[pct-l] C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S / And the Mountain Bike problem

Sun May 12 17:27:52 CDT 2013

Well then we need to lobby congress because bikes do far less damage to a trail than horses.

________________________________
 From: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>
To: "gary_schenk at verizon.net" <gary_schenk at verizon.net>; "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net> 
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2013 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S / And the Mountain Bike problem

Hello Gary,

I also break up and scatter illegal fire ring rocks.

You also mentioned that you aren't concerned about illegal mountain bikes and dirt bikes on the PCT. Here are three reasons why they should not be on the PCT.

     1)  They are illegal - it is against the law, designated by an act of congress in 1968. Wheels are not allowed anywhere on the PCT. It is for the use of hikers and equestrians only.
     2)  Substantial tread/trail damage can result from the lineal groves left behind by wheels. The worst groves are those left by bikers who brake hard, locking the wheels, and dragging the tires down.
 This is especially noticeable on slopes - when it rains, water will run down those groves,which become ruts - which become ditches. As a Back Country Horseman trail maintenance volunteer,
 I have personally observed this. Of course, we repair the trail by filling in and putting in water bars. There are places on the PCT where illegal wheeled vehicles have caused very serious damage.
     3)   Mountain bikers pose a very serious threat to equestrians. Riders and horses have been injured and killed when a mountain biker suddenly comes flying (for the thrill) down a winding and narrow
 trail causing a horse to spook. If there are also steep drop-offs, there might be a disaster. I will briefly describe my own "close call" experience during my PCT ride. It happened about 50 miles north of 
Agua Dulce.  It was on a trail as I described above. I was riding down hill when a MB came up at high speed behind us. Primo, my horse, spooked forward. Fortunately, he had room ahead on the trail to 
go. The mountain biker, to avoid running into us, swerved and tumbled into the rocks and brush below the the trail. He was badly scratched and also bruised. I think his bike was also damaged.
I watched as he took his time getting up and looked over the damage. He would live. He was lucky there wasn't a cliff there. 

I have been taking pictures of illegal bikers on the PCT.  About a year ago I was helping BCH Ray Drasher clear some down trees that were blocking the PCT south of Guffy Camp. On our way back, 
going north, we came upon illegal mountain bikers going south towards Cajon Pass. They expected us to yield to them. No way. We informed them that they were on the PCT - and that bikes are not
allowed.  Of course, they claimed innocence - that they did not know that they were on the PCT, or that bikes weren't allowed. I started taking pictures as we spoke and told them that they must turn 
back. They did. It turned out that we were only a short distance (about 300') from where the PCT crosses a dirt road. The usual PCT post was there and the bike symbol with the red slash through it 
was obvious. There were four bikers. They certainly had to have seen it. 

MendoRider-Hiker

________________________________
From: "gary_schenk at verizon.net" <gary_schenk at verizon.net>
To: diane at santabarbarahikes.com; pct-l at backcountry.net 
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2013 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S

Diane,
Right on.

Notice that many of the folks speaking out about campfires are from Southern California. It gets depressing watching the burned out areas increase year after year. Most thrus are never going to come back, others use the PCT for getting to other places, not as an end in itself.  

I try to break up every illegal ring that I come across. It's hard to get all huffy about mountain bikes and dirt bikes on the trail when parts of the hiking community itself is a bigger problem.

Gary

On 05/12/13, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes wrote:

I suppose nobody would gather at the 3rd gate were it not for the 
water cache. I suppose that they figure if the fire needs putting out 
there's enough water there to do it. However, if they aren't using 
the cache water to put the fire out then they aren't putting it out. 
I think that all these water caches should go. They make people too 
disconnected from their environment. You can hike from Rodriguez 
Spring (and there's a real spring further down the road, you don't 
need the tank) to Barrel Spring without a cache. It's only one night 
between the two. I've gone two nights many times in So Cal carrying 
all the water I need.
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