[pct-l] Trail Use Problem

[Cat Nelson]

That makes sense.... and it would seem logical of them too.

On Tue, Oct 23, 2012 at 12:24 PM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>wrote:

> Good afternoon,
>
> In my view the move to open all or part of the PCT to bike usage isn’t
> because of the trail’s unique contiguous nature or because of its scenery,
> it’s because the PCT solves for them a fundamental public land trail
> problem.
>
> There already exist on public land some of the very best mountain biking
> opportunities; much of which are at lower altitude and are closer to major
> population centers.  Most of the tracts that were logged 10-50 years ago
> have reproduced with wonderful, lush trees and other vegetation, and
> importantly, they already have an extensive “trail system” in form of
> gravel timber access roads, plus numerous steep skid roads and
> cable-logging trails which are now mostly abandoned and partially
> overgrown.
>
> The beauty of these abandoned road systems is that a biker can ride uphill
> on the moderately graded timber access roads, then go screaming down any of
> the steep skid roads, with all their turns and jumps, accumulating in the
> process all the thrills, “road rash”, and bugs-in-the-teeth they want.
>  Terrain
> damage isn’t much of an issue:  If the unit is ever to be logged again the
> roads will have to be opened and reconditioned with heavy equipment
> regardless of that the bikers do.
>
> The problem is, many mountain bikers don’t like to use those lands.  They
> prefer instead to poach on trails currently specified for foot-traffic.
>  Their
> problem is similar to the problem hikers have with bikes on the PCT:
>  Hikers
> don’t like to travel in fear that at any minute a rider on a fast machine
> will come upon them and hit them or push them off the trail.
>
> Bikers have that same fear because they too must share those wonderful
> logged-over areas with others.  They fear peddling a 30-pound bike quietly
> up a trail and encountering a 300-pound, 50-horsepower motorcycle speeding
> at 40 miles per hour; or possibly worse, a 3,000-pound, 300-horsepower
> macho-Jeep.  On logging trails mountain bikers aren’t the alpha-presence
> that others must be on the look-out for; they are in effect, a third-tier
> species.  Ironic isn’t it?
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> -Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/
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-- 
*Cat*
*SageGirl51 at gmail.com*