We Are Lucky...(for now?)

Discussion in 'Trail Advocacy' started by herzalot, Dec 10, 2016.


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  1. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    After reading this article about Marin County on Pinkbike, I have been reflecting on just how fortunate we are. I went out today and rode world class, challenging mountain bike trails ten minutes from my house. Most of us on IMTB routinely access great trail systems from our homes, or after a very short commute. The thought of living like the riders depicted in the article makes me cringe, and makes me think "there but for the grace of God, go we." It may not be the grace of God however. It may be by the grace of land managers who haven't YET made all trails illegal for mt. bikes and haven't YET turned every trail into a dumbed-down bridle path. Or worse - sold all the land to housing developers.

    So as I rode perfect dirt, over steep, rocky and challenging trails today on a great bike with some great like-minded dudes, and saw many others doing the same, I thought - and said aloud - "man, are we fortunate."

    Then I said a friendly hi, good morning and thank you to every hiker and jogger I saw.
     
    hill^billy, konakc, rossage and 11 others like this.
  2. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Sounds like you had a very good safety break along your ride.
     
  3. knucklebuster

    knucklebuster Well-Known Member

    Location:
    34.2295° N, 117.2257° W
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail
    Oh, what lucky men, we are (rip Greg Lake). Spoke to a couple rangers at the Borrego entrance to Whiting today, they were handing out handlebar bells for bikers. I asked them how big of an issue is the MTBers pissing off hikers and equestrians, how many complaints they get. They said some, not excessive, but the bells would help everyone coexist. Still, a few dumbasses can get us stereotyped and potentially trail closures come. Over the top yielding and kindness is my m.o.
    BTW, was told the bells were supplied by SHARE and ASG. Good for them for making that effort:thumbsup:
     
    Infamous, hill^billy, rossage and 5 others like this.
  4. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Good thing we don't have them doing this to our trails down here.....for the most part:

    Before.....
    saratogagapscout-7.jpg
    saratogagapscout-8.jpg

    After.....
    saratogagap201611-30.jpg

    Apparently they damn near paved it.
     
  5. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Oh god - where was that? I have a sneaking suspicion that old hikers much prefer the removal of trip hazards so that they can have a nice gentle path through nature. They are also the ones with the time to bug land managers all day long to give them what they want. Maybe they can just put in a moving walkway so they don't have to pick up their feet at all!
     
    hill^billy, Faust29, rossage and 3 others like this.
  6. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Up in Nor. Cal.

    http://forums.mtbr.com/california-norcal/saratoga-gap-singletrack-paved-sanitized-1027970.html
     
  7. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
  8. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    There has been sanitizing near that level on UWC in Chantry. No quik crete but plenty of burying roots, rocks, and wooden steps. Quite a bit of bedrock removal/smoothing. I have seen several attempts to fill in the famous drop. All have mysteriously failed.
     
  9. konakc

    konakc iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    kc
    NO!!!!!
     
    rossage, hill^billy and Mikie like this.
  10. hill^billy

    hill^billy iMTB Rockstah

    OMG!!!!!!! Quik crete? Boy does that look natural, the older I get the more disgusted I get with humanity! Nothing but pure :Barefoot::poop::poop::poop::poop:!
     
    Mikie, herzalot and DangerDirtyD like this.
  11. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    That top pic is what a lot of the Alpine trail looked like in Oregon... But that was one bike friendly town!
     
  12. Poofighter

    Poofighter Member

    Location:
    Cypress Hill
    Name:
    Noel
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Shortboy
    Yeah I just saw that a couple of weeks ago. I took @bobzrag there and told him about the very first uphill right from the pavement which I haven't seen in a couple of years. It had the rocks and steps removed and someone made it all smooth similar to J's pic of norcal. There was also the left hander with the steps after the rock drop that got pussified as well. WTF OVER?
     
    Mikie, herzalot and rossage like this.
  13. Dismay

    Dismay Member

    Location:
    Aliso Viejo, CA
    Name:
    Michael
    Current Bike:
    Cannondale Jekyll 2
    OMFG. Those pics make me want to puke.
     
  14. riiz

    riiz Member

    Location:
    Redlands, CA
    Name:
    Eric
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Heckler/Killmaleon
    Making trails safer for roller-blading? That Sh!t is a crime!
     
  15. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    I think people that are not mountain bikers will never "understand"... mountain bikers.
    I think a reason why we struggle with some other trail user groups.
     
    herzalot, hill^billy and mtnbikej like this.
  16. hill^billy

    hill^billy iMTB Rockstah

    I know Mikie, there is a reason why the stand up jet ski rocket was discontinued. More :poop: !
    I think to add a bit to the trail, there going to need cross walks and stop signs. I just love a good sized crowd.
     
    Mikie and mtnbikej like this.
  17. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Sometimes I need to remind myself that the little hike most of these people are taking is a big deal-to them.
    Stepping outside of their comfort zone, onto an uneven, rocky, exposed, trail. No cell coverage, Now here comes Jonny Blaze, trail manners by Red Bull, wardrobe courtesy StarWars, skidding into the corners saying "What? I got a bell...."

    Still, trail sanitizing sucks, and so do the people who do it.
     
    kioti, herzalot, pperrelle and 2 others like this.
  18. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    That was beautiful!
     
    rossage likes this.


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?