Sherri Osborn has offered to act as President until the elections in October if the members approve. Mike Winslow has also offered to act as Treasurer. If you are interested in being on the board, please contact Sherri. If we have enough interest, we could have the elections early. We'll discuss options at the August meeting. We will also consider changing the meeting to another night.

The Tevis 100 Mile Ride -- THIS WEEKEND
Image riding a horse down the narrow trail along the steep canyon walls of the California Loop in the dark. Flashlights and glow sticks light-blind a horse, so the riders must trust their horse's night vision. That's why the Ride is always on the full moon. Anything can happen in 100 miles. The Ride has been held for 41 years and about 59% of the participants finish. It's an event that requires trust in the the horse, the rider, crews, volunteers, the moon, No-Hands Bridge and the trail itself. We wish all of the participants a great journey.

There is still time to volunteer. Call the WSTF at 823-7282. A good place to watch the race is Michigan Bluff. The Foresthill swimming pool will be selling hamburgers at the Hall's residence. Tevis collectibles will be on sale there, including a the "No-Hands Bridge" Calendar featuring 18 special pictures of the bridge taken over the years mostly by Charles Barieau. It includes pictures taken when the Coffer Dam broke and the 49 bridge was wiped out. The "No-Hands Bridge" Poster - a gorgeous shot, suitable for framing, taken by Mark Leder-Adams is also available. Proceeds go to the Save No Hands Bridge Fund.

I Was Wrong By Charlie Gabri
Every Saturday morning I wake up and apologize to my wife. I say "I was wrong". That usually covers me for the past week. Anyway, to avoid some of the confusion, I was wrong. At one point we canceled this, the fifth year, of 'Down and Up the Ruck-A-Chuck 25K, 50K and Relay'. This is to announce its rebirth.
The Down and Up the Ruck-A-Chuck 25K 50K and Relay Fun Run will be held Sunday, September 22, 1996. This year is a fun run because it costs zero, nada, nuttin. We will have a donation bucket for funds for the repairs on 'No Hands Bridge'. By having it a fun run, we will not need permits, insurance, and we will not give awards. However, we will recognize the overall winners and age group winners and results will be sent to Ultrarunning and noted here. The run will start in Foresthill at the intersection of California Street and Main Street and use 15+ miles of the California Street loop also utilized by Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run and the Tevis Cup 100 Mile Horse Ride. The 25K will be a one way trip to the Relay and 50K turn around. This is a elevation loss of over 2200 feet. The elevation at Foresthill is 3200 and the turn around (25K finish) is 850 feet. The temp can be 90+ degrees. There will be three aid stations; however, the usual aid station at cal 3 will not be there. Runners MUST carry water. It will be about 8 miles between aid stations at one point.
Entry is by pre-registration only. Please send a Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope to Lonesome Coyote Ranch, 20043 Hosmer Mine Court, Foresthill, Ca 95631. Questions to us at (916) 367-2981 or hillfolk@foothill.net (KD6RRX).

Western States 100 Run
It was a bittersweet run this year, born out of extraordinary challenges and facing a cloudy future. The Western States Trail Foundation worked non-stop for months and finally succeeded in convincing the Bureau of Reclamation to let the run and ride use 'No Hands Bridge'. Tim Twietmeyer won again, for the 4th time which is more than any other male. Ann Trason also won the women's race again for the 8th time. She came in 3rd overall. Her husband, Carl Anderson, left Foresthill in first place with Scott St. John right behind him. At that point Tim was behind by about half an hour. Tim caught them just after the river crossing. Carl was sick. Ann had to pass him by. Carl ended up dropping out and arrived just in time to welcome Ann at the finish line. What an emotional embrace that was.

Both Tim and Ann's performances were amazing. Tim became a manager last year and didn't have as much flexibility to train as he had in the past. He wanted to do well and finish his 15th year strong, but his come from behind victory was very dramatic, especially for his family and crew. His mom burst into tears when he came into the Hwy 49 aid station in first place.

Ann had a serious injury that kept her from running last winter. At AR50 in April she paced the last 12 miles and said that was the farthest she had run all year. Then she came back strong and won Comrades, in South Africa, just two weeks before Western States. That's not much recovery time for mind or body, but Ann has never been a conservative ultra-runner. Ann and Tim love the Western States 100 more than any other run. They dream and prepare for it all year and once again they triumphed.

Family Camp-Out at Robinson Flat
The Youth Committee invites everyone to come up and camp out with us Saturday, August 10th at Robinson Flat. There is an equestrian camping area so bring your horses. It will be nice and cool up there and there are several trails to explore. Call Sherri Osborn, 367-3928 for more information.

Trail Projects
State Parks and Rec supplied a used picnic table which has been installed at White Oak Flat.

Todd's Valley Trail Blocked
It's happened again. Someone put up a barricade of trees and brush across the Todd's Valley trail. One of our members who lives a few houses down the trail cleared enough of it so that people could get through.

BLM Proposal to Sell Local Parcels
The Bureau of Land Management is considering selling or exchanging 2,800 acres of land in Placer County in order to raise money to acquire private land located on rivers such as the North and South Fork of the American, Consumnes, Mokelumne and Merced. This proposal was discussed at the Forum meeting on July 15th and the proposal was modified to include the goal of providing property for a community cemetery near Foresthill. We are trying to identify the parcels involved and any existing trails in order to ask that easements for trails be dedicated prior to the sale. We'll be working on this at the August meeting and need everyone's collective knowledge. We may also set up some scouting and mapping parties. We have until September 2nd to provide input.

Wild and Scenic Rivers
Enclosed are two letters we have received asking for help in encouraging the Forest Service to include more rivers, especially the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River in its nominations for Wild and Scenic status which protects them from new dams, logging and mining. Please consider writing your own letter which must be postmarked by August 8th.

New Members Teach Horse Classes for Kids
Clayton and Cheryl Slack joined the FTA at our booth on the 4th of July. Clayton is well-known in the area for horse shoeing and training. They also teach beginning and advanced equestrian classes on Sunday mornings for kids, who must be accompanied by an adult. The classes last 1-2 hours and are a safe and fun way to learn about horses. The cost is $25 per month. The Slacks also like to ride mountain bikes and have spent many hours exploring the trails. We are glad to have them join the FTA.

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