Full crackdown on illegal trails - Laguna & Aliso

Heard from various sources that rangers are camping out at the bottom of trails ticketing and databasing people. Signs being posted, trailheads shrubbed and trails pitted or obscured with boulders. Any reports or validation?

 

The 1st rule about illegal trails is that you don't talk about illegal trails

The 2nd rule is...........

 

Hm. When I was younger and poached trails (there were no legitimate mtb trails around) we'd get waved at and yelled at constantly. ...we just never slowed down & stopped to get ticketed.

 

I am a laguna loc...well have been for the past 6 months or so...unfortunately this is 100% true. Alot of the common illegal trails are under massive heat and branches/deturrents are poppin up everywhere! fuggin lame considering riding these trails keeps multiuse drama to a minimum..essentially, illegal trails equal mtb only which is safer than mobbin hiking trails! these new rangers suck a fatty...

 

I don't know that calling the rangers out is a great idea. They look here, hence the reason talk of illegal trails is against the rules. If the thread is going to serve the purpose of letting people know that we need to stop riding these trails great but if it's going to turn into a bitch feat it's not going to help us at all.

 

Ticketing and databasing people? What's to prevent a rider from "not having any ID" and just making up a name? Serious question to anyone who knows: As a mountain biker (riding dirt not road) am I required by law to keep my CDL on me at all times as if I were driving? How can they validate who I am if I choose not to allow them?

I agree.. hey maybe they're not looking as often since we only have a few active members these days compared to the past..

 

if they are law enforcement rangers (not volunteers ) and they believe you may be giving a fake name or have no ID they can take you in to ID you. Then if they find you gave a fake name you just made things even worse. To my knowledge you are not required to have ID on you in CA up if you have done something that would give cause to an officer to ID you they can hold you until a proper identification has been completed. Many agencies have mobile systems for this espn act reason.

People seem to forget that park ranger are Law Enforcement and part of OC Sheriffs Dept.

 

I'm assuming these trails have signage up that indicate that they are off limits for whatever reason. It's probably best to stay off them and see what we can do to have them opened up for multi-use and/or riding.

It's probably a good idea to carry ID when mountain biking though. You don't want to end up being a John Doe in the hospital for a few days if you go down on a solo ride.

 

There has been signs in the past only to be torn out and tossed aside. The parks have since adopted the concept of legal trails have signage with the trail name on a post and or on the park maps while the illegal trails have no signage.

 

I always carry ID.. I was simply playing devil's advocate a little and suggesting what would they do if you said you didn't have ID.. like mfoga noted above, I wasn't really thinking that the legit rangers are actually law enforcement and not just trail based rent a cops..

 

I highly doubt they are checking out this relic of a website. But strava...thats for sure being used to track illegal trail usage. The rangers time would be better spent living up to the responsibility of maintaining and improving legal trail. When's the last time they have improved or repaired a trail? Its easier cutting branches and planting cactus on illegal trails I guess.

 

You guys need to make some legit looking signs and start planting them on the illegal trails. "But officer, there's a sign at the bottom saying for mtb only" :lol:

 

The Rangers at the County, State and National Forest all check this site as well as other sites from time to time.

Everyone knows the names of the illegal trails.., no need to mention them. Any more mention of those trails and that post will be deleted or thread closed. Thanks.

 

Amazing that you can't even have a discussion about the issue of poaching without the threads being closed all the time. Nobody is here saying " Hey, ride this illegal trail called X in Aliso it's really great."
Discussion does not equal endorsement and the paranoia of even mentioning a trail name is foolish.

 

I have been using "Dino Brown" for years.....works like a charm

 

not sure if this is ok to post - so delete if needed - but the ranger at El Moro (at least two years ago) is basically worthless. Like what do we have rangers for? All the guy did was sit in his office and when I was a noob and asked for directions he was a total ars. Then they basically pave roads into the park, how can that even be fun for the hikers.... All I saw was a bunch of guys driving around in their big trucks doing nothing. When I did see trail maintenance it was not them. And I do pay for a state parking pass along with lots of state taxes. These guys are anti fun. Seriously shouldn't being a ranger be a super fun job. I mean get all user groups together and make them all happy, they pay the taxes right.

 

To repeat: Everyone knows the names of the illegal trails.., no need to mention them (by name). Any more mention of those trails and that post will be deleted or thread closed. Thanks.

Oooh snap! 8-[

 

Thanks for the heads up. I wonder if this includes the most ridden "illegal" trail in LCWP? I had an OC Parks sponsored newbie ride led by trail docents take me down it the first time saying, "They are opening this at the first of the year." That was 4 or 5 years ago. lol

 

I hope Rangers and Land Use managers are reading this.^^^ When you close optional trails and focus traffic on fewer and fewer multi-use trails, guess what? You're going to get more damage and more conflicts.
The idea of making any of these trails "legit" is, unfortunately, a virtual impossibility in today's environment. State and Local agencies must comply with CEQA which requires them "to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions (read projects including new trails) and to avoid or mitigate those impacts". State and Local agencies don't have the will-power nor the dollars to even "identify" let alone mitigate. This is why un-documented trails must be shut down and why new trails are exceedingly rare.

When you focus all the traffic through fewer and fewer trails and choke-points, everyone loses.

 

Probably some truth to the original post. I Just saw a brand new sign and woodpile on a trail that is heavily ridden and hiked in LCWP. Regardless, as previously stated, if it's not on the map it is illegal and you are rolling the dice. If you give the Ranger or State officer a fake name, then you could be committing a felony.....again, rolling the dice.