Run in with Art

[Red Ryder]

I didn't want to hijack Kid A's Blackstar RR as it looked like they had a good ride, so here is my rant on Art. I usually feel he is not worth the energy to even acknowledge him, much less rant about him, but he struck a sensitive cord a couple of evenings ago. He scared my 7 year old niece and nephew.

I took both of them with my wife and sister out for a beautiful evening ride up Blackstar to the concrete tubes. As we were riding up, Art came down driving a car. He stopped and told us its dangerous in the canyon and we should turn around now. I told him "yeah". He was already upset and told us we should to leave. I told him after we're done riding we'd be on our way out. Then he tried to tell us the cops were arresting people back here after dark. Both kids were scared now. I took off my sunglasses, looked right at him and told him I've been riding for years up here and I know what's going on here. I told him I respect personal property rights and we were continuing our ride on the road. He started to drive off, then hit his brakes hard and angrily said, "What did you say?" I told him I respected private property rights and we will continue our ride on the road. He took off without another word. But my nephew got in the last work, that echoed down the canyon, "IDIOT!" I was concerned Art would come back but he didn't. Anyhow I've personally had my fill of him.

In spite of this incident, both kids had a great ride. My niece had her first "big" crash, with some blood and tears. A couple of hugs and she was ready to ride again.

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by Floater

I didn't want to hijack Kid A's Blackstar RR as it looked like they had a good ride, so here is my rant on Art. I usually feel he is not worth the energy to even acknowledge him, much less rant about him, but he struck a sensitive cord a couple of evenings ago. He scared my 7 year old niece and nephew.

I took both of them with my wife and sister out for a beautiful evening ride up Blackstar to the concrete tubes. As we were riding up, Art came down driving a car. He stopped and told us its dangerous in the canyon and we should turn around now. I told him "yeah". He was already upset and told us we should to leave. I told him after we're done riding we'd be on our way out. Then he tried to tell us the cops were arresting people back here after dark. Both kids were scared now. I took off my sunglasses, looked right at him and told him I've been riding for years up here and I know what's going on here. I told him I respect personal property rights and we were continuing our ride on the road. He started to drive off, then hit his brakes hard and angrily said, "What did you day?" I told him I respected private property rights and we will continue our ride on the road. He took off without another word. But my nephew got in the last work, that echoed down the canyon, "IDIOT!" I was concerned Art would come back but he didn't. Anyhow I've personally had my fill of him.

In spite of this incident, both kids had a great ride. My niece had her first "big" crash, with some blood and tears. A couple of hugs and she was ready to ride again.

is Art. I have heard of "Matt" and seen smelled him. Matt is a homeless guy or as my 10 year old says "hobo" that lives / lived in the area.

Is he a land owner or something?

[jonathan_sykes81]

Take a look here for all your Blackstar Canyon property owners questions?

http://www.warriorssociety.org/Blackstar_info.html

[Red Ryder]

Originally Posted by DeeZee

is Art. I have heard of "Matt" and seen smelled him. Matt is a homeless guy or as my 10 year old says "hobo" that lives / lived in the area.

Is he a land owner or something?

Yea, he is just one of the owners up there, and the most trouble some, at least to me.

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by jonathan_sykes81

Take a look here for all your Blackstar Canyon property owners questions?

http://www.warriorssociety.org/Blackstar_info.html

Yea I have had to out run / pedal that guys dogs before

[genusmtbkr5]

Today as Adam(kidA) stated, we were very accomodating and let him sya his peace, parked awya fromthe gate and rode by as he warned us not to be there at night. The last thing I heard him say was "mountain bikers are a nuisance" For those who ride Black Star, just be polite as Floater was and as we were today and you'll ride. Art will not do anything dumb because he has already been in trouble with the law.

[coldbrews]

If it is not illegal to ride there, why does he bother?

[thephat]

He is also a self entitled jerk. Mountain bikers have been being verbally abused and threatened by this guy for at least a decade.

[mtnbikej]

Originally Posted by DeeZee

is Art. I have heard of "Matt" and seen smelled him. Matt is a homeless guy or as my 10 year old says "hobo" that lives / lived in the area.

Is he a land owner or something?

It's all part of the Blackstar Canyon experience.

[KBL]

Something tells me I should have pepper spray along for the ride in Black Star...for the mountain lions, of course!

[Winger]

[SIZE=1]Night ride with Ryan. Had our first ever encounter with the resident Blackstar asshole. As we were pedaling from the tree farm to the gate, he passed us in his white pickup saying it was illegal to cross the gate at night. We disagreed. As we passed his junkyard he yelled something about calling the Sheriff. We kept going. Finally, just after the last right turn on the way back down, we had to stop abruptly because he had placed a railroad tie draped with twisted steel cable across the trail.[/SIZE]

This was posted in Geoladders last night. I have major issues with somebody setting up boobie traps at night for us to hit.

[Shannon]

Originally Posted by Winger

This was posted in Geoladders last night. I have major issues with somebody setting up boobie traps at night for us to hit.

So is there anyone that can be notified about that? Glad to hear those guys were able to stop in time.

[autoduel]

My co-worker knew him from high school. As he put it, He's not a bad guy, he's just living in the wrong century. He'd fit in 200 years earlier, back when you had to protect your land. Here comes the county saying you have to give up a strip of land for everyone to use because it's just been declared and easement for public access. <just speculating and playing devil's advocate>

[Abui]

Any lawyers around? I'll put forth the idea to seek an injunction against him for #1 continually harassing (lieing) to passersby and #2 putting up obstacles.

If the injunction is approved then it seems easy to prove when he violates #1 and the penalty for a violation would be painful to him. For #2 you'd have to arrange witnesses and better yet, a camera.

[dstepper]

I have posted this many times...I know Art...he is an esentric old codger from another generation. Has Art been treated fairly? I don’t think so, normally he will not talk but we share mutual friends so I have heard his side. All we hear is the warrior's side of the story. Please let this die...Art is harmless. Blackstar has generations of weird stuff going on out there, if that stuff was happening on your block, you would be checking people out to...and maybe discouraging them to get off your street.

Blackstar=weird stuff.

[mytrustysteed]

"[SIZE=1]Finally, just after the last right turn on the way back down, we had to stop abruptly because he had placed a railroad tie draped with twisted steel cable across the trail."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]yeah....sounds like a real nice guy.[/SIZE]

[Winger]

What mindset do you have to be in to haul a piece of wood across the trail and adorn it with wire?

CRAZY.

Where does it stop? Is he going to start running fishing wire across the trail to knock us off the bikes? Is he going to dig a hole? I have visions of him snapping while I'm riding by & having me end up in a ditch with a slug in my temple.

I don't really care if he got a bad rap, or if there is a constant parade of hooligans walking up & down the street. It is a public throughway.

He needs to live in this century and play by the rules, or move.

[LBmtb]

Gotta agree with winger and mytrustysteed. Whatever gripes or anger he has, whether valid or invalid - doesn't matter. Fact is that he's not just scaring but in some cases impeding and maybe even hurting innocent people.

As far as what can be done . . .

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by LBmtb