El Moro unauthorized trail closure

[RFXIbibisTom]

What a waste of valuable resources, at least the Rangers could have gone down and cleared Deliverance by themselves instead of using the Fire dept. What if there was an emergency? It takes a long time to get out of Deliverance!! Also, for those of us that DON'T ride fireroads and call it a MTB ride, this is a real shame.
The LAME powers that be need to sanction some black diamond trails for the advanced mountain biker in order to stop this type of behavior!! GET A CLUE RANGERS.

That sure was a fun trail!!

Originally Posted by kbteachme

We, the patrol riders on STR, just want to know so we can inform others while riding around El Moro during peak riding periods.

What is a patrol rider?

[tkblazer]

Originally Posted by RFXIbibisTom

What is a patrol rider?

they're trail babysitters

[BullitEater]

Originally Posted by Chopper

I got a call today from a State Parks environmental managment people to let me know that they have closed a popular illegal trail in El Moro. The trail is known to some as Deliverence or Carpet Muncher.
Fire crews pulled in the sides to obstuct access and also removed some bridges and other wooden structures. I was told that the entrance to the trail was signed but I am pretty sure that there are several entrances to the trail from various locations.

Let's all show our support of responsible mountain biking by not only avoiding this trail but by encouraging others to do the same.

Where Crystal Cove is concerned, the more we (mountain bikers) support them, the more they support us.

The key word in this quote is the word "popular". It is a fact that 99% of the "popular" trails in the Laguna area were there before the parks and rangers showed up. It would be nice to show some support for "popular" trails as well as the non-popular trails in these parks. Life is good when everyone can enjoy their biking experience.

[CalEpic]

Originally Posted by BullitEater

The key word in this quote is the word "popular". It is a fact that 99% of the "popular" trails in the Laguna area were there before the parks and rangers showed up. It would be nice to show some support for "popular" trails as well as the non-popular trails in these parks. Life is good when everyone can enjoy their biking experience.

These popular/non-popular trails enjoy plenty of popular support.

Just no discussion about riding them on STR.

C

[RFXIbibisTom]

Are they those guys that ride around with those jerseys that say trail assistance?

Is that why he was yelling at me as I bombed T@$%**x today?

[genusmtbkr5]

Originally Posted by RFXIbibisTom

Are they those guys that ride around with those jerseys that say trail assistance?

Is that why he was yelling at me as I bombed T@$%**x today?

Hey I'm one of those TAV's and no, it wasn't me that was yelling at you. Be careful what you post here. You could find yourself banned....., again. You seem bent on continuing to represent the 5% that love to break the rules and ruin it for everyone else.

[RacinJason]

Gene I have I know Tom and he is all about helping out and keeping the trails open.
Like many of the people on here get the feeling all out trails are closing around us.
To make matters worse it seems like its people who don't even try to understand and many times don't give any explanation to why.
Al lot of the times the trails are only closed temporary so they can get the maintenances that they might need. But because of lack of communication the people that are angered by it just end up disregarding the signs. More of a miss understanding.
I don't really like a whole lot of trail sanitation. It really takes away the fun aspect.

I believe with the proper trail marking and warnings and a little trail maintenance
the trails can be safe for the different levels of rides.

Black diamond for Novice
Double Black diamond Advanced
Triple black diamond Expert
Warning ride this path at your own risk.
Maybe general information about the trail.
High fire hazard
Maybe warnings a down tree in the mid section or broken section of the trail.
Maybe a 1 800 number to call in trail hazards to the rangers for faster trail warning updates.

Team work can make for better trails and more cooperation from everyone.

This is just my opinion.


I also think Tom and Gene are a couple of avid mountain bikers that can make a difference and should be working together to help open more trails.

Both great people for sure.



Jason

[genusmtbkr5]

Thanks Jason, I know Tom too, but there is a right way and a wrong way to get trails re-opened or opened. Look at what Sherry and others accomplished in Santiago Oaks. Trails were closed prior to their efforts. Just saying "F" it and riding will not accomplish a thing but getting bulldozers out faster. Then we have no fighting chance. Also, he knows the rules of riding illegal trails and then posting it.

[RacinJason]

Working together with the people like Sherry is the correct way to handle things for sure.

