The does and donts in the trail systems

Nuzzy said:

I do like gate keepers if they can be properly maintained to keep dipshits out.

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As Jeepmauler said before some at reiter had them and they were removed. But in an official ORV are I think they could be maintained better with better user support and what little funding we get from the government.

oh, are gatekeepers, people? or actual gates??

Don't forget that many of the areas that we're talking about are public areas: that means that Public funds built them, or that they are for public use. That includes National Parks, Forest Service roads and DNR areas.

Charging a fee for them, other than that of the Forest Service Permit, would not be in keeping with the spirit of the areas that most of us wheel in.

As for Trash - my father always told us to leave the place cleaner than when you found it. Sadly, many times I go out I don't have enough trash bags for the spent shotgun shells, brass and beer cans that I find when I try to stop somewhere with my kids to enjoy a peaceful stream or a nice meadow. That really, really chaps my ass more than I can say. As much as I'd like to take a few minutes to clean all that up, the last time I tried my kids were picking up dud shells whose primers had been struck... That was the end of the cleanup for me.

Drinking on the trails.. Everyone I've ever had to help off a rock or get unwedged from a tree was throwing them back and reeked of booze. No offense to anyone here, but that's the kind of crap that I just can't stand.

Bypasses - not at the expense of the trail system.

Gates - sure, except that you'll have to armor them against Human Squirrels: how many gates can you build and then not supervise against portable blow torches or alcohol fueled morons with shotgun slugs?

Fees or trail ratings based on tire size?? Elitist much, folks? Again - public roads! Granted, they are not always accessible to stock rides, but let's not forget who is paying the bulk of the building and maintenance fees, here. Most of the backlogs in maintenance at our national parks or forest service areas are needed to maintain walking trails, bridges and the like. If we don't pay for the materials and volunteer our time, then our trails will vanish due to neglect and funds that need to be diverted elsewhere for the greater common good.

Yes - many of you are hitting the nail on the head. It's a few bad apples that spoil the bunch. Know what? Take pictures, get license plates TURN THEM IN - keep the idiots off the trails who are doing the most damage and causing the drama which makes legal, law abiding, "tread lightly" types look bad because we get lumped in!

Sorry if I'm ranting - nothing personal against anyone here...

white-rhyno said:

I have never been to browns camp, elbe, etc. Is there that much more traffic over there?

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I think there is quite a bit more traffic over here in elbe, evans, reiter, mainly because there are all near the heavily populated seattle tacoma area. The things that the forest service and DNR don't like to see are trees damaged(driving on, winch cable marks,bark rubbed off ect.), trails widened by bypasses, trenching(heavy erosion), mud running down hillsides, I even heard complaints from the FS about rain runoff flowing down a trail claiming is was a stream.

Is there still any logging going on over there??
I guess what burns my ass is the fact people get all bent out of shape when you take the bark off one tree with you tires, or leave some ruts with your tires, but its ok for the loggers to leave hundreds of trees behind along with their mess?? I need to take some pics for you guys the the destruction the loggers leave behind over here. Granted i love my wood house, but in the big picture, do we really have that much impact on the forest?

Yes, there has been some major logging right outside the entrance to evans creek, and Elbe, tahuya have been logged in parts in recent years. The last two are DNR land and our orv use has a logging allowance in the contracts. DNR is in the business of logging.

white-rhyno said:

Is there still any logging going on over there??
I guess what burns my ass is the fact people get all bent out of shape when you take the bark off one tree with you tires, or leave some ruts with your tires, but its ok for the loggers to leave hundreds of trees behind along with their mess?? I need to take some pics for you guys the the destruction the loggers leave behind over here. Granted i love my wood house, but in the big picture, do we really have that much impact on the forest?

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I would agree with the tree comment. I don't personally see rubbing trees on the side of the trail as being very detrimental.

The problem for me is definitely making new go arounds when someone can't make it. That can just end up creating a hug mess instead of a good single wide trail through the woods.

bharris68 said:

Bypasses - not at the expense of the trail system.

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Legal built bypasses(basically paved) could be a good thing for those not wanting or able to make the obsacle the bypass is around and could also be used by a very equipped rig that has broken and is trying to get out.

Now getting the forest service to agree to legal bypasses is another story. DNR is considering it in some areas.

Nuzzy said:

I don't personally see rubbing trees on the side of the trail as being very detrimental.

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I agree also but the FS sees it differently.

Nuzzy said:

I would agree with the tree comment. I don't personally see rubbing trees on the side of the trail as being very detrimental.

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I thought those were bumpers OH:

I agree that the FS is too bunny hugger friendly, my very first occupation was logging, I ran a skidder for about a year and a half, and I did more resource damage in that time than everyone here has done in thier lifetime combined, and if you go back five years later you wouldn't even be able to point out where I had been, and as far as closing down trails, that would hurt the eco nazi's more than us, think about it, right now they have us all contained in certain areas that they can keep an eye on, but if they closed down all the trail systems they would end up with thousands of boot legged trails throughout the forests, I think it is in their better interests to keep them open.

white-rhyno said:

oh, are gatekeepers, people? or actual gates??

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A gatekeeper is more or less a obstacle at the beginning of the trail that weeds out the ill prepared for that trail!

Walker valley use's gatekeepers and they are made out of concrete or large rocks!

Hellbilly said:

A gatekeeper is more or less a obstacle at the beginning of the trail that weeds out the ill prepared for that trail!

Walker valley use's gatekeepers and they are made out of concrete or large rocks!

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They look like this guy, except they're in front of gates instead of bridges. :flipoff: :haha: :haha:

Gate Keepers...

Not posting questionable photos...

Constant Education...Of others as well as yourself...

Understanding what the limits of your vehicle are...

Remember that anywhere you are...there could be "someone" watching your actions...




Otherwise enjoy the hobby while you can...Or be prepared to travel out of state for the good wheeling...it is coming faster than you people can imagine.

I think one of the big things I have seen is the trash issue, I drove around Capitol Forest the other day picking up beercans,empty halfracks,Shot up cooler:wtf: We all need to babysit the losers that litter and pick up a few things everytime we go up. IMO

crd4by said:

I think one of the big things I have seen is the trash issue, I drove around Capitol Forest the other day picking up beercans,empty halfracks,Shot up cooler:wtf: We all need to babysit the losers that litter and pick up a few things everytime we go up. IMO

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x2......I always pick up beer cans and such..it's a never ending battle it seems.....