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Re: [RC] # to call for motorcycle activity/folsom - Linda Marins----- Original Message ----- From: Kathie Ford Hi all, I did some research on the motorcycle issue at Folsom Park area... ...There were many sightings of them on the trails Therefore she gave me this phone number in which I am passing along to you all as riders. This is for anybody riding horses/bikes, hikers etc if motorcycles are seen. Please call this number immediately when you see them and they will try to catch them... A former equestrial trails activist colleague of mine once made an observation to me. At the time, it completely shocked and appalled me. Time has proven it to be extraordinarily astute, in the truest "best of times/worst of times" sense. It went, roughly: "You never want the park management to 'solve' the Off Road Vehicle (ORV) problem. Because once they've taken care of them, they will come after the horses. We're next." Think of the motorcycles and ATVs as a buffer zone. This does *not* mean that horsemen should support the Blue Ribbon Coalition. One of the worst strategic mistakes horsemen have made in the last 15 years has been to permit the Blue Ribbon Coalition to claim that they were working for horse people as well as ORVs (in the south, OHighwayVs) without strenuous, noisy denial. All that accomplished was getting horses lumped in with ORVs in the minds of land managers. Great strategy: if the only trails you ever want to be able to ride on in the future are ATV trails!!! When push came to shove and the US Forest Service was revising its "prohibited activity" regulations, the Blue Ribbon Coalition threw the horsemen to the dogs. Think of it as a game theory problem. Where do you form your alliances in order to gain the most advantage? One of the weirdest developments in trail politics in the last five years has been the alliance between the hikers (American Hiking Society) and the mountain bikers (IMBA--International Mountain Biking Association). The mountain bikers have succeeded in swapping places with horses in the minds of hikers on their internal "revolts me" scale. What used to be: hikers horses mountain bikes OHVs Also known as the "Muscle-Powered" scale. Has become in the minds of hikers: hikers mountain bikes horses OHVs Also known as the "Human-Powered" scale. I.e., horses can be excluded from trails because they are nothing but the slaves of a bunch of rich, fat, privileged, *lazy* snobs who can't even bother to power themselves down the trail like us virtuous hikers and mountain bikers do. I won't even begin to take to task the horsemen who are dumb enough to decide that mountain bikes are The Enemy. Talk about choosing a guaranteed losing strategy!!! Linda Marins =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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