12 Gauge Trails

2012-02-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Got some digging in today and then rode for a bit. Still waiting on the tractor. Here are some cell phone snaps of Mike boosting!

Ventura Ca 805

2012-02-25T20:12:00.002-08:00

So all I got to say is that I miss the local indoor park we used to have in Ventura Ca. I found a video of the La Revolution contest at Skatestreet back in the day. I can look back and say that I wish I could ride that place today. I remember just starting out riding and that place was soo freakin scary. 16ft vert wall, all 6ft quarters. The bmx scene was really big until the owner had a fatal motorcycle which was horrible. It ultimately lead to the park being closed down. Ventura had a really sick set of dirt jumps tucked away in a baranca. They were called "Koala" because of all the eucalyptus trees. The baranca was the local spot to go to. Many memories of trying to dig and all the riders that always showed up.

Berm line is coming up!

2012-02-19T20:02:00.001-08:00

2012-02-13T11:44:00.001-08:00

2012-02-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

this dirt is full of rocks! great clay, but rocks rocks and more rocks

added more to the first landing and finished the first lip

2012-02-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

We have done a lot of work since the last rain. The second lip is a huge booter now. Redid the first roller and adding more for the first landing to make is smoother. The whole line should be coming together real soon. On another note, my good friend Mitchell Gamble just dropped an edit, I would check it out. Hopefully he can come up to norcal to shred soon.

Mitchell Gamble from Kyle Naswall on Vimeo.

Trail Update

2012-01-28T18:17:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately the high winds and rain destroyed the second jump because it was squared off, so we are going to have to round the jumps off for now on like the first. We are so close to getting a solid line going, just a few more weeks and it will be prime. Here are some updated photos of what they are looking like

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2012-01-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

We have a new spot! It's going good so far. My friend Charley Bailey is a local rider from Chico that I met a while back. He was able to talk to me about his godfathers land and that we could possibly build dirt jumps on it. I met his godfather Sylvester and he is really awesome. Basically he gave us the go to build! We got a a tractor, water truck, water storage containers, and a backhoe coming soon. This is the first time I have ever used equipment to build dirt jumps. It may seem like cheating to use equipment, but I think it might be a blessing. We have private land, a few chosen riders and tools to create whatever we want in matter of no time. All we need to do now figure out some waivers so nobody gets out of hand by trying to sue Sylvester.

RIP 12 Gauge

2011-11-18T21:28:00.001-08:00

This has been a roller coaster this year. It has been crazy fun but unfortunate at the same time. Yesterday, I got a call from Allen in my computer class. "Dude, the trails are gone!". I seriously didn't know what to think besides the fact that we just got the permission to build on the land. Allen basically just said that they clear-cutted all the trees at 12 gauge. This scenario was in the back of my mind the whole time. When we first found the spot, orange and blue ribbon flagging was everywhere. We figured that is was to protect the existing trees from deforestation; well we were wrong. I knew we were taking a little bit of a gamble but the spot was soo legit, we couldn't give up trying. I went to the trails about two weekends ago before the devastation began and noticed that instead of blue/orange flagging, there was new green and blue ribbons everywhere. This was the point I was starting to get concerned. This was for sure related to the cutting of course. But what really shocked me was the fact that it happened so damn FAST!!

So, decided to get up this at 6am this morning and drive up to 12 gauge (what was left of at least) to get the rest of the digging tools we had. As got closer to the spot, I noticed the road was filled with wood scraps and semi tread. I look to my right, and it looks like a bomb hit the area. The workers cut soo much, that there was no buffer of trees to the road at all. I could see a huge field of lying debris for what seemed like a mile from my car. I parked and walked in with my camera expecting to see the full logistics of everything. It was beyond what I had expected. I felt like I stepped into a different planet or a warzone. There where many semis parked, tractors equipped with tree grabbing hydraulic arms, and few regular trucks. I immediately talked to the people to see if they would let me walk into the cut zone and told them the story about what happened. I was granted permission and told them I just wanted the tools. Walking was literally impossible. And I eventually found the trails. All that was left was the first gap and new second lip crushed by a tree.

I took a few pictures so I could remember this for the rest of my life. Once I walked back and got to my car, I was confronted by one of the workers. He found the pick axe that we had and recovered the tamper we had as well. I was stoked that he was nice enough to give us back the only thing we really had left. I took the tarp of the first lip as a souvenir.

At the end, I was able to talk to the guy who found our tools and he said that we could possibly still build on their land. He directed that I talk to a head supervisor in Stirling City (about 30 miles away) about the situation that happened. So there is still some hope that we can build in the forest. Hope is not gone though..............

I have had a backup plan for months now. One of our friends owns 32 acres of land that is ready to be dug upon. It may not be the forest, but it land that we can do whatever we want. And as Mike Saavedra put it, "With trails, you are on borrowed time", and unfortunately for us our time was very short but sweet. 10 months of planning and digging took them; 10hrs to destroy our work, dedication, money that we put into the place. I am truly devastated inside and look back on what motivation we had as riders to do something that no one else wanted to do. We took the first three steps out of the door while others waited for something to happen. Sure we may have failed at the goal of creating something we dreamed of, but its not truly no over.

Lastly NO DIG, NO RIDE

BEFORE

AFTER

The Compound

2011-11-13T18:46:00.001-08:00

The 12 Gauge Trails are snowed in now, so the season is cut short but luckily in Chico it doesnt snow. The Compound consists of a main "pro" line and a huge pump track as well as a go kart track. The jumps are set up more for racers, but nonetheless better than nothing. If you wanna see the whole thing check my blog post earlier this year: http://brianraphaelphotography.blogspot.com/2011/04/compound.html

Mike riding till dark

NacNac

2011-10-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

No updates so far, but heres a pic of me hitting the first

The Trails are Still Alive

2011-10-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

So the last time we headed out to the spot, there were boot prints on the ground and fingerprints in the second lip...outsiders. We continued on digging, and a couple hours later a man appears from the woods, who works for (can't say) who owns this land. At first he was pissed, but we were respectful so he ended up being really cool. He told us that the helicopters that were flying over spotted the tarps, and thought it was weed, so they sent in a SWAT team to bust it, only to find some sweet ass jumps. He took our info and told us he'd get back to us. We were really bummed, but still had some hope. Today, we got a call with the OK to continue!!! We cant expand too much more, but we have a spot and the OK to build! 12 Gauge Trails are still alive, let the digging proceed!

2nd landing progress

2nd Lip is Complete!

2011-10-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

2nd lip complete! The bonsai goes about 3 feet down

Can you see Mike?

2011-10-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

Some raw handlebar footy of the run-in and first

2nd Lip Progress

2011-09-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

Our only source of water at these times..

Just need to pack the sides and back. About 6ft tall!

2011-09-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

Some bangers of Mike on the first, working on the second lip..

First Lip is Done

2011-09-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

First berm on the roll in

Mike's beautiful craft

Michael Ramos is the man

The fire pit and supplies

Mike steezing the first

Nasty turndown

Welcome to the 12 Gauge Trails

2011-09-28T23:52:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to our trails and the whole process, from digging to riding. Welcome to the Twelve Gauge Trails!

The spot the day we found it, covered in snow

Mike stoked! Looking down on one of the many lines possible

Water pits and tools