Trail access diminishing

[Hepar]

So, up here in the PNW many of our Forest Service roads are being shut down. I was told by the FSD that this action is usually to prevent 4wheelers from being able to access certain areas. Many of these roads are what us climbers use to access many of our spots (not to mention a plethora of other activities for others). Yesterday, one road in particular that was accessible last week was now blocked off. After only hiking a short time on the road, it was obvious why. Trash littered both the road and forest. Gun shells, shell boxes, beer cans, etc etc. Now I know this is probably a few bad apples spoiling the bunch, but I just wanted to remind everyone to enjoy the trails out there by also respecting them. Please clean up after yourself and if you see others not, please remind them.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Madakira]

Let me guess; the beer cans were Coors Light? I know how you feel bro. it sucks seeing trails close. If you brought trash there, you should have room to bring it back!

 

[TheDurk]

Not just the trash, but that the same slobs that litter the gun stuff are also probably drinking the beer. My old man was a Captain in the US Infantry and if he had ever caught me drinking while hunting it would not have been pretty. Drunken idiots behind the wheel are bad enough, give 'em guns and it's a recipe for disaster.

 

[jksmyers]

I don't do any hard-core offroading, but I am a hunter and have been victim to similar situations where farmers have removed their land from hunting leases due to yahoos driving through muddy pastures and crop areas, leaving spent shells, beer cans, carcasses, ruts, etc behind. My son was a Cub Scout for a year and the best lesson he learned was that you leave your campsite cleaner and in better condition than you found it. If we all lived by that rule trails would increase in number rather than decrease.

 

[Pikeman]

Hepar- The San Bernardino NFS is the only one in the Nation that added trails. A lot of the off-road community thinks they lost trails because they blocked off a lot of the unauthorized by-passes but we actually added some of the unauthorized bypasses to the trail system. The San Bernardino National Forest actively pursues off-road clubs for their Adopt-A-Trail program kind of like adopt a highway and also has a Non-Profit organization that has the OHV-volunteer program. I know other Forest regions have come to see what makes ours so successfull. I would suggest that while ours is not perfect that they contact their local Forest District office to look into starting a program like ours in their area.

This mainly helps getting responsible recreationists to help be the eyes and ears and to educate others on enjoying responsibly. This helps keep all the other groups with -ologist at the end of their names off the backs of people trying to enjoy Public Lands.

 

[brian2sun]

Hey Pikeman, have you heard anything on the reopening of Holcolm Creek trail? According to the USFS, it was supposed to be reopened in the Spring of 2011, but last time I went by there, the gate was still closed.

Good to hear your 4runner is up and running again!

 

[Pikeman]

Hey Pikeman, have you heard anything on the reopening of Holcolm Creek trail? According to the USFS, it was supposed to be reopened in the Spring of 2011, but last time I went by there, the gate was still closed.

Good to hear your 4runner is up and running again!

Well I am part of the AAT group that has that trail and we just had the USFS survey the trail this weekend and identified 6 more trees they want removed and then it should be open. The goal is to have the grand re-opening 4th July weekend but with the new work it might be a couple more weeks. So far the AAT club that has that trail has volunteered over 1000hrs this year alone and the past couple years averaged over 3000 hours trying to get it re-opened.

 

[Bigrupp]

Went through the same thing here in the Black Hills NF. Now you can only travel on designated trails, and you have to pay for a trail sticker every year. A nice bright orange 6"x8" sticker stuck on your windshield. I'd like to smack the guy that suggested that, although it does make it easy to spot. They are really enforcing it hardcore too. If you trailer you're atv you have to have your truck and atv stickered even if you are parked at the start of the trail.

Sent from The Far Side