Re: Sharing the trails

BOBBCKWRDS@aol.com
Fri, 13 Dec 1996 23:01:01 -0500

If others don't... I do emphasize with you. Many riders, whether
concentrating on the ride or distracted by competition, will often disregard
the instructions given them by ride management. Unfortunately, they often do
not realize the implications of doing so.
One example is no matter how many times we explain to riders to stay
DOWNSTREAM from the floating milk jugs, someone inevitabley gets tangled in
the strings anchoring the jugs to the river bottom.

Another example is trying to explain to riders that an old gravel road that
is graded by the county is, in fact, a public road and in our state they must
stay to the right if mounted, the left if unmounted. Neither matters as they
ride down the middle until they meet a car on a blind hill, then we, ride
management, hear about it for weeks to come. This year we, and probably the
Old Dominion, will have to pay the salaries for two county sherrif's to
patrol the paved and gravel roads used by riders and pit crews due to
complaints by residents. This of course will no doubt be reflected in the
entry fees. I wonder what the riders are going to think when they are stopped
and ticketed by the county sherrif and then elimininated by ride management
as this is our agreement with the county and the USFS?
This has already happened in the USFS, they have ticketed riders recently at
an event for trespassing in a campground. We had permission to pass through
and told the riders so, but a couple decided to stop and use the facilities,
hope it was worth it.