Pilchuck River Road Closed

[Tod]

After this weekend, the P-5000, Pilchuck River Road near Granite Falls, Washington will be permently closed to ORV use. The State Department of Natural Resources manages the land and has become tired of dealing with death and serious injury on the road.

I've only been the once (yesterday) and I can see the problem. The main riding is up a wide fast road. Lots of quads going way faster than appropriate for their skill level. No surprise that they run into each other. That said, it's a shame that the place is to be closed because that means those riders will be deplaced to places like Reiter Trails and Walker Valley. Adding a bunch of zillion mile an hour quadsters to Walker is not going to have good results.

KING TV 5, from Seattle was there interviewing a few of us. Even though I just got done riding, was shivering from road riding in freezing rain and numb in the brain I gave it a shot.

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_111105ENBorvdamageKC.4f4398e0.html

 

[HobRoff]

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/adm/comm/nr05_134.htm

Here is the link outlining the closure, Not sure what the answer is to all this but its a friggin zoo out there, I nearly took out a quad down in the Yacolt (Jones Creek Trail System) a couple months ago, thats about the 4th one in a year, and our radio guys were headed up into the Capital Forest about a month ago to work on one of the repeaters and had a head on with a quad, luckily just broken plastic on that one, and thats about the 5th incident for the Capital in the last couple years. Most of the incidents involve quads on roads. Not to sound overly dramatic but there are days out there when "Out of Control" takes on a new meaning. I put the word out to watch it going in/on the A-line (ORV Park Reopening)

Take Care and Happy Holidays!!!

 

[Tod]

What I really felt like saying on camera :p

"what a stupid place to ride, what a bunch of stupid riders, what a perfect match. It a real shame that they are closing this place because I don't want these morons riding anywhere I do"

 

[Tod]

If you'd like to let the DNR know what you think, email them at:

[email protected]