Kit Palmer | March 12, 2024
Cycle News Archives
COLUMN
Here’s to “Moose”
I apologize in advance. This week’s Archives might be a little too “regional.” I’m guessing many of our readers (okay, most) will not have a clue as to what I’m focusing this week’s Archives subject on, but a large chunk of Californians, especially Southern Californians (desert racers, to be even more specific), will, and they might even find it somewhat interesting. I did. And maybe our “eastern” readers will, too.
In every region across the country, there are motorcycling events that stand out above most others, albeit an organized trail ride or street run or, in most cases, a race. In this case here, it’s a race. Every region has “that race,” the one that nearly everyone within a hundred or so driving miles has ridden, or has at least heard about, or is perhaps on one’s bucket list to race. It might not even be that great of a race, but it’s so rich in tradition and history and has “that name” that it becomes a must-do race at least once in your lifetime.
Southern California has a few of these races, and one of them is a desert race called the Moose Run, not to be confused with the Moose Run Cross-Country in Morrison, Illinois, which is a legendary race, as well. The Bill Gusse-derived Moose Run Cross-Country used to be billed as the hardest off-road race in America, indeed a forerunner to the current crop of now-called “Extreme” or “Hard” enduros and off-road races. From what I can tell, the first Moose Run Cross-Country race was held in 1976, but the Moose Run I’m talking about dates to the late 1940s.
The Four Aces M.C. has hosted the Moose Run since 1950 and has produced many famous winners, such as Bud Ekins, Eddie Mulder, J.N. Roberts, Dan Smith, Dan Ashcraft, Larry Roeseler, Bruce Ogilvie, Destry Abbott and Kurt Caselli.
As I said, the Moose Run I’m talking about is a legendary desert race now regularly held in Southern California’s High Desert. However, the Moose Run, organized by the Four Aces Motorcycle Club, did not start out as a desert race. The race’s roots go back to the Big Bear Run, held in the San Bernardino Mountains, much higher in elevation than that of the high desert. We locals these days can’t even imagine an off-road race ever being held in this famous forest tourist town where thousands from the valley like to go every year to escape the summer heat and flood the ski slopes in the winter.
The Big Bear Run, aka The Bear Chase, eventually morphed into the Moose Run and bounced around the Southern California area for several years. Races were held in Woodland Hills, Castaic, El Mirage, and many other locations before finding a seemingly permanent home in the desert in the Ridgecrest/Red Mountain area. Over the years, the Moose Run has grown into a classic and legendary desert race. I believe it’s been on the Hare & Hound National schedule a time or two. It’s been a while now, but I often raced the Moose Run. I’ve always enjoyed good old-fashioned desert races, and that’s precisely what the Moose Run is now. If I’m going to do just one desert race a year, it’s going to be the Moose Run. I remember once a motocross friend mentioned to me that he wanted to do a desert race for the first time and it had to be the Moose Run. I asked, why the Moose Run? “Because it’s the Moose Run!” he said. I get it. So, I joined him, and we had a blast.
I’ve known of the Moose Run since the ‘80s. And every now and then during all this time, I’ve often wondered why it is called the Moose Run. After all, I’ve never seen a moose in the desert; tortoises, yes; snakes, yes, but a moose? Never. Not even in Big Bear. A race in the desert called the Big Bear Run would also be weird, but Moose Run? I could’ve asked a club member or something like that why it’s called the Moose Run, but I never did. Come race day, I never thought of asking. I had more important things on my mind.
The other day, however, while flipping through the pages of old CN issues, I came across a letter to the editor that explained how the Moose Run came to be. According to CN reader Bill Martin of Baja California, Mexico, the race’s name was dedicated to Mason “Moose” Page, a pro wrestler and motorcycle enthusiast. Evidently, Page was quite the character and was well-known within the motorcycle community. Martin said he was a Four Aces and Southern California Motorcycle Club member.
Martin wrote: “He [Page] was a favorite of everyone. I can still see him on his big thumper, hair flying in the wind and singing at the top of his voice.”
Evidently, it wasn’t uncommon to race without a helmet back then, and Mr. Page was, unfortunately, one of those who chose to go that route, according to Martin. Page, Martin wrote, “got off hard and hit his head on a rock.”
Moose was transported to a hospital in San Bernardino, where he was treated for his injuries. A few weeks later, the club and his friends decided to hold a benefit race, the Moose Run, which was held in the area now known as now Woodland Hills, to help offset his medical bills. Unfortunately, at the end of the race, the riders were greeted with tragic news.
“When we arrived at the finish line, we were told that Moose had passed away,” said Martin.
Moose left behind a wife and two daughters.
The Moose Run is still going strong to this day. In fact, the 74th edition took place just last week. Even after all this time, the last paragraph of Martin’s letter still means as much today as it did then. Martin wrote: “The purpose of this letter is to remind today’s crop of racers that as long as the Moose Run is held, it will be a living memorial to the Moose Pages of our sport.”
Thanks, Martin, for explaining how the Moose Run got its name. Long live the Moose Run and, like Martin said, also the memories of the Pages of our sport! CN
