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Show "f jpr ii jriffl)'aiii ifaMtt nrnillwrriltrlnlT-l- l P" Tir,'iTrl' BBiiiiyiiipni mrfmprtW SERVING MOAB AND SOUTHEASTERN UTAH SINCE i 1896 Moab, Grand County, Utah 84532 Volume 96 y jl IT W W'WW' p P'P Ca nyon Country Cyclists' sixth annual Moab Stage Race here this weekend. Watch for bicyclists! Number 13 Thursday, March 30, 1989 35$ .. - : ',s ' v s ff-- 'T" ' - . .A.fc.'MsfA.... , ; x . & s .,4 A l 1 I,, ? flO SJ,J '77TT& m- -JC c spsass Well run Easter Jeep Easter Sunday brought to a close nine days of Jeep Safari activities in Moab. It was the 23rd annual runtrail rides, but ning of the pre-East- er the event has grown to include extra days of trail riding and an 8th annual Sand Hill Climb. This year was the first for the now-traditio- ve Off-Roade- o, a light-hearte- d competition to test driving skill and cooperation. At the main Jeep Safari event on the Saturday before Easter, the trail leaders from the Red Rock driver-passeng- er ers club and their "tailgunner" helpers counted 824 vehicles leaving Moab and 14 leaving Green River. This is an increase of 100 vehicles over 1988. The first running of the brought out 17 contestants, most of whom vowed to try again next time. The Sand Hill Climb on Easter Sunday drew 50 competitors and about 900 spectators. Although the weather was somewhat threatening on Easter and a couple of days were cool and windy, there was no rain and the town was filled with smiling Off-Road- 6th Annual Stage Race set for this weekend The Canyon Country Cyclists' sixth annual Moab Stage Race will be held this weekend. This year it will include a Junior World Trials Qualifications and National Prestige Classic. The junior competitions will include Olympic hopefuls ages 15 to 18 who are training for the next summer Olympic games. They will go from here to Russia and train three months under a Russian coach. Last year there were 320 participants in the Stage Race, and the Canyon Country Cyclists expect 360 this year. The racing begins Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m.. Stage 1 is a race through Arches National Park starting and ending at City Park in Moab. Arches will be closed to vehicular traffic from 7:30 to 11 a.m. All other roads 46-mi- le will be marked and open to traffic. Drivers are asked to use cau- tion. time trial Stage 2 is a on the Potash Road. Riders are ten-mi- started at one-minu- le intervals. te The race starts at mile 5.5 and goes to Jug Handle Arch, returning to mile 4.5. Racers begin at 2 p.m. and will finish by 6:30 p.m. Stage 3 is a critcrium around City Park. The cyclists race in their class around City Park from 40 tp 80 laps depending on their age bracket. The first race begins at 7:30 a.m., and all races will finish by 4:30 p.m. Upon completion an awards ceremony will be held. Anyone needing more information or who would like to volun- teer some time, please Canyon Country Cyclists, or the Chamber of merce, 259-753- call 259-533- 3 Com- 1. r '?-- . ' Safari broke all the records faces sporting fresh sunburns. Quite a few visitors were already traveling the trails before the official opening of the event, and 42 vehitrail cles attended the opening-da- y rides on March 18. Another two trails were run on Palm Sunday with 89 vehicles. Each of the next five weekdays offered a choice among four or five trails, and daily attendance grew to 242 vehicles on Friday. The Red Rock reported a total of 896 vehicles registered for the ' events. Some of the registrants had to return home before Saturday's big outing, but a total of about 838 headed for the trails on Saturday morning. A few of those had some energy left on Sunday, and 19 vehitrail. A cles drove the "post-run- " summation of the attendance over the nine days reveals a total of 1685 vehicle-day- s on the trails. In addition to the twenty trails s and used for the main event, post-run- s offered the visitors some variety with seven other trail routes. One of these, an occasionally used motorcycle trail, had often been discussed locally but had not been developed for group use until the prerun week. That was the extremely difficult route between Poison Spider Mesa and Gold Bar Rim. The first exploratory run was made by two groups, led by "Texas Bob" Stowe and Dan Mick, beginning at the two ends and meeting in the middle, where they dubbed it the "Golden pre-run- . . . Cartwright, runner John Dunn and of Ariz.) cyclist John Groo were the Flagstaff, (currently overall winners at the 1989 Canyonlands Triathlon held on March 11, which was contested by over 100 athletes from the Four Comers states. The race started with a 3 mile skiing leg in the Blue Mountains, followed by a 30 mile cycling leg from there to Newspaper Rock, and a 6 mile run to the finish near Dugout Ranch. In near perfect weather conditions, Cartwright, Groo and Dunn completed the course in 2:04:29, successfully defending their 1988 title and knocking nearly 25 minutes off their d time on that frigid, day. If was the fourth straight for who has been joined there circle to winner's the Groo, trip three times by Cartwright (87, 88 and 89) and Dunn (86, 88 and 89). Other Moab area athletes who competed this year were skier Tim Graham (part of the winning family team). Cyclist Mike wind-blaste- Shannon, runnerskier Jim Davis, runner Jeff Howard (member of the 1987 winning team) and soloist Pat Spahr. The was run on Palm Sunday with most of the inspiration and labor provided by the Grand County Search and Rescue. The Red Rock provided some assistance and financial backing. Those who tried it were enthusiastic in their enjoyment and appreciation of the effort that went into it. Organizers