[pct-l] Bikes on PCT- alternative enforcement idea

[abiegen at cox.net]

Tortoise wrote:

>So maybe we can do something like this.  Set up concealed cameras where
>there are frequent violations and see if we can identify people and
>vehicles. Perhaps post the videos on YouTube. Cost of equipment is coming
>down so could very well be feasible. Biggest issue I see is concealing the
>camera and gear so it can record without the scofflaws seeing and then
>destroying it; and then going to retrieve the recordings.  Or maybe we
>could put a volunteer in a blind with a camera with a telephoto lens and
>record them, then use that evidence.  Could also provide convincing
>evidence that mountain bikes, etc. are incompatible with the PCT.

Locally here in Santa Barbara, after some 10 years of trying to work things out on our front country trails, the land managers are finally doing some research on the issue. They trained a few people to scientifically measure the trails - slope, width, sight lines, etc. They also decided to use hidden cameras to see who was using the trail and how it was being used. They got some high tech cameras with motion sensors to do the job. Unfortunately they are finding that there is a gap between when the motion detector senses movement for the camera to turn on and focus on the target. What they are finding is that if it is one MB'er, the biker is gone before the system can capture him. These sensors and cameras work fine with wildlife and fairly well with hikers, but the fact that the bikers are going so fast (isn't that part of the problem?) the cameras cannot capture them.

Having a volunteer sit in a blind might work but it could be the same thing. With large gaps between the bikers coming by, the volunteer may be slow to react and get the camera up and snap the picture. Plus who would volunteer to sit in that blind in Mojave, and what exactly would that blind look like? A Joshua tree? ;-}

If hikers would pull out their cameras when they hear a bike coming by and snap a couple of shots - I think that is the best that we can hope for. I wish there were an easy solution.

TrailHacker
--
"When my feet hurt, I can't think straight"
Abraham Lincoln