Re: American River Ride

["navion" <navion@lightspeed.net>]

> Robert Williamson rwill@parks.ca.gov
> Supervising Ranger
> American River District

    I'm sure everybody read this post from the ranger. This is what I was
beginning to hear from some riders after my question last night.  I will
assume Robert is scanning the archives so he knows what is being said.
Although the rangers may have been heavy handed, you cannot ignore the
government when the set rules for you. You can try to change them but
ignoring them never works.
   This incident bothers me more as it reflects on endurance rides in
general. I tried to put on 2 rides down here in lower central Calif a couple
years ago. Both times my request for the use of the trails was rejected by
the Government.  The first time on Forest Service land and the next time on
BLM land. I finally gave up on fighting with them. I had negotiated,
compromised, moved camp to private land, but in the end they still wouldn't
let me hold the rides.  So to have an agency willing to let you have a ride,
and to not treat them fairly, jeopardizes all our public rides.
    I believe the Tevis goes through this same area, I'm sure they work
properly with this group. Lets hope the American River ride management can
deal with this properly or another group of managers takes over.

Jim Mitchell
AERC 13117