ripter’s Recent Comments

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  Really!?

  OK, Heres an idea.  Lets carve up the woods with individual trails for each interest group (and yes, trail hording hikers are an interest group) so that we dont have to be bothered by other people using "our" trails.  So, the hikers can have their trails, and the horse riders get ones for themselves, mountain bikers will have some, OHV groups get some, four wheeleers get some, hunters can have some, loggers can have some, backbackers can have some...  
                         OR!
  We can realize that others have a right to enjoy the outdoors too. We can develop a metality of acceptance and stewardship of our natural areas rather than a ME ONLY! protectionist attitude.
  I have been a mountain biker since I was a child.  I am also involved in trail maintenance groups that work on the trails that we love.  And yes, you hikers are the beneficiaries of my hard work too.  
  Just because someone is on foot does not mean they cant trash a place also.  I have seen plenty of damage from hikers in the form of trash, vandalism and simple trail damage from hikers walking around obstacles rather than get thier $200 gortex boots muddy.  Let face it, none of our activities are impact free.  We all leave some sort of footprint where we play and where we live.  
  So next time, before you immediately brand all mountain bikers as...what was it...oh yeah "ignorant, moronic male stupids" you may want to consider your own footprint (4000sq ft house in burbs, SUV, long commute, water from plastic bottles, incandescent light bulbs, lush green lawns in desert climates etc.) What do you think the environments that were pillaged to support that lifsytle look like now.  I can tell you, it aint pretty and the mining and timber harvesting caused more than a fair bit of erosion. On Bush admin aims to increase mountain-bike access to national parks posted 1 year, 1 month ago 6 Responses