VVWjg irvww.cyclmgut^.cdftp cyclingutah.com October/November 2000 SPEAKING OF SPOKES Another bicycle ride with friends to remember By David R. Ward Yellowstone area. tion from an approaching urban ried that it might be a little too along the route for rest and Publisher A couple of years ago, I had area. However, the valley north cold. Still, we bundled up and refreshment. Marinda alternated participated in the inaugural of the Malad Pass is anything prepared for the 9:00 a.m. start. with Elizabeth, age 8, on her Sometimes, everything comes Yellowstone Spring and Fall but urban, so I was baffled. I was riding a tandem, with bike to give Elizabeth's young up just right. Such was the case Cycle Tours. I had shared with Then, shafts of light started my Marinda, stoking for me. legs a break and a chance for last Saturday as I spent the day the Wallins how much I enjoyed shooting up from the horizon, Rick and Katherine had brought rest on the back of the tandem. with my 11 -year-old daughter, these two events. So this fall, and it dawned on me that I was five children, Laurissa, Miriam, When asked how she liked that, she said it was great. "I just Marinda, and several good Rick called me to say that he experiencing the aurora borealis, Spencer, Elizabeth and Kristin, pedal and Dave does all the friends riding from West was interested in riding in the or northern lights, for the first and one grandchild, Grace, along work." She is a sweet girl, and I Yellowstone to Old Faithful as Yellowstone Fall Cycle Tour on time in my life. for the ride. Rick was pulling was glad to do it. part of the Yellowstone Fall October 7. As the event That may not seem like a big Grace, age 1, and Kristin, age 6, Cycle Tour 2000. approached, he was joined in his deal, but I had heard of this in a trailer. Needless to say, we Finally, after five hours, we made quite a train. reached Old Faithful where the Twenty-five years ago, my desire by Katherine and some of throughout my life, and had even As we took off, we soon return shuttle waited. Marinda wife and I formed a close friend­ their children. In the end, it been in areas where they had began to warm up. It was a clear chose to stick with me and ride ship with Rick and Katherine became a real family affair. been seen, but I had missed day with a brilliantly blue sky. back on the tandem. Spencer, Wallin. Over the years, we have I should have realized the them. I was excited, and woke The full scent of fall was in the age 14, Rick (sans trailer and its raised families together, and our gods were smiling on us as we my sleeping wife and daughter air. As we rode the 30 miles into passengers) and Katherine decid­ children have become good drove to Island Park late to view the sight. Old Faithful, we were inundated ed to join us for the ride back. friends as well. We also intro­ Wednesday night, October 4. It To get back to the story at with the natural wonders of With a smaller, stronger train, duced the Wallins to cross-coun­ was a clear night and, as we hand, we arose early Saturday Yellowstone Park. Buffalo, and my tandem providing a good try skiing, cycling and Island ascended the Malad Pass just morning and met, with 225 other geese, ducks, elk, squirrels, chip­ draft, we fairly flew back to Park, a resort area about 20 north of Malad, Idaho, I could bicyclists, at the West Yellow­ munks and a plethora of other West Yellowstone. While it miles south of West Yellowstone. see a dome of light radiating up stone Chamber of Commerce. It wildlife filled the natural flora warmed up, the temperature Since then, we have shared from the horizon. Normally, I was clear and cold, about 30 through which we peddled. The topped at about 65-70 degrees, many great times together in the associate that with light pollu­ degrees, and I was a little wor- sparkling Madison River flowed making for a very comfortable alongside and around the legs of return ride. fly-casting fisherman. The varied It was a dazzlingly beautiful colors of the changing fall day, complete with family, foliage mixed with the ever- friends and that marvelous get what you want, constant green of growing pines machine, the bicycle. It was a to present a tapestry of color to day that was refreshing for my when you want it! our eager eyes. body, mind and soul. It was a As the day progressed, our day of great satisfaction. A day train stopped numerous times to remember. On the cover Bicycle shop closures ^Xcitybest^m The cyclocross sea­ After four years in business, Heiner Bicycle in Layton has Now, find the best customer-rated businesses on the son is upon us. closed. Meanwhile, consignment Wasatch Front @ citybest.com. discover the best restaurants, Schedule on Page 10 sales specialist Active Sports Recycling has stopped