Missouri may be the “Show Me” State, but Arizona is the “Show-Me-A-Good-Place-To-Ride-My-Shiny-New-OHV” State.
Arizona State Parks and its OHV Ambassador Program recently started offering “Show Me Rides.” Now in its second season, this program gives new riders--and seasoned riders new to the area--the opportunity to go on OHV rides guided by state-certified Ambassadors.
Rides are open to ATVs, side-by-sides, off-highway motorcycles and 4WD trucks. “The feedback has been very good,” said David Quine, a 4-year Ambassador who heads up the program.
Twice a month, riders show up at one of three trailheads, publicized in advance and posted on the Arizona State Parks OHV Program website. They are met by Ambassadors who have been doing “meet and greets” for years, and now are able to guide the rides. Before heading out, new riders are introduced to the trail system, shown trail signs they’ll encounter and learn about proper trail etiquette and rider safety. Rides last from 2 to 4 hours and vary in length from 20 to 40 miles. “We cater each ride to the audience and their skill level,” said Quine. “The idea is to introduce them to the area. We explain the trails as we go, and stop along the way and point out do’s and don’ts.”
Quine says first-time OHV owners really appreciate the Show Me Rides. “I did a ride last weekend and had three sets of riders. One was a family of four that had just relocated from Chicago to the Phoenix area. They brought their new RZR 4. They all had brand new gear. They were absolutely blown away that there was a group that did this for new people. They said, ‘Thank you so much. This has been a dream come true for us. A great introduction to the area.’ They liked it so much they are coming again next weekend.”
Also showing up for the Show Me Rides are veteran OHV riders who are new to the area or visiting and may be hesitant to venture out on their own. “It’s easy to get lost and the area can be intimidating,” Quine said. “You can get in some hairy situations pretty easily. You’re on a nice wide 60-inch trail, then it drops into a wash that goes 3 miles down the way to a stair-step out of the wash. Or you may come to a place where you can’t turn around because of a 100 ft. drop-off on one side. By staying on the core designated routes, they’re the easiest, you’re not going to get lost because there is always traffic.”
On one recent ride, Quine rode an ATV and guided a couple guys on dirt bikes on the wide, core trail, pointing out good single-track trails along the way. They all returned to the staging area. The guys on dirt bikes, now familiar with the area, thanked him and headed back out to the trails.
Show Me Rides this spring are at the Table Mesa, Boulders and Wildcat OHV Areas. Highlights include views of Lake Pleasant, Hells Canyon Wilderness, 4-Peaks and Bartlett Dam.
Quine credits Jeff Prince, Statewide OHV Program Coordinator, and Tom Bickauskas, Natural Resource Specialist with the Phoenix District of the Bureau of Land Management, for coming up with the idea for the program. He believes it has sparked a lot of enthusiasm among the over 100 state OHV Ambassadors. Prince also holds regular “Trail Talks,” where he meets informally with OHV clubs at their scheduled ride events to visit and chat about trail issues and ideas. (See February 2013 NOHVCC Newsletter: http://nohvcc.org/Materials/Newsletter/NewsletterArchives/news02-2013)
The Phoenix-area Ambassadors have also partnered with a local powersports dealer, who is now helping publicize the outings and directing new buyers to the Show Me Rides. “That’s why partnering with the local powersports dealer is so good. They sell them new machines and then hand them off to us. And the riders are always appreciative and very supportive.”
For more information on the OHV and Ambassadors programs in Arizona, and a schedule of future Show Me Rides, visit:http://azstateparks.com/OHV/ambassadors.html
