> PS: The pesky four-wheelers keep pushing further back into the > backcountry and widening trails and leaving debris and litter. I know > that others may disagree, but the tracks and litter reinforces my > opinion that we need more non-motorized areas and more wilderness. > Enough of the world has been yielded to the internal combustion engine.
I don't know how many of you belong to the organization "Back Country Horsemen". It's a national organization that works to keep trails and back country open for horse travel, and I've been a member for several years. Many of the trails deemed "wilderness" don't allow motorized vehicles. BCH volunteers pack in a lot of trail maintenance supplies. My friend and I have horses that are trained to drive and pull loads. We had visions of using our horses to pull in loads too large for pack horses with a wagon and team. I was surprised to learn that the motorized vehicle rule applied to anything with tires - including horse drawn equipment. In some areas it also bans anything that is steel shod - including horses. Be very informed of what groups you support. Roadless wilderness seems like a good idea but it's surprising how many organizations include horses in their vision of exclusions. I'd like to encourage all trail and endurance riders to support Back Country Horseman. It's a national organization with state and local groups. The national organization has a web site found at Back Country Horsemen of America. If you can't join to support their activities physically I encourage trail riders to join and support them financially.
