Michigan Riders: Reminder to Stay on the Trail!!!

[MuddyBuddy]

This is a reminder for those riding designated trails in Michigan to STAY ON THE TRAIL. There was a large group of riders on the Tomahawk C loop this past weekend and apparently the flaming asshats thought it was okay to cut corners and take short cuts through winding sections of trails and do hills climbs, going way off trail and tearing the crap out of the woods. :yell: Not cool and this makes all of us look bad in the eyes of any other users out in the woods and the DNR. If you have issues with a trail with lots of curves in it, then go ride the quadified blown out trails downstate. Respect the trails and appreciate the wonderful and abundant riding opportunities we have in Michigan. Thank you and this shall conclude this crabby service announcement.

 

[UP Magoo]

Thanks for the PSA!

I can tell you that if this continues, we WILL lose trail.

I just got approval for a all new Motorcycle Only trail in the UP, on US Forest Service property. It has taken 7 years and over $50,000 for EIS studies to make this a reality. If these idiots pull a stunt like that here, I'll personally "educate" them.

Now that we are constructing this trail, we have spent hundreds of hours in the woods with the Forest Service regarding trail implementation. The item that keeps coming up is, "how do we make sure the riders STAY ON THE TRAIL?" It won't take many idiots to close our riding areas down, if they continue to disregard the opportunities we've worked so hard to create.

PLEASE, educate our riding bretheren! Don't become Quadtards in your behavior!

Call the DNR RAP line to report violations if you see inappriopriate activity.

 

[Yam7M]

Good post Muddy. Well put; unfortunate that it is needed to be said. Let's keep our trail ours....let the couch riders tear up their two track wide trails. Although they need to play nice too, or else we'll all lose.

Magoo.....thank you for what you do up there. Man, I can't tell you how much myself and the guys I ride with LOVE going up there and riding those trails. Do you carry a small chainsaw on your backpack when you ride?? I ran into a guy up there a few years back doing trail work who did. We were glad to lend a hand with some clearing he was doing. Just curious. And thank you.

Stay on the Trail! :ride:

 

[Wolverine423]

Ya I told Don & Brian Marsh to stay on trail when they were up there riding Saturday....

 

[MuddyBuddy]

Ya I told Don & Brian Marsh to stay on trail when they were up there riding Saturday....

Ohhhh, now you're stirring the pot!! :p

 

[racer493]

i dont ride on the weekends i prefer to sit around and drink Jack and Cokes and eat fast food. I dont want to over do my training this early in the season.

 

[Don Marsh]

I rode Saturday with you DW so if I was there tearing up trails you were with me.

If I messed up any trails I did redeem myself anyway I did four hours of trail maintinence today. I appreciate the trails to much to act recklessly, anybody that helps maintain them appreciates the work put into them.

Don

 

[tdunn976]

Thanks for the post!
We ALL need to educate as often as we can. I get beat up regularly at the Forest Management Advisory meetings, for unlawful riding.
We can and will lose everything that has taken decades to obtain, if the illegal orv riding continues.

 

[KTM Mike]

What timing for this topic! After the ORV hearing last week, I had a local conservationist type approach me and ask if would work with him on developing some local education efforts to address ORV damage. I will be meeting with him next week. No clue where this will go, other than I want to be sure what ever develops is not a ORV bashing effort (large reason why I made sure to agree to meet with him). Honestly, my impression of the ECORD effort in Luce county is exactly that - a thinly veiled effort to bash ORVs and publicize the damage.

Any suggestions on best approaches to reach the type of idiots that Stacey mentioned?

 

[Uchytil]

That's a real tough one. Some people will never learn and some will grow out of it eventually, or get busted so many times it will finally sink in. I'm headed out east today. I grew up in Maine where there are very few sanctioned trails. I personally know that other New England states are very anti-offroad. When I was stationed in New Jersey there was nowhere(and still is'nt) anywhere to ride legally. I'd put together a list of states that don't allow, do allow, etc. A sort of demography on riding in our country. Finish up with the great places to ride (mIchigan is up there). I hate to say it but maybe the state needs to stop selling OTC and make people take a class before they can buy a ORV sticker. This could generate more funding for trails as well as increase awareness. Select people could be certified to hold classes for a small fee which would be proportioned for the instructor/user. You could use you imagination for topics ranging from protecting hibernatiing sand pipers to sound issues to safety gear to mapping to fines, etc... Maybe then some of the "idiots" ,and actual people that want to learn, would enjoy what they have and strive to protect it.

