Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Good; hope it's just you and a nice bull, short shot, close to a trail, and fun times. Best of luck.
Mountain Bikes in Wild Places
- Thread starter Nameless Range
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Tradewind
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I ran across a guy in south central, MT "improving a trail" for the motorbikers. Paid by outfit to do it. ran a small (smallest version) backhoe up the trail. It is now suitable for 4 wheelers, although they are not allowed ( go see Ringers post).
Was really good elk country.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
'Hope it was not public land.
Nameless Range
Well-known member
The comment period for the Helena - Lewis and Clark National Forest Draft Plan has been extended to October 8th.
BHA, RMEF, and many other organizations and individuals have commented, and there are interesting differences between them. You can review submitted comments here: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/ReadingRoom?project=44589
If anyone still wants to comment you can do so here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hlcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd524144
BHA, RMEF, and many other organizations and individuals have commented, and there are interesting differences between them. You can review submitted comments here: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/ReadingRoom?project=44589
If anyone still wants to comment you can do so here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hlcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd524144
Tradewind
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it was
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Then I hope you documented and reported it.
Tradewind
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No, I have no idea if it was legal or not. But now there is another (alternate) trail running through a lush valley
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Not that complicated; if it was "paid by outfit to do it" (assuming you mean by an outfitter) then it was not a USFS or BLM sanctioned project. Thus not legal and should be reported. Pretty simple. If you aren't comfortable blowing the whistle, PM me the trail location and date and I'll report it secondhand.
I had a shed and bear hunting spot like that. It always had a little used illegal motorcycle trail in it. Instead of hammering those using it illegally, they improved it and made it a legal route. Pretty much ruined it IMO
Do you have a link that will send us directly to the management alternatives? I tried reading through the plan but couldn't find the management alternatives.
Nameless Range
Well-known member
Hey bigsky2,
This Draft Plan is hundreds of pages and it's a real pain to decipher.
This is the summary, which basically shows the geographic areas that are referenced in the draft plan. If you use this to reference the next link it will help. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd575115.pdf
A good way to tell the difference between the Alternatives are the maps. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd575222.pdf
Lastly and probably the most succinct way to understand the difference in the alternatives, would be to go to page 15 of this document: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd575116.pdf
If you do comment, you don't just have to pick an alternative, you can say what you like about certain alternatives and what you don't like about others.
This Draft Plan is hundreds of pages and it's a real pain to decipher.
This is the summary, which basically shows the geographic areas that are referenced in the draft plan. If you use this to reference the next link it will help. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd575115.pdf
A good way to tell the difference between the Alternatives are the maps. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd575222.pdf
Lastly and probably the most succinct way to understand the difference in the alternatives, would be to go to page 15 of this document: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd575116.pdf
If you do comment, you don't just have to pick an alternative, you can say what you like about certain alternatives and what you don't like about others.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Tradewind, where did you go? Are you willing to stand up and report the vandalism / damage to the public land trail you described?
Tradewind
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Jeez,You need to lighten up. It is some guy hired by one of the biking clubs, not an outfitter - don't know where you got that- to improve an existing trail that the motorcyles were having trouble negotiating in some spots, (I haven't seen a mountain bike on these trails at all)
cept he made a few alterations to it to make it more negotiable. I don't know the legalities but I am sure he had permission/permits, whatever to do so.
Then he went up a valley instead of up the ridge where the original trail is. But based on a conversation with him He prob had someones ok to do that.
Motorbikes (dirtbikes) have had legal use of the trrail for 2 years that I am aware of. Fish and game gates the trail for rifle season. My whole bitch about it
is I can see the progression of civilization (multi use) lobbying for 2 track use, since it now can handle atv's. And in my experience, they will use it anyway
now that they can, even if it is not currently legal. Enough crayolas for you???
It used to be a good elk hunting area. they are still around, but have retreated back deeper and numbers seem down.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Tradewind, thanks for clarifying. Your first version is not exactly what you describe now. "Paid by outfit" is the phrase suggesting "outfitter".
BTW, when I see a small backhoe working USFS or BLM trails, I don't assume it's legit. That's just me; but as you seem to get, I won't "lighten up" when it comes to screwing with public trails ... esp by a backhoe!
Exactly right. And then where does it stop? I've looked at a couple great examples of this recently on my nearest forest. In one case jersey barriers were placed at exactly 50 inches wide (the max allowed on the trail) but instead the trail has been pioneered around the barriers by all the wider rigs. In the other one I saw a piece of trail was re-routed, ditched and filled with brush. I noticed that the ditch has now been basically filled in and all the brush pulled out of the way so the motorheads can just go where they want...
uncle sage
Member
My opinion has long been yes on N. Forest and BLM lands, No in a designated Wilderness.
Nameless Range
Well-known member
Department of Interior now considers all three classes of E-bikes acceptable for non-motorized trail use
www.sfchronicle.com
Electric bikes could soon be purring along the trails of national parks — not everyone happy
The new policy by the National Park Service would allow e-bikes wherever regular cyclists...
www.sfchronicle.com
Department of Interior now considers all three classes of E-bikes acceptable for non-motorized trail use
Electric bikes could soon be purring along the trails of national parks — not everyone happy
The new policy by the National Park Service would allow e-bikes wherever regular cyclists...
Odd definition of "motorized"...
Always understood a reasonable difference between human powered and "motor" / "motorized".……
