I don't have any cool pics from this week but the week isn't over yet. Here's one from the vault, just for the heck of it.
This has been a pretty fun week so far. Some very cool bikes have visited the shop lately and the riding has been very good. We even had Lyons Good Old Days happening to boot. Good Old days is the big annual carnival/beertent/cultural thing we have every year. It's a hoot. Lots to do and fun for everyone. This was also the first year for a boating event at Good Old Days. The Kayak scene is really starting to happen out here. Anyway, fun times were had by all, or at least that's the way it looked spectating from the deck of the shop.
Last Friday's ride was fun. We made it spinning just in time to enjoy what was to be the last of the sun. After about 30 minutes, blue skies were replaced with a nice rain. The lightening did not happen so we kept on riding - the rain was helping cool off a hot muggy afternoon and it felt great. It rained on and off for a bit, but it was just enough to make the dirt perfect and the rocks a little slick. The narrow forest riding was top notch. Sunday's ride was equally as good. Carl came up to demo the Flux so we took him into Roosevelt for a good time in the woods. Sunny skies were the call for the day. The singletrack was good and the smiles were large. It was a quick ride, only 2 hours or so, but it felt like we were only out for a few minutes. I wanted to play longer but duty called.
That brings us to last night's ride, the Tuesday Night Death March. The plan was to head into the forest for a quick evening ride. Because of daylight, though, we were going to have to be quick. On Tuesday afternoon, I received the following email:
*********************************************************************************
To:
>Subject: FW: Barking Dog Trail problems
>Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 10:20:48 -0600
>
>Dave - FYI for anybody you know heading up there. Maybe hang this on
>the bulletin board in your shop.
>
>I've traded emails with Mark over the years to keep relations and to
>help him out if I can. He owns a piece of property that the barking
>dog goes through. He's in a constant battle with the 4x4 folks over
>the years on whether thats a road or not a road, but he's been cool to
>mountain biking as long as people follow some etiquette.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Boslough >Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 10:43 PM
>Subject: Barking Dog Trail problems
>
>
>____, maybe you can help me get the word out about this, because if
>the problem persists we will be closing our trail to mountain bikes.
>
>We've been having problems with mountain bikers. On
>Friday we replaced some log barriers that we keep across
>the trail to keep out motorized trespassers. The timbers
>have been repeatedly removed over the past several years
>and in at least one instance a trespasser took a chain saw
>up there to remove them.
>
>Yesterday I caught a couple of mountain bikers riding up a private road
>(marked "private road - keep out") on our property. They claimed to
>have come from the Jamestown side and wanted to go down to the St.
>Vrain. I told them to go ahead but to leave the barriers in place. I
>walked down the trail later to find that most of the barriers had
>been removed again (I can't prove it was by these guys,
>but they were the only people who had been up there
>besides us).
>
>Here's the problem: If the logs aren't there, the
>motorcycles and ATVs invade. If the mountain bikers want
>to keep using that trail, they need to leave them across
>the trail. Sorry if that makes the trail less fun, but
>it's private property. If the logs have been moved, they
>need to be put back to ensure the trail stays open.
>
>I plan to take more drastic measures to shut things down
>for good if I have to keep putting those logs back myself.
>
>Please spread the word.
>
>Mark Boslough
***************************************************
Barking Dog sounded like a group ride delight, let's go! A few logs to keep out motos won't be a big deal at all, right? Wrong. It sucked. There were logs down everywhere. Interesting enough, especially considering that the landowner's main beef against motos is that they are insensitive in such a fragile ecosystem as a narrow drainage. There were enough trees down that, had it been NFS land, this guy would've been in major felony trouble. How's that for ecologically freindly? It took us quite a bit to bushwack thru the wreckage, but sweet singletrack awaited so we pressed on. We were able to connect the loop,including the oh, so sweet dowhnill and make it back to the carnage before it got really dark. That thing was dark coming down! Despite what daylight remained, thick foliage and a narrow gulch don't let much light in. Not fun when you're carrying bikes thru rocky terrain laden with felled timber. We made it out safely, though, although one of our crew had a sorely sprained thumb. A tragedy, indeed, but nothing compared to Sylvia's Last Ride. Thats a real tragedy, and our hearts are out to Sylvia's family. That's all for now.
4 comments:
Well IF mtn bikers are removing trees he's put down (it's his land right? he can cut where he wants...) to keep motos out (and is cool with bikes?!)he should keep US out. I live on a hunk of land and it would be nightmarish to have 2 or 4 wheel, fossil fuel burning knuckleheads riding around on it. Hell it's barely tolerable on the Freak2Freak. I'm not sure if I'd really dig a bike trail through it to be honest. I sure hope it wasn't riders who removed that stuff, like shootin' yerself in the foot. We have to be smart as riders and even smarter as poachers if we want continued access to some of the trails up here. Group rides on private land are questionable if yer askin' me. So what's your take on the situation? I can't figure that last piece? Anyway, ride on...
My take is that if he wants to keep motos out, there's a lot better/more effective way to do it. It's quite a bit to haul a bicycle over repeated 8-12" logs and sticks, but a couple braps on the throttle would take care of that. Fences, gates would definitely be more effective. With respect to the trees themselves, the landowner's primary reason for keeping motos out is environmental. He wants this to be an environmentally and ecologically sound area. Somewhat hypocritical to cite preservation, while at the same time creating deadfall enough to fuel a small fire. Natural?
The history of this area is the interesting part, and the main reason that he hasn't gated off the road. He can't - the case is actually at some stage of Supreme Court right now. The 4wd clubs argue that the road is a historic use route, once public, therefore still a public route. Private landowner argues that private is private, period. At the top of the road, there's actually a county sign stating that the road is closed to motorized but specifically open to bike, hike, and horse. That's the reader's digest version anyway and there's the rub. The outcome of this case will have huge impact with regard to landowners rights and trail access, regardless of who's side you're on. Here's the link for some of the jeepers side:
http://members.tripod.com/HoboJeepers/barkdog.htm
Over the past years, the landowner has been pretty outspoken about foot and bike travel being allowed on the route, as he needs all the allies he can. Heck, we even have a coffee shop in town named after the trail. That, and an email directive from the guy to "spread the word" to other cyclists? I didn't feel too bad about it. We didn't move any logs, either :)
I've heard a bit about this in the past and haven't been up there in a while so don't know all the details. I understand what you are saying about the trees, at the same time I can understand the landowners plight. I'm sure he couldn't give a sh!t about riders and their enjoyment but as you state needs supporters. In my initial post I wasn't pointing finger or blaming just trying to understand the situation better. Anyway, keep us updated and have a good weekend...
I agree completely. He is working towards and end and it doesn't matter to him whether we are affected or not. It's certainly an interesting situation and I can see that either side has valid points. I'll choose to stay out of this one.
I actually met the guy that's heading up the 4wd argument, too. It seems to have turned into a pissing match between these two very angry and passionate evangelists.
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