 

[bruno670]

This still wouldn't stop the trail terrorists from decimating the trails. Some people just don't care as long as they have fun today. I appreciate what we have, the freedom to have the best trail system in this country. Until everyone else feels the same way I don't think that stopping this problem will ever come to fruition. The only true way, I think, is FINES. I hate to say this but, we have to police the trails ourselves. Turning in violators when we see them. I know this sounds like "big brother" but to save our trail system from total loss, this may be the only way. Put your cell/camera phone in your trail pack and photo and call the DNR. A few really stiff fines and the large number of the "trail terrorists" will get the clue....STAY ON THE TRAIL!!!!

 

[MuddyBuddy]

Peer pressure is the only way it will work. I have never once encountered a DNR officer out in the woods. As with confronting quad riders on the MC only trails, I will use discretion if I think my safety is at issue, but beyond that, two and four wheeled tards will get a piece of my very blunt mind if I run into them. Brian called me yesterday at work and he's livid at what he saw yesterday doing trail maintenance on the B loop. Apparently the two wheeled tards were playing on the B loop also. If anyone comes up with a name, please let me know as Brian would love to talk to these guys.

You can all help out if you will take a few minutes and block short cuts that you encounter on the trail. I understand we all want to "play" when we're out on the trail, but if we all take responsibility it helps out and prevents the short cuts from getting burned in too badly.

 

[bbarel]

After the ORV hearing last week, I had a local conservationist type approach me and ask if would work with him on developing some local education efforts to address ORV damage. I will be meeting with him next week. No clue where this will go, other than I want to be sure what ever develops is not a ORV bashing effort...

I think your cooperation will go a long ways to help educate these other groups that the majority of orv users are responsible adults who follow the rules and we want to crack down on the idiots even moreso than them because we fully understand these bozos could ruin our sport.

 

[Yam7M]

I agree with Bruno. If you stop selling them OTC, thusly getting the government more involved, it just goes against the grain of how we garnered our awesome trail system in the first place.

Increase the fines. I have ran into DNR folks twice (Horseshoe and Caberfee). Nice guys. I was playing by the rules and they were cool. Jackasses that are being themselves deserve to have the crap fined out of them.

But if we start getting government involved with "classes" and "education"....then the next generation starts depending on the "education" process instead of having the most important and obvious teachers do the "teaching"....the parents. Do right infront of your kids and teach 'em well. They'll grow up to do the same. Report the tards. Call out the a-holes when you encounter them. But if we start relying on government sponsored "schools" to teach the next generation(s) of riders.....we'll end up like those other states that have little to no trail system.

Once big bro starts a givin'.....you open the door for him to start takin'....and takin'.....and takin' :|

 

[Uchytil]

I guess I don't agree about the government being a problem (for the most part). To me that's just being negative from the start. I agree it won't stop some people from being jerks, however, it would make some people take the time to see another perspective. I've been involved in water safety for 30 plus years and have seen positive results. I've been involved in hunter and trapping safety as a hobby and seen positive results. To arbitrarily say it won't work is probably not the answer. To brainstorm new ideas will help people define a better solution. I still hold to ORV safety courses prior to issuance of an ORV sticker.

 

[Yam7M]

I didn't say they were the problem. I mean they won't be the solution. Once you give the government the ability and responsiblity of "training and teaching", some people relieve themselves of that responsiblity and look to the government for that level of instruction. Once the government assumes that, the more control they get. Then when the idiots continue to be idiots....the government throws up their collective hands and shuts down a trail to prove a point. Then another. Then another. The more control they assume, the more they have. Let's fight collectively as a group to correct this problem.....not bring in any outside agencies who don't ride the trails. It's one thing to sit in a class room and have a "teacher" tell you not to do something.....but quite another when a riding buddy/parent chews your azz for doing something or simply educates you on not doing it.

I think it starts and should rely heavily on peer pressure and parents. Nothing arbitrary about my position or post. So many people/parents rely on the school to do the reering of their kids now....instead of stepping up and being an involved parent.

My hats off to those who are involved in keep our trails maintained and open. Thank you guys. :cool:

 

[Wolverine423]

I didn't say they were the problem. I mean they won't be the solution. Once you give the government the ability and responsiblity of "training and teaching", some people relieve themselves of that responsiblity and look to the government for that level of instruction. Once the government assumes that, the more control they get. Then when the idiots continue to be idiots....the government throws up their collective hands and shuts down a trail to prove a point. Then another. Then another. The more control they assume, the more they have. Let's fight collectively as a group to correct this problem.....not bring in any outside agencies who don't ride the trails. It's one thing to sit in a class room and have a "teacher" tell you not to do something.....but quite another when a riding buddy/parent chews your azz for doing something or simply educates you on not doing it.

