Mount Tam Rangers: TAKE NOTICE

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=674047


Found this plausible and demonstrable threat on mtbr forums- the mouthpiece rag for the illegal mountain bike trail riders of Marin County.

Everywhere on Tam where there is a "no bikes" sign, you're sure to see their tell-tale tire tracks. When will MMWD raise their violation rates to double or triple? I like triple. Demand it if you care about Mount Tamalpias.

The following post is by "Hoolie"

12-20-2010
hoolie mtbr member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 98

Tam: Whats to come for many if you neglect trails

---

I can't believe I am getting into this argument. I lived in Mill Valley since 1970 (now East Bay) and work here every day. 1st 5 posts exremely accurate and I don't usually tell guys on this forum about hidden gems but these A-holes in south Marin are missing out on huge opportunities for regulated use/repair of trails. I ride illegal all the time. It is slightly less enjoyable than legal but my poor attitude on this one area is because I rode Hoo Koo E Koo, Rock springs, and Tenderfoot with BMX (ashtabula equiped) as a kid. RIDE TAM. Be respectful to hikers, Take in an earfull and eat crow, pay $225 tickets, and Ride at night. Rangers go through periods of stings but mostly you will not get caught. There is great fireroad riding that is fantastic for intermediates and legal ( I don't love fireroads ). I Never(almost never) ride illegal trails out of respect of the hard work riders put in all over the Bay Area, Except Tam. Sorry for the negativity- I gotta get on my bike!

...end of post by "hoolie"

---

Friends of the Fells

www.fells.org

On January 5th the Department of Conservation announced that due to ‘public disagreement’ about the level of mountain bike use in the Middlesex Fells contained among many of the 2,562 public comments from over 2,000 individuals DCR “will not be designating any new trails for mountain biking use prior to the completion of the Resource Management Plan” process which will begin this January.

The DCR letter says, “We further recognize that there is a significant desire for many walkers and hikers to find a hiking-only experience at the Fells, during which they do not have to worry about encountering bicycles.” more

This is a great site on the effort to preserve this 2000 + acre woodland site.

More Illegal Trail Building and Bike Riding in Sensitive Off-Limits Bike Trail in Marin County Open Space

They never stop. They never stop trying and they never stop destroying ... open space and sensitive wildlife habitat. This week, illegal mountain bikers coordinated a trail building effort with downhill speed riders on sensitive wildlife habitat. Two guys with shovels were reported to have built two jump ramps for downhill racers on a trail that has seen much abuse by mountain bikers.
Shortly after the two were discovered - a pair of speeding cyclists came tearing down the steep trail in the pouring rain, carving deep erosive tracks in the rain soaked trail. Golden Eagles are reported to nest here. No matter, speed is more important? Open Space rangers dismantled the jump ramps, pictured here. Many tickets have been issued on this trail and Open Space enforcement rangers will undoubtedly keep their eyes open for more riders, especially on this trail that is usually the scene of "Christmas Rally" night bike rides. Call Open Space and urge more enforcement. The trail is well known to Open Space Rangers- report abuses to:
Open Space Rangers (415) 507-2816 and the enforcement sheriff at (415) 479-2311.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704457604576011490820993006.html

For Cycling's Big Backers, Joy Ride Ends in Grief

By REED ALBERGOTTI And VANESSA O'CONNELL

They gathered outside an Arizona resort in skin-tight clothing and aerodynamic helmets, standing astride pro-quality racing bikes. They could have been mistaken for local cycling fanatics preparing for a Saturday spin.

Getty Images

Lance Armstrong with Thomas Weisel, left, after 2000 Tour de France victory.

What they were, however, was a cadre of elite businessmen who had supercharged American cycling with cash infusions, helping to turn Lance Armstrong and a handful of other American riders into stars. The February 2003 gathering was their chance to enjoy the dividends: to pound the pedals for 60 miles with Mr. Armstrong, the reigning Tour de France champion, and other U.S. Postal Service team members such as Floyd Landis and George Hincapie.

"There was a lot of macho that day," says one of the riders, Kenneth Barnett, chief executive of a Michigan marketing firm, of his fellow executives. "These fairly accomplished people were like little boys with big toys."

Over the course of a half-dozen years in the early 2000s, a small group of wealthy executives—including San Francisco investment banker Thomas Weisel and shopping-center magnate John Bucksbaum—turned their hobby into the ultimate fantasy camp. They helped put together one of the best pro cycling teams ever assembled and basked in the glow, going behind the ropes at the Tour de France and riding hard in amateur races on Postal team bikes.

