the track. And, to make things a little bit interesting, we are offering, for any primarily moto-cross racer types who can win the AA, Open A or 200A Class (winning should prove whatever claims that have been made about how fast they are), a $100 gift-certificate from Honda Sports Center in Hattiesburg. Another new concept for this race will be the "Short-Cutter’s Reward Program" for anyone who can successfully find a place to cut the course and not get caught. All you have to do is take whatever short-cut you can find and not get caught, then finish in a position which makes you eligible for a trophy in your class. After the race, simply take one of the members of our "Short-Cut Observation Committee" back to the location of the short-cut you successfully took and you will receive $25 in "Competitor’s Cash" for being so resourceful. This is just another innovative idea from the good people at Full Moon Off-Road Racing Productions designed to make your event more interesting. I’m looking forward to an exciting and enjoyable day at the races. Just don’t let the big pine trees fool you. It may seem like it, but you’re really not at Fort Polk, LA. Be careful and come planning to have fun. I’ll see everyone race-day. Fred Pittman
January 1, 2004 Mississippi Hi-Point Enduro Riders Club Meeting Thursday ~ January 8, 2004 / 7:00 P.M. Villie's Sandwich & Sub Shop Highway 49 ~ 1/2 Block North of Hardy Street ~ Across from USM |
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