[Geysers] Mountain Bikes on Nat'l Park trails

[Jack Ashe]

If I remember correctly, bikes are allowed on many trails in Waterton Park. I have often wished that many of the service roads and trails were open to bikes in Yellowstone.  I think a trial is worth the effort. My impression is that horses cause more problems with trails, noxious weeds and destruction to meadows than bikes. I suspect that if horses had not been "grandfathered in" and someone proposed bringing in horses, there would be objections.  Certainly the grizzly bear issue is a concern and that may be the biggest problem. Bikes move much faster than people or horses and can surprise bears that would ordinarily be out of the way by the time hikers or equestrians reached a given spot. Rangers on mountain bikes might be a good thing for  improving patrols in the backcountry.  
My biggest problem is that it was proposed by the Bush Administration, largely at behest of W. and his use of mountain bikes. Another Republican act of self interest.

Jack


________________________________
From: Bruce Jensen <bpnjensen at yahoo.com>
To: Geyser Observation Reports <geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu>
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 1:39:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Geysers] Mountain Bikes on Nat'l Park trails

My feelings exactly.  Bikes on narrow fotopaths, anything less than fairly wide dirt roads really, do nothing to foster either preservation or appreciation of nature, open the door to damage both incidental and unintentional, and tend to make life riskier for those who choose to take their nature study at a pace that permits greater detail.

I am cyclist and make no mistake - I am thankful that we can get a headstart on trails to places like Shoshone Geyser Basin and Osprey Falls - but that is not an excuse to create miles of new trails to chew up pristine lands or widen wilderness pathways into vehicular freeways.

Not only for Yellowstoen, but for all parks and wilderness areas.

Bruce Jensen

**************
"Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened"
-Anatole France


--- On Sat, 12/20/08, Udo Freund <gosastore at roadrunner.com> wrote:

> From: Udo Freund <gosastore at roadrunner.com>
> Subject: [Geysers] Mountain Bikes on Nat'l Park trails
> To: "Geyser Observation Reports" <geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu>
> Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 10:36 AM
> The Billings Gaz-bag  ... err, Gazette ...  has an article
> in today's edition about rules changing for mountain
> bikes on trails.  URL:
> http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/12/20/news/wyoming/20-bikes.txt
> Comments anyone?
> 
> I offer a few of my own.  1) Bikes in bear country are a
> bad mix and resultant liability will be an issue.  Hikers
> and trail bikers are almost as bad a mix.  Perhaps signed
> written waivers should be required.  2) Keeping bikes on
> trails is similar to keeping vehicles on designated roads. 
> There will always be a few idiots who will go anywhere they
> want.  Of course they wouldn't care about any damage
> they cause nor would they want to accept responsibility
> (liability again) for that.  3) Bikes do carve ruts in
> trails so who will be financially and physically responsible
> for trail upkeep?  As I understand things, there are limited
> resources for hiking trails, which probably require less
> maintenance.
> 
> Udo
> 
> 
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> Geysers mailing list
> Geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
> 


      
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