Paging Rattlesnake Cheaters

I feel for my southern OC mtb friends. Too many folks packed into an area all trying to ride the same areas. Most experienced riders know the detriment of breaking off trail but some still do it but I don't know of any that would literally get off and move a blockade. Real jerks if they do. I'm not sure what section of Rattlesnake this is but Rattlesnake is one of the trails I really enjoy down there and I hope it doesn't go the way Aliso trails have gone to (almost fireroad wide now). I'm all for helping you out Chopper just let me know if you need some help and I'll be down with shovel and bike.

 

I rode El Morro last two days including Rattlesnake and did not see many riders at all. Compared to Aliso or Whiting, Oaks etc El Morro is not crowded at all. RS is really narrow except for the tech section. That section can get wider with riders riding on the edges but 90% of the trail is very narrow. I enjoy riding this trail a lot and I can see that people have been performing maintenance which I appreciate.

 

Fixed

 

Nice work!

 

Believe it or not, this was my wife. And believe it or not, her arm wasn't broken, she just had a massive, swelling contusion. She did end up with a dislocated ring finger (which they had to cut her ring off) and a concussion after colliding with a loose large rock, quite possibly one of Chopper's Trail Savers. She was taken by ambulance to Hoag and is still having neck pain and headaches. But at least she's talking and walking. Thanks for your concern!

With that being said, I moved here about 5 years ago from Colorado and I have no idea how Rattlesnake used to look. But when I bike down Rattlesnake, or any trail for that matter, I try to get down as quickly as possible while staying in control (on the trail) and having as much fun as possible by picking lines. I have a 5" travel 29er and a hardtail SS 26er and my line probably varies significantly down Rattlesnake depending on which bike I ride. And, unfortunately, I don't know what the "Chopper Proper Line" is, they didn't teach that in school. I do know not to ride on the edge of the trail and widen it, of course, and to try to skid infrequently. But Rattlesnake has always been a wide washed out trail in my tenure riding it. And if I rode Rattlesnake frequently (which I don't, unfortunately) and found a fast, fun line that didn't seem to be destroying the trail, I'd probably stick with it and try to get better at it. And if I happened to come across a few boulders one day in my line (if I weren't completely hurt by a crash), you're darn right I'd move those rocks.

Let me make this clear: making a trail more dangerous because it doesn't fit your expected line isn't the right way to fix it! Submit a proposal to build up dirt walls, split the trail, whatever. I'll even come out and help shovel dirt. But don't throw boulders on the trail and expect anything other than riders getting hurt. It isn't going to fix the problem.

 

To be clear, I have never placed a boulder on the trail. I have blocked the sides of the trail but never ever the trail. Also it is not my preferred line, it is the trail. BTW - there are boulders on Rattlesnake. It would be difficult to ride it without encountering a few.

 

One more thing. I have ridden a lot in Colorado and my experience has been that they don't like it when you move obstacles that make you uncomfortable. They call that sanitizing.

 

But are there rattlesnakes in Boulder?

 

I would never move a boulder that was part of the trail. I would move a boulder that someone placed to block a line that wasn't hurting the trail. And BTW, I had never seen these rocks on the trail where my wife crashed. They looked as if they were placed.

 

Rattlesnakes have moved out of Boulder because it got too expensive for them to live.

 

They also can't ride fixies.

And as for the thread - can't everybody just ride the way I want you to ride? Sheesh, why is this so hard?

 

I'm happy to let everyone ride the way they want. I'm not happy when someone goes out and starts adding boulders to trails in places that may make unsuspecting riders crash and get hurt.

 

Since (or you wife) were on the trail when you encountered this boulder, I would assume that the people who keep rolling away the boulders that I used to block the SIDE of the trail are the culprits.

By the way, in case I didn't mention it, I'm sorry your wife was injured and I hope she has a full recovery. There is nothing worse than not being able to enjoy your sport because of an injury.

 

Yup. Gotta be careful out there both when altering trails and when riding them.

 

Im sorry, I should just let this go but really? You were riding on Rattlesnake and didn't expect to see a boulder?

With that said I leave you. I have grown weary of this whole issue. I will continue to do what I do but as for this thread------I am outa here. {POOF}

 

Chris don't hate on me because I like to roll 30 deep at Aliso on a Saturday morning.

 

Thank for the interesting thread...........

 

This thread has turns at every post

 

:wave: :beer:

 

Don't be silly. Of course I expect to see many tons of boulders on Rattlesnake. I didn't expect to see boulders that were relocated and put on the trail, however.