Is anyone here a member of MITRA? Id like to get more info on the group, but their website is down and cannot seem to get ahold of anyone from here?? Any info would be great.

Pickle Farm Beach just outside of Pleasant Hill used to have MX races there a few years ago, until the meth-heads came in and started making their crud on the property. From what I have heard speaking to people in the know, is that the DNR was ready to donate the land to make it a ATV park. With the meth problems they were having and a bunch of people getting hurt at the MX track, the city put the brakes on the ATV park project and shut it down..

I have ridden there this summer a few times, and it's still a pretty decent place. 3 MX tracks and some trails thru the trees and a sandbar along the river.

Now the property belongs to a construction company (sand and gravel excavation) that plan on using it for a while, but when they are done, we might be able to get a LEGAL riding park just outside of Des Moines. But that will not happen until there is a ATV group in the area to work with DNR and local government, etc...Right now there is alot of people riding there, some with landowner permission and most without. It's still a headache for the city and the landowner, but getting a actual park there with a DNR officer on duty, would curtail some of the problems they now have plus giving alot of people another option for riding around the Metro.

Id like to find out if the MITRA group still exists or not. If they do, I know of 4 or 5 people right off that would contribute to the group in a positive manner, 2 of them being business owners with experience in management.

If they are not together I'd like to get one going..But I don't want to step on anyone's toes if there is a club already active.

I wonder how many people on this board would be interested if we started one for Des Moines???