doing entertainment, travel, home & garden, auto, health & beauty, and stories on Page business in Sugarhouse. business to business, and professional services ... and more! 11. Bike Board Blade will close Photo by Dan Lund all three locations over 6 months are you one of the city's best businesses? call us @ 801.261.2378 as owner Bob Boyd is retiring. © 2000 cycling utah cycling utah P.O. Box 57980 Murray, UT 84157-0980 www.cyclingutah.com You can reach us by phone: (801) 268-2652 Our Fax number: (801) 263-1010 David R. Ward, Publisher Robert L. Truelsen, Editor Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Associate Editor & Advertising: Dave litis (801)268-2652 Email: [email protected] Web design: Darin Boyd Contributors: Greg Overton, J.R. Smith, Chris Quann, Gregg Bromka, Dan Lund, Grant Aagard, Bill Harris, Ben Simonson, Amy Roither, Jon Gallagher, Neal Skorpen cycling Utah is published eight times a year beginning in March and continuing monthly through October. Limit One Copy Per Person At Distribution Points Annual Subscription rate: $5 Postage paid in Murray, UT Editorial contributions are welcome. Please included a stamped, self- addressed envelope to return unused material. Submission of articles and accompanying artwork to cycling utah is the author's warranty that the material is in no way an infringement upon the rights of others and that the material may be published without additional approval. Permission is required to reprint any of the contents of this publication. October/November 2000 cyclingutah.com Transportation Enhancements moving slowly By Charles Pekow information to users, acquire high matches elsewhere. scenic easements, landscape, Since 1996, FHWA set 75% What if they gave hundreds Safety, education get few funds preserve historic buildings, etc. as the obligation goal, a standard of millions of dollars for bike (see sidebar). Historically, states only 10 states have reached trails and it didn't get claimed? When states do spend TE money, they like to pave a trail. have paid slightly more than half (Utah, as noted, missed by inch­ Unfortunately, the question isn't Of all the possible uses of the $3,275,268,288 programmed for trail projects - rising from es). "Achieving a 90% obligation academic. Trails lie unbuilt, con­ through September 1999, building and renovating bicycle and 50% in FY 94 to 54% in FY 99. rate would put TE on par with sumer information remains pedestrian facilities accounted for 39% of the projects (4,724 Unlike most other grant pro­ other federal-aid highway pro­ unwritten and potentially scenic to be exact). This figure doesn't count rail-trail conversions, grams, however, TE reimburses grams, but this would require landscapes to cycle through which accounted for another 14% (1,101 projects with $453.8 for costs rather than providing states to obligate $3.5 billion remain eyesores. All because million). Many of the other projects likely assisted bicyclists money upfront. States or local over the next four years - 1.3 more than a third of the $3.83 indirectly, including historic rehabilitation and landscaping, grantees come up with a 20% times as much as they obligated billion dollars Congress appro­ much of which takes place along bike trails. non-federal match — in cash, over the first eight years," priated for Transportation The trail figures include 711 on-road bike lanes funded with goods or services. Grantees NTEC's report moans. Enhancements (TE) since FY 92 $195.1 million. Of all possible uses of the funds, bicycle and don't seem to find this a problem NTEC couldn't explain why remains unobligated. This pedestrian safety and education programs scored lowest, with - in fact they average a 27.4% some states fared worse than includes more than $13 million only nine projects using only $230,968. match, way above the floor, others, or why states in general in Utah and $19 million in - Source: NTEC NTEC found. For its 131 pro­ spent TE money at a much slow­ Idaho. jects funded, Idaho's 25.4% er rate than other highway matching rate fall slightly below If states and communities grants. It suggested possible in TE funding. (Full disclosure: this: Under the Transportation average but above the require­ don't agree on projects by 2003 snags: abandoning projects, I'm a charter RTC member.) Equity Act for the 21st Century ment, while Utah communities (when the legislation's autho­ underestimating costs, inability Between 1992 and 1999, Utah and its predecessor, the Inter- put up an even lower percentage rization expires), they may lose to meet matches, environmental modal Surface Transpor-tation for the state's 72 projects - forever this chance to improve received $29,217,323 in TE problems, impacts on historic Efficiency Act, the Federal 23.1%.