Agreed

Originally Posted by genusmtbkr5

Thanks Jason, I know Tom too, but there is a right way and a wrong way to get trails re-opened or opened. Look at what Sherry and others accomplished in Santiago Oaks. Trails were closed prior to their efforts. Just saying "F" it and riding will not accomplish a thing but getting bulldozers out faster. Then we have no fighting chance. Also, he knows the rules of riding illegal trails and then posting it.

[art23rockpile]

Originally Posted by CalEpic

These popular/non-popular trails enjoy plenty of popular support.

Just no discussion about riding them on STR.

C

By the same token, discussion on STR about their closure is bound produce predictable results.

[mr.stark]

Agreed.
Those who are content with the current "open" trails in El Moro are Tards who would be better suited for the Road.

[Fired Yo Momma]

Originally Posted by mr.stark

Agreed.
Those who are content with the current "open" trails in El Moro are Tards who would be better suited for the Road.

Are you the Tony Stark?

[Chopper]

Pictures speak louder than words. Here's a good picture of a local area with uncontrolled access.

How do you like it?

http://tinyurl.com/3psbq7

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by Chopper

Pictures speak louder than words. Here's a good picture of a local area with uncontrolled access.

How do you like it?

http://tinyurl.com/3psbq7

Which side are you on now? That looks fun! If you scroll around the area shown, you can really see lots of trails. I think I've ridden moto out there; it's a lot more fun than it looks. I wish I had that kind of stuff right next to my home.

Perhaps that is the only place in the world that has a robust eco system?

[Chopper]

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

Which side are you on now? That looks fun! I think I've ridden moto out there (I think that's a moto area you linked to). I wish I had that kind of stuff right next to my home.

You may find yourself in the minority here.

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by Chopper

You may find yourself in the minority here.

Maybe here, but not there.

Have you ridden there yourself?

[Chopper]

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

Maybe here, but not there.

Have you ridden there yourself?

Yes, that's why I know about it. Didn't care for it.

Different strokes etc.

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by Chopper

Yes, that's why I know about it. Didn't care for it.

Different strokes etc.

I hear ya.

To the contrary, I don't care for the manicured sidewalk-like trails with the faux natural environment surrounded by beige houses newly built on "rehabilitated" land.

[dirtvert]

Originally Posted by Chopper

Pictures speak louder than words. Here's a good picture of a local area with uncontrolled access.

How do you like it?

http://tinyurl.com/3psbq7

i thought that was fairview park in costa mesa at first. there are some sections there that are thrashed/eroded so bad that they'll never be ridable.

[G-Ride]

What I want to know is how exactly does riding "illegal" trails ruin it for everyone else? As far as I know, bikes are still allowed at El Moro/Laguna Coast/Aliso Wood, right? If certain trails have been closed, they were "illegal" to begin with, so we never really lost anything, right? I simply don't see what has been ruined. Looking at Jam-R's list of potential trail openings, it seems to me the MTB population as a whole has actually benefitted from people riding "illegal" trails. Would any of them even be considered for re-opening if nobody ever used them and they reverted to overgrowth? 5 Oaks was hikers-only until just a few years ago, but a lot of MTBers rode it anyway. Would it have been opened to bikes if a need hadn't been created? Would the resources needed to open more trails have been allocated if trail access wasn't such a hot issue at this particular park? Why is it that hikers and people who don't enjoy this type of riding always seem to create an over-hyped sense of alarmism that all of a sudden the world will end if somebody rides an "illegal" trail? And did I miss something, are there actually people that ride around on their own time and report people that ride "illegal" trails? Wow. It occurs to me that there are so many more important things they could be doing to contribute to either this issue or society in general besides spending your Saturday ratting out other MTBers. And if I ever decided to ride one of these trails, I certainly would not appreciate some private citizen approaching me at all, let alone yelling at me or feeling a sense of entitlement that compelled them to educate me on trail issues. Ride them or don't ride them but I know what the risks are, so if I were ever to ride one, mind your own business. This issue has been going on here for 15 years, and the squawking is always the same. But guess what? The place is still pretty much the same, in fact, there are more open, sanctioned trails now than 15 years ago, and a lot of the new additions are former "illegal" trails. Not to mention that all of the "illegal" trails are still there, and still get ridden anyway. So those of you who are so quick to accuse freeriders of ruining it for everyone else, ask yourself: what, exactly, has been ruined? From where I sit, absolutely nothing.