considered it as successful as Off-Road- Two hundred eager, cheerful youngsters were on hand at Moab's City Park, Easter Sunday for the 2nd Annual "Moab Community Easter Egg Hunt." Literally thousands of brightly colored, candy stuffed eggs dotted the landscape at the City Park. "You could feel a wind as the children went by," reported Doug Edgerton of Pizza Hut and chairman of the event, Approxidescribing the take-of- f. mately 5,000 eggs were vacuumed up in a matter of minutes. The spirit of Easter joy was well evident on the hundreds of smiling faces carrying baskets stacked deep with eggs. To all of the many con- District Legion convention planned here The spring convention of the American Legion and Legion Auxiliary District 5, will be held April 2, 1989 at the MiVida Restaurant north of Moab. Registration is 11 a.m., dinner 12, general meeting starts at 1 p.m. Department and District officers will be present to discuss important business, including election of officers for the coming year. Local Post 54 is hosting the convention. Commander Ed Neal urges all legion and auxiliary members to attend. could be expected for the first year, arid they believe it has potential for future years. The Sand Hill Climb held its own financially despite some drop in attendance occasioned by the blustery weather. Trophies were awarded in several classes, and a few vehicles even topped the 400-fohill, which reaches event, and a few skinned knuckles repairing some of the many mechanical breakdowns. (Those drivers who come to test their equipment to the limits often find they have exceeded the limits to the extent of broken drivetrain parts and bent sheet metal.) Moab Police and Grand County grade for about half the distance. At a trail-leadmeeting Monday night, the Red Rock concluded that it was one of the most trouble-fre- e Jeep Safaris yet. There was another injury-fre- e rollover on the Saturday nt Sheriffs offices report that the weekend was free of serious inci- er dents, and, although they were quite busy, the level of enforcement activity was less than they might expect for the large crowd in the area. Safari served as forum to gain support to limit wilderness by Vicki Barker d vehicle club The local took advantage of the Jeep Safari last weekend to gather signatures on a off-roa- petition opposing wilderness designation involving the Moab Rim Trail. Club The Red Rock set up a booth at The Bam downtown where thousands of ORV enthusiasts registered for the 23rd Annual Easter Jeep Safari. By Saturday, nearly 590 people had signed the petitions, said protest organizer Tim officer for the club. Berry, land-us- e "I know there were 2,000 people in town this weekend. I don't know why I didn't get that many," Berry Second annual egg hunt drew cheerful crowd tributing sponsor "Bunnies," the Moab team wins again The Moab team of skier Chas Spike Trail." Over 50 vehicles joined the second running, although not all were able to make every portion under their own power. In fact, there was one rollover, but without injuries. said Tuesday. Nearly 900 vehicles from across the country were registered for the guided trail runs out of Moab and OrGreen River from March carvehicle estimated each ganizers ried at least two participants. The Moab Rim protest petition calls for exclusion of the Egg Ranch Fin and Death Row portions of the trail from pending federal wilderness designation. Those sections are included in the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area identified by the US Bureau of Land Management. Both portions were also identified as restricted areas in the Grand Management Plan of the BLM Grand Resource Area. Moab District. 18-2- 6. Re-wm- w stricted areas are to be closed to vehicles. "This is the last year for a large part of the trail unless we act now, a sign urging opposition said. "The. . .portions of the trail are in a Wilderness Study Area and may be lost forever." "These sections of trail have been in use for years and should be left d vehicle use," the open for petition said. Ber Knight, club spokesman, said the sections include two to three miles of a ORV and hiking trail that leads to the top of the mountain rim stretching the length of the Moab Valley on the West, (continued on page A3) off-roa- le Thank yous are beaming from the children. The Moab Chamber of Commerce would like to extend special thanks to the following organizing sponsors; Doug Edgerton of Pizza Hut, Kyle Bailey of The Movies, Shane King of King James Foods and June Neal from Walker Drug for donating candy, Moab Elks Lodge for providing insurance, PTA for purchasing plastic eggs. Ladies of Elks for the donated prizes, Mr. Ruth's 7th grade "TLC" Shop Program students at GCMS for stuffing eggs, and the City of Moab for their contribu- v - r 'g ZJ 'r'-- i r '? y, -- ,! - .v , , V i t, ww it ViV,- - tions. Special Thanks is also extended to these contributing sponsors: Williamsburg Savings Bank, United Cable Television, Dave's Corner Market, First Western National Bank, Certified Ford Mercury, Office Equipment Co., Central Utah Insurance, Omega Rho, Grand Tire Co., The The Mesa Beverage, Tours, First Security Bank, Times-Inde-pende- Tag-A-Lo- Rim Cyclery, KCNY, and the Moab Chamber of Commerce. WEATHER Abominable Sand Man . . . First documented sighting of Abominable Sand Man By now everyone has heard of the Abominable Snow Man of the Himalayas. Few have seen or even heard of the Abominable Sand Man long rumored to be roaming the Moabian Desert. This sighting by Jack Bickers is corroborated by the noted arch collector, Dr. Robert Keniston of the University of Houston. This March 24th sighting comes just in time for April Fools Day. |