Tread Lightly

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:24 am

I belong to a Jeep club here in Saint Augustine. One of the places we sometimes go to is a state forest that is close by. Nothing to it, very easy riding. There are 2 gates to the forest. The northern gate is for forest employees only and is pad locked at all times. The other gate has a combination lock on it and the code can be obtained with a phone call.

Last Saturday a couple of new members went to the forest to do some riding. They posted on the forum to meet at the northern gate. I posted the info about that gate being closed. Well, after the ride they posted some pictures and mentioned that they had found a way to get around the gate! I posted "You went around a gate?". Then a moderator posted this as a sticky:

Do not post pictures or otherwise indicate that you or other individuals in your party have violated Tread Lightly guidelines or State or Federal public land use regulations. Failure to adhere to this request will result in your post being deleted or edited for content.

Thank you.

Any mention of going around the gate was deleted from the forum.

I just wanted to post this because sometimes we all need reminding that when we do something like this we are only hurting ourselves. It also reflects badly on our organization. Please think twice when your on the trails and are about to go off the trails. I'm NOT saying I am perfect on this issue. I have violated Tread Lightly a couple of times. I do my best but there has been times.

Terry

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:18 am

Effing tools.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:35 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

Effing tools.

Agreed.

It's tools like that that get stuff closed down for the rest of us. If I catch anyone in the act I will take notes: plate number, videos, pictures, whatever, and report them to the appropriate authority.

For the most part its dirt bikers, followed by about an equal mix of ATVers and 4wheelers/Jeepers.

durangotang · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:39 pm

Sir Sam wrote:

JL Rockies wrote:

Effing tools.

Agreed.

It's tools like that that get stuff closed down for the rest of us. If I catch anyone in the act I will take notes: plate number, videos, pictures, whatever, and report them to the appropriate authority.

For the most part its dirt bikers, followed by about an equal mix of ATVers and 4wheelers/Jeepers.

I haven't noticed too much of a problem with dirt bikers around here and moab... now the Rhino and ATV peeps... grrrr

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:01 pm

horseback'ers actually caused more damage to the forest than responsible 4x4'ers in NC

I got confronted by a lady and her daughter on LEGAL offroad trail - one that was used by fisheries science vehicles for water testing etc, that intersected a trail used for horsebacking, that I was damaging the environment

couldn't even see my tracks coming down the trail, and the trail they came in on was eroded, pocked to pieces by hooves

it was one of those areas that the entire situation was flipped from what you'd expect

I'd go down in there, enjoy an afternoon sitting by the river fishing and releasing, then walk around for an hour picking up drink bottles and granola wrappers on the horse trail

a few months later they closed the trail to all but "official vehicles", kept the horse trails open and about 6 months later in a flit of justice.. banned the horseback'ers and reopened it to tread lightly 4x4's - had minimum requirement tire widths etc similar to what they do down in Florida for the glades

couple of us helped them re-terrace the horseback trails to re-soil and prevent more erosion and they turned it into a hiking trail

really nice place now, there's a few rock waterfalls and springs back in there that you just wouldn't expect to come up on that make for a really nice outing

STINGN · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:41 pm

i tread lightly...but behind my house i blast through the mud pits. heck SBC goes back there in their trucks and go on the path my brother and i created. one time i was driving back there and i didnt see their trucks, and then i did...just kept going and he gave me a thumbs up

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:04 pm

durangotang wrote:

Sir Sam wrote:

JL Rockies wrote:

Effing tools.

Agreed.

It's tools like that that get stuff closed down for the rest of us. If I catch anyone in the act I will take notes: plate number, videos, pictures, whatever, and report them to the appropriate authority.

For the most part its dirt bikers, followed by about an equal mix of ATVers and 4wheelers/Jeepers.

I haven't noticed too much of a problem with dirt bikers around here and moab... now the Rhino and ATV peeps... grrrr

Most of the problems with dirt bikers I see around in moab and ouray areas, most of the ATVers I see generally stick the road same with the Jeepers.

I think the thing is that there are plenty of young dumb guys who want to be (pardon the cliche) evil kenevil, or whatever other EXTREME sports type rider. That and with a dirt bike its so easier to run off the trail a little ways and tear it up, its a little harder in something with 4 wheels.

stoutdog · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:51 pm

Doesn't really matter what group of off-roaders is the worst... Anyone who goes pounding around off trail for the fun of it should face some serious consequences. They not only make the rest of you responsible off-roaders look bad, but they wreck the natural resources for all of us.

I can think, off hand, of the cinder hills up in northern Arizona. Absolutely beautiful, except for the tread marks running all over the place and visible from well over a mile away.

I'm more into hiking/backpacking myself, using the Jeep to get me down the dirt road to the trailhead. I have no problem with off-roading, so long as it is done responsibly (and I'm sure it's the case that most off-roaders are responsible, but the handful that aren't ruin it for everyone else).

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:03 pm

Just like personalities, everyone has their own style and approach to wheeling.
I say: "Wheel how you want where wheeling is allowed, where it aint... :furious:

Stay the hell out!"

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:49 am

Hi Bub!

My local Jeep club tries pretty hard not to mess things up. That is why they posted that message. The news guys will learn that very fast or will be asked to leave I think. There really is no sense is going off a trail most times. At least here in the flats of Florida there is a lot of soil erosion because the water just sets there instead of running down a hill.

Terry

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:26 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

Effing tools.

^ This ^

if people keep up this kind of BS it gives the anti's ammo to use against us and furthers their cause to strip our access.

http://www.treadlightly.org/

While thinking about this subject, join them and BRC to help us in the fight to keep our trails open.

http://www.sharetrails.org/

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