[pct-l] Bicycle Usage Proposal

[Gary Schenk]

On 9/20/2010 9:21 AM, Joel Fisler wrote:
> I was not planning to respond again but the discussion keeps on going and going, everyone adds an even worse story and I see the issue in a new light. From what I read it looks like in the US (or maybe just California, I dont know) trails are a "war zone". No one respects no one, nobody uses common sense, no respect and no manners. I have never heard of similar extreme fights here in the Alps, maybe I am naive, but there are certainly no hikers killed by mountain bikers here... Under these circumstances I agree that it is best to have separate trails for hikers, bikers and maybe horses. Although I think that this is a very said conclusion. My assumption and experiences, my "background knowledge" when writing the last email two days ago were as following:

Hi Joel,

It's not a war zone. I have never had a bad interaction with mountain 
bikers in the 30 years I've been hiking the mountains of Southern 
California. Yes, they do cause damage to trails, sometime excessively. 
Yes, sometimes they go where they should not. But as another poster 
pointed out, PCT hikers like to pick and choose which rules they obey, 
also. It's just human nature.

Wilderness areas in the United States are set up to be very primitive. 
Before the Wilderness Act was passed, that was even a designation of 
certain tracts of land, Primitive Areas.

Mechanized means of travel are not allowed in these primitive areas, and 
it was decided a long time ago that the PCT was to be administered as a 
wilderness.

there is a place for all sorts of methods of travel in the various 
backcountries that make up America. Motorized, bicycle, horse, and foot 
all have their places. The PCT is a place for non-mechanized travel, 
that's part of its charm. And hopefully it will stay that way.

Gary