Ridge Crossing in the Dunes at Under My Helmet

Hat tip to duneguide.com for the video Below is a video from the spring of 2005 at Sand Mountain showing the benefits of crossing over a ridge properly at the dunes. Note in the video at what angle the sand rail approaches the top of the dune: It is almost parallel with the top of the ridge as opposed to going straight over the top, which all but eliminates the ability [...] Read More


Got Kids That Ride ATVs? Go Get Certified! at Under My Helmet

As the duning season begins to ramp up here in California and the ISDRA (Imperial Sand Dune Recreation Area), I'd like to remind all you ATV parents out there to get certified, and if your kids are old enough, get them certified. It's the law. The LEOs will be ramping up patrols to enforce Safety certification for ATV use, as well as many safety issues like the 15mph speed limit [...] Read More


Dune Closure NOT the Solution to Border Issues at Under My Helmet

Despite the very liberally biased view that the LA Times is trying to trick you in to believing, the vast majority of dune users don't think closing the dunes is the way to fight illegal border crossings. The American Sand Association (ASA) has issued a response to the slanted and misleading LA Times article. OHV COMMUNITY OPPOSES DUNE CLOSURE AS PART OF SOLUTION TO BORDER INCURSION ISSUES A United States Border [...] Read More


Wine Tasting: 2006 Shannon Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon at Celebrate Wine

I had a chance to taste the Shannon Ridge 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon this week. I found it enjoyable, a medium-bodied red wine, ideal for outdoor summer events. The wine is made from 90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and 10 percent Petit Verdot, grown in California's Lake County wine region. The flavor has pronounced dark red cherry and plum tones with just a hint of vanilla from the French oak in [...] Read More


$1.45 Billion Blue Ridge Fund to Focus on China at China Venture News

Private equity firm Blue Ridge is moving into China in a big way. The company has developed a China-focused fund that is about twice the size of what JP Morgan is commiting at the moment to the whole of Asia. The Blue Ridge fund will have $1.45 billion to invest in China, according to reuters. John Ong over at Blogging Buyout sees the new Blue Ridge fund as opportunistic, taking advantage [...] Read More