I think it starts and should rely heavily on peer pressure and parents. Nothing arbitrary about my position or post. So many people/parents rely on the school to do the reering of their kids now....instead of stepping up and being an involved parent.

My hats off to those who are involved in keep our trails maintained and open. Thank you guys. :cool:

Good post.

 

[TCTrailrider]

Peer pressure is the only way it will work. .

Last fall we had a group at Wolverine B-C loop staging. The new cycle only signs were posted. A trailer full of quads with some real big, mean looking riders pull in and start to unload. Me being the kind and gentle, diplomat, etc.. walked over and advised them that these trails are now designated cycle only. I pointed out the signs and the posting on the board. The big ugly one started tossing out the F bombs and wanted a piece of someone. I look over my shoulder and Marsh and DW are quivering under the van. :nod:
oh crap!!!!! So I do my Hannable Lechter impersonation and it worked, they turned tail and headed off to the A loop. Diplomacy may work but have some backup. :laugh:

 

[tdunn976]

Don't worry know one ever died from educating the misinformed (That the body was ever found). :yikes:

 

[Wolverine423]

Last fall we had a group at Wolverine B-C loop staging. The new cycle only signs were posted. A trailer full of quads with some real big, mean looking riders pull in and start to unload. Me being the kind and gentle, diplomat, etc.. walked over and advised them that these trails are now designated cycle only. I pointed out the signs and the posting on the board. The big ugly one started tossing out the F bombs and wanted a piece of someone. I look over my shoulder and Marsh and DW are quivering under the van. :nod:
oh crap!!!!! So I do my Hannable Lechter impersonation and it worked, they turned tail and headed off to the A loop. Diplomacy may work but have some backup. :laugh:

LOL , :think: funny thing is I don't recall that incident. It really sends me over the top when I come across some beer bellied hill jack quadtard trying to thread his way through some single track....Not a pleasant situation for the perpetrator. We never really had these land issues until quads started becoming popular on the trail systems....

 

[MuddyBuddy]

Last fall we had a group at Wolverine B-C loop staging. The new cycle only signs were posted. A trailer full of quads with some real big, mean looking riders pull in and start to unload. Me being the kind and gentle, diplomat, etc.. walked over and advised them that these trails are now designated cycle only. I pointed out the signs and the posting on the board. The big ugly one started tossing out the F bombs and wanted a piece of someone. I look over my shoulder and Marsh and DW are quivering under the van. :nod:
oh crap!!!!! So I do my Hannable Lechter impersonation and it worked, they turned tail and headed off to the A loop. Diplomacy may work but have some backup. :laugh:

Thank you for speaking up TCTrailrider! You get a Good Man Point!! :cool: If we continue to remind them that they're on trails they shouldn't be, at some point they will get tired of being hassled and move on. I suspect if quads are encountered on MC only trail by the wrong group of riders, they might get more than a "reminder." :p

I've tried to put myself in their shoes in terms of rationalizing how it's okay to ride trails I shouldn't be on and thought how fun it would be to take a dirt bike down designated mountain bike trails or maybe the North Country Hiking Trail. While it would be a blast to rip down these pristine trails on my bike, the thought of encountering angry/irrate mountain bike riders and hikers negates the fun factor. I do think this is also the case with most quad riders; the quad traffic on the trails around us is way down. Those that continue to ride them are the asshats that need a ticket and a beat down, and I suppose there are some die hard mushroomers who are continuing to ride them because they've done so for so long and think the rules don't apply to them. All in all though, I think most people, regardless of what they ride, have a conscience and continuing to remind them, and report them (whether they're two or four wheeled idiots) will eventually turn the tide.

 

[bruno670]

The problem is hardly the majority. It is the rare few that mess it up for the majority. Not only in our sport but with society also. We as the majority need to squeek louder than the minority.

 

[MuddyBuddy]

SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK!!!! :yeehaw:

 

[dirtmark]

I rode the "c" loop today , it was real nice ! ( dry also )

Noticed there were many log/brush piles strategically placed in the trail
located to prevent? sections from being so high-speed ?
anyway it made the trail more technical & gave the
brakes a test.

Made it to mum's

 

[MuddyBuddy]

Darwin Award Nominee

Taken yesterday on the C Loop:

"But we weren't on the motorcycle trail...we came up a big hill (not on a road, hillclimb) from the road and then road through the woods to get to our mushroom spot. Besides, we can ride anywhere we want on State Land. Why are you hasseling us????" :bang: :coocoo: