As far as impact is concerned, it's probably a good thing that this race is planned for November. The grass and most other plants will be dormant, and the animals will mostly be finished raising their young, and a lot of the birds (including the sandhill cranes, which are what I think of when I hear about "wild Warner Park," will have left for the south.
Environmental issues still have to be taken seriously, but they're not as worrisome as they would be if the steeplechase were next weekend. P.S. If I were in the race, I'd have last place clinched before the race even started... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul T. O'Leary" <[email protected]> To: "India Rose Viola" <[email protected]>, [email protected], "Charles STRAWSER" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 8:35:28 PM Subject: Re: [Bikies] Bicycle "steeple chase" proposed for Warner Park Sorry, I'd beat you both for last place... One important difference I see is that this event is _mechanized_, but a motorboat ride and a drag race are _motorized_. (Oh, and of course a drag race on the street is illegal...) Those activities also don't leave much (if any) room for attention to or respect for one's surroundings. I hope/expect that the Wizzard Cross folks will put their money where their collective mouth is, and support WWP in their general efforts with the natural areas of Warner Park. As someone who has been doing conservation work on our own land for over five years, I think this is a fine idea, provided the WC folks take a stake. From: India Rose Viola <[email protected]> > Thanks for the useful info, Chuck. Maybe I'll get to come in last this year! > > -india > > On 07/14/10, "STRAWSER, Charles" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > "Bicycle Steeplechase" aka cyclocross races have indeed been held in county > > parks here for decades. > > > > Whether this is a good idea for the "wild" section of Warner Park is really > > dependent on the slope of the trail and the precipitation on it (and to some > > extent on the management of the event), rather than the kind of user, or > > according to some, even the number of users. > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Yu-Fai Leung Ph.D, an assistant professor at North Carolina State > > University, > > who has examined trail erosion for the National Park service and others, > > says > > the type and amount of use has far less to do with erosion than factors like > > amount of rainfall and trail steepness and design. "Environmental factors" - > > including trail slope and precipitation - "have more to do with (causing) > > erosion." > > From: http://www.imba.com/resources/science/trail_shock.html, one of a > > series > > of articles found here: http://www.imba.com/resources/science/ > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > In the article above, the discussion is about bikes vs hikers; with no > > comparison of either group to equestrians, which have been shown in some > > studies I don't immediately recall to do far more damage than either of the > > other two groups. > > > > I've never been in the "wild" section of Warner Park, so I couldn't comment > > on the suitability of the trail that's proposed as a race course. > > > > But I have seen a similar event elsewhere "leave no trace". I participated > > (I > > won't say "raced" since I came in dead last even in my advanced age group) > > in > > a an event at Camrock county park last October on a beautiful fall day that > > was dry and cool. When I got on the course in the middle of the day, after > > half the races were already over, there was virtualy no evidence at all that > > there had been hundreds of riders riding dozens of laps on the course > > already > > that day, save for one off-camber corner that was basically a dry mudhole > > before the races started. > > > > Indeed, I didn't even bother to clean my bike after that race, the > > conditions > > were so good.. You can see lots of pictures of racers and other� racecourses > > here: http://madcross.smugmug.com/Cyclocross > > And more about cyclocross racing in the region here: > > http://www.madcross.org/ > > And the 2010 schedule of Wisconsin Cycling Association cyclocross races > > here: > > www.wicycling.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=301&Itemid=10 > > > > > > > > chuck > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]](javascript:main.compose() On > > Behalf Of India > > Rose Viola Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 9:34 AM To: Michael Rewey Cc: > > [email protected] Subject: Re: [Bikies] Bicycle "steeple chase" proposed > > for Warner > > Park > > > > Michael et al, > > > > I'm going to play the devil's advocate here for a moment...I'm not > > necessarily against the steeplechase event in Warner Park, but I think that > > the Wild Warner Park group's concerns about path/soil erosion/degradation > > are > > valid (even though I have a fundamental disagreement with them about the use > > of the word "wild").� > > > > I think it's ok to support bicycling in all of its forms and to NOT be ok > > with a particular bicycle event occurring in a particular place.� We want > > bikes to be respected on the roadways and mixed use paths, but this doesn't > > mean that they necessarily belong on urban or rural footpaths.� > > > > A steeplechase in Warner Park sounds FUN to me.� But so does flying across > > Lake Mendota in a huge motorboat, or drag-racing in a sports car down E. > > Washington Avenue.� Just because I want to do something and may enjoy the > > activity a lot does not mean I should necessarily do it.� Wild spaces in > > urban areas are a mixed bag.� I don't think that they are really wild- they > > are totally impacted, managed and micro-managed by humans. It is precisely > > because of this that we need to make very conscious decisions about how to > > treat and use these spaces.� If the steeplechase can be held in Warner Park > > without chewing up the paths and damaging what little "wildlife" is present > > there, then the race is not a bad idea.� If not, then a different venue > > ought > > to be picked.� > > > > A lot of steeplechase races (for runners or horses) are held in completely > > manufactured arenas these days.� Perhaps there is a less "wild" space in > > Madison... say the proposed "Central Park" area, that would be better suited > > to this type of event?� It would be an easier space to set up for spectators > > as well. > > > > Just some thoughts. > > > > -India > > > > > > On 07/14/10, Michael Rewey� <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > The parks commission will vote on a proposal today (July 14) to allow a > > bicycle "steeple > > > chase" in Warner Park on Nov. 7. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You can find the proposal, the race route and Wild Warner's thoughts on > > this Web site blog: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://wildwarnerpark.org/blog/?p=599 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I'm in a conflict on this one.� I enjoy the wild area that is being > > considered, but I support all > > > forms of biking. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mike Rewey > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > � > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Bikies mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > -- > > India Viola > > Stretton Lab > > 115 Zoology Research > > 1117 W. Johnson St. > > Madison, WI 53706 > > 608.262.3336 > > > > "How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't first acknowledge them?" > > -Anonymous > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > -- > India Viola > Stretton Lab > 115 Zoology Research > 1117 W. Johnson St. > Madison, WI 53706 > 608.262.3336 > > "How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't first acknowledge them?" > -Anonymous > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org --------------------- Paul T. O'Leary Desktop Insurgent Madison WI USA _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
