[pct-l] Mt. Bikes on the trail

[Lars Nilsson]

Someday there is going to be an amendment to the Wilderness Act that
could be wide enough to drive a Mack Truck through.  Someone is going to
sue for access to wilderness areas using some form of wheeled vehicle
because of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Some judge will rule in
that plaintiff's favor, and voila, motorized wheel chairs will be
permitted.  Of course they will have to be modified to travel further
than a battery will allow and to traverse rough terrain (wheelchair
mounted on a Jeep chassis, capable of the Rubicon Trail).

Rubbish?  Tell that to various places that now have to allow for more
than the seeing-eye dog - they have to accommodate companion animals
some doctor has prescribed to some emotional/mental need of that
animal's human companion.

For the record, I am not advocating unregulated access by Humvee's or
bicycles.  I just think that sometimes if we in the hiking community are
seen as being too strident and unyielding we might find ourselves being
run over by those more vocal and with more access ($$$) with law makers.
And at the pace I hike, I'll probably be the first speed bump.

 

Lars Nilsson

TrailSnail

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From: Greg Kesselring [mailto:gkesselr at whidbey.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 11:46 AM
To: Lars Nilsson
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Mt. Bikes on the trail

 

Unless you're able to get Congress to rewrite the Wilderness Act, there
will be no motorized vehicles inside Wilderness boundaries.  And the way
the land managers have interpreted the Wilderness Act, that also means
no trail bikes.  

I am a firm believer in, and supporter of, wilderness as defined by the
act.  I believe we need to have some lands set aside where we have no
machines.  The amount of land that's preserved in this way is a tiny
fraction of the total land that is this country.  If you want to see
these lands, you're free to walk in like everyone else.  If you want to
drive everywhere, all National Parks are driveable, most National Forest
Land and BLM land is driveable, State Park lands are driveable.  The
vast amount of land that you can see from a car or bicycle or motorcycle
or trail bike far exceeds the amount of land that you have to walk to be
able to see and enjoy.

Wilderness Areas are the exception rather than the rule.  There's very
little Wilderness left out there.  I hope and pray that we will always
have the good sense to keep these lands wild, and that means free from
machines.  You want to see what's in there, you can walk in like the
rest of  us.  You don't want to walk, then you have 99.99 percent of the
country open to your vehicle of choice.

Greg

==================================================

Lars Nilsson wrote: 

"There's an assault brewing on the parks here. The ORV and mountain bike
crowd are trying to get the Mill Creek Addition to Del Norte Coast
Redwoods SP opened to them. Do any of you have pictures of trail damage
caused by ORVs and mt. bikes, particularly in far northern California
and southern Oregon -- PCT or trails west."

I hike, but my sons bike.  They are courteous and stay mainly on fire
roads but do enjoy single track riding as well.  They resent the
outright banning of bikes on certain trails.  There are "bad apples" in
all groups.  There are wannabee ultralight backpackers who allow their
alcohol stoves to blow over in wind and start fires, causing far more
damage than fat tires.  There are hikers who insist they are "stealthy"
enough that bears will never find their food and so they don't need
those pesky, heavy bear cans.  Too few of us truly practice "leave NO
trace;" do we ban backpackers or demand personal responsibility and
concern/respect for the back country from all who enter?

I am not suggesting that we pave the trails or put up neon signs, but
there should be some compromise that allows more people to enjoy the
land in their own way.  Woody Guthrie sang "this land was made for you
and me".  As hikers we recognize HYOH to mean that for some the fastest
wins as does the last one to Canada (assuming Campo is your trailhead). 

 

Lars Nilsson

TrailSnail

 

 



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