After a record seven Tour wins, the joy ride turned bumpy. The investors never made back the money they put in. The Postal team they helped finance stands accused by one of its former riders, Mr. Landis, of systematic doping. And now, federal criminal investigators looking into the allegations want to know, among other things, whether any owners knew about doping on the team while team representatives were assuring sponsors that riders were clean, according to one person familiar with the matter. It isn't clear whom among the owners investigators are focusing on. more at the above link

Not surprising for a sport fraught will lies and deceit. Just ask most mountain bikers when you catch them on an illegal trail and ask if they saw the signs preventing them from riding there...duh....."what sign?'"

Doper Tom Stienstra Calling for Bikes Only Parks

Tom Stienstra, the bearded SF Chronicle out door writer is calling for "bikes only parks" with stiff penalties for non bike users. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/14/SP3B1FRP71.DTL&type=living

Is this so dope growers can reach their hidden fields unmolested? Tom ought to know, he was arrested back in April for cultivating 60 marijuana plants. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/04/tom_stienstra_pot_bust.php Nowhere in Tom's latest piece is there any call for stiff penalties for illegal trail riding or building, but since mountain biking plays by its own set of rules, this is not surprising. Role Model Tom makes a perfect spokesperson for illegal mountain biking and its endless search for legitimacy.
So "role model Tom" is calling for exactly whom to fund his bikes only scheme? The bankrupt state? Stressed state park resources? IMBA? Welcome Tom to the criminal mountain bike hit parade. You join convicted dope seller Missy Giovi!

Do what's right for all of Boulder

Guest opinion: Open Space trails - Do what's right for all of Boulder
By Dick Harris and Eve Rose
Posted: 09/19/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT

The fierce debate about allowing mountain biking through the heart of Boulder's Open Space is fundamentally about fairness. It's about fairness to the majority of Boulder residents, fairness to nature, and fairness to future generations.

Somehow that has gotten lost.

Let's start with the facts. Mountain bikers have access to 49 miles of the city's Open Space trails. They have another 89 miles of trail in the county and 135 miles of nearby U.S. Forest Service trails. This doesn't include the network of bike paths and lanes in the city or the $4.1 million Off-Road Bike Park the city is now building.

But mountain bikers want more. The question for all of us now is this: How much is enough? How much is fair? What is right for the city as a whole -- not just any individual interest group?

Some mountain bikers are currently trying to gain access to the last major part of Boulder Open Space that does not allow mountain biking, the network of trails below the Flatirons, stretching from Chautauqua to Eldorado Canyon. We believe this is simply too much.

People need at least one area where they don't have to watch out for bikes -- a peaceful place to run, hike, and walk. Some bikers argue that we can all share the trails, but the reality on the ground is much different. Any walker or runner will tell you that it's just not the same. Having to constantly watch out for bikers and make way to let them by is a fundamentally different experience.

"Just one trail is all we want" -- the current mantra of mountain bikers -- implies that their request is reasonable, simple, and safe.

But the trails in the route they want to access are not just any trails. The proposed route would include some of the most heavily used hiking trails in the area. That's because these trails are some of the most easily accessible trails for families, the elderly, casual hikers, after-work runners, dog walkers, and the disabled.

The mountain biking community has promised to be careful and we take most of them at their word. That's not the point. The difference in speed and weight, combined with the number of people on the trail, are a recipe for collisions and conflict (no matter how careful or responsible riders are). We don't have to wait to find out. We tried this in the '80s and it was a disaster. The trails had to be closed to mountain bikers because of so many conflicts. Today, the trails are much more crowded and the number of mountain bikers has increased. "Just one trail" cannot safely accommodate thousands of new users -- mountain bikers who will come from the city as well as Denver to access the new trail.

Just one trail sounds so simple, but belies so many serious problems. How will the surrounding streets cope with the increase in traffic? Parking is already a nightmare and nearby streets are already overrun. Surely, some bikers will want to drive to the start of this new route, but where will they park? What will happen to other neighborhoods along the route -- quiet now, but for how long?

What about the environment? What is our responsibility as stewards of the land? This particular area of Open Space is already a delicate balance of recreational use and conservation. It's a narrow ribbon of land -- a refuge for deer, bears, mountain lions, and many other native inhabitants. Introducing a large new user group will only strain the system further. The new route will use existing trails, but will also require new trails, further fragmenting habitat and taking away pristine areas.

We are families. We are hikers. We are runners. We are young and old. We are mountain bikers and conservationists. We also believe we represent the majority of Boulder citizens whose voice has been lost in the past year, drowned out by one very vocal group which has come to dominate the discussion of the future of our Open Space.

At the moment, mountain bikers already have access to hundreds of miles of off-road trails and more are being developed for them as we speak. Is it so unreasonable to ask that one area of our open space be preserved for the vast majority of Boulder residents?

Dick Harris and Eve Rose are members of http://SOSboulder.org.

The Woods Belong To Us- Trailer

The Woods Belong To Us - Trailer from 30 LBS Skunk on Vimeo.

This video was shot and produced by Greg Winkler from 30 lb Skunk Productions. It seems to be balanced so far....