pkirkham wrote:Mr or Mrs Wildhorse.
I am an avid hiker, trail runner, mountaineer and mountain biker. Unfortunately, your reaction to this proposal of allowing mountain biking in certain wilderness areas, is a typical knee jerk reaction that has been multiplied and replicated in numerous forums. Why should you be allowed to recreate in a certain area when other types of trail users, such as mountain bikers, are banned? What makes you so special? If someone told you only runners and mountain bikers could use wilderness trails and hikers and equestrians were banned, what would you think then? They can't discriminate against me, I'm a hiker!! Most Wilderness trails, such as those in the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Wilderness', are very rugged trails that are steep and are usually not very well suited to riding. The idea of opening up Wilderness trails to mountain bikers is to allow access to cyclists where that usage would be compatible with the terrain and other trail users. Lastly, you should do some research into the original intent of the Wilderness bill. The idea was to exclude 'motorized' transport (meaning autos, graders etc.), not bicycles, from Wilderness areas. Subsequent amendments, with pressure from the Sierra Club and the USFS, amended the bill to specifically exclude bicycles.
Cheers,
Pete Kirkham
Methinks you really didn't do any research, but got your info from a special interest group who skewed your thinking, because there are separate regs/laws for motorized items and wheeled items, and plenty of info on how those were developed. You can look it up on the web by typing in the code section 36USC261, finding the law, and it'll give you the link (at the bottom of section 261) to the Federal Register listings where the laws were first published; these also include the pros/cons, and public input (good luck reading it all!):
Possessing or using a motor or motorized equipment except small battery-powered handheld devices, such as cameras, shavers, flashlights, and Geiger counters. 36 CFR 261.16(a)
14.Possessing or using any wheeled mechanical device including, but not limited to, bicycles, wagons, or carts. 36 CFR 261.57(h) Use of wheelchairs by physically challenged persons is permitted.
Besides, there's plenty of land out there for MTBrs. The wilderness areas are just a small portion of the public lands in Southern California; lets keep those areas free from MTBs so those of us who like to hike don't have to worry about MTBrs suddenly coming at them on a sloped trail. Your comment about MTBrs staying off steep, rocky trails in (current) wilderness areas - you're really naïve enough to believe that'll happen? Lets face it, they're going to go to the summit regardless of the trails difficulty. MTBrs already can't obey the regs. The best example I can think of where MTBrs illegally use prohibited trail is the Pacific Crest Trail in/around Big Bear - MTBrs are notorious for using it, even though signs at all the fire road junctions prohibit bicycles on it. I was hiking with a few others up a portion of the PCT to Gold Mountain and two MTBs came out of nowhere going downhill fast. Lucky we were able to step out of the way quickly, but those guys went off the side into the brush (and cursed us for being the problem!).
Nope, keep those few wilderness areas we have as bicycle-free areas. You're always allowed to hike on them too. I'm out of the hiking game now due to some medical issues, but I still wouldn't support this legislation. And remember, even if this were to pass it would not effect the areas immediately around the Mt San J Peak - that a STATE wilderness area that would STILL prohibit bicycles!