It’s Hard For Me To Defend Mountain Bikers

HB, I don't think you're overreacting, you're just passionate about the AT (which I call the "Hillbilly Highway") you clearly put your heart & soul into it. I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I built a 9-mile loop way up on the rooftops of Littlerock in my Moto racing days. laid out difficult for extra fun. We named it the ISDE, "International six days enduro".. Any rider that could make their way to the top signed his/her name on a ledger hidden in a can under a rock pile. Anna Cody made it Yaaayy Anna, number #1 District-37 chick.

Well "heavy sigh" the last final miles dropping down to our secret staging area took months of cutting out bushes, moving boulders and Bulldogging at first just to get down it. (bulldogging is hike-a-bike very downhill.) I get a phone call, my friend says Dude the ISDE is destroyed. It turns out the rock crawling boys went out there and completely erased the single track section. Were talking a 15ft' wide swath. This was the very fun part when you could smell the Cold ones. Sadder is I know who did it, my daughter now 22 took me over to her childhood friends house she met as a kid through me. Her dad was Sergio my X-friend that used to ride moto, I took him there a couple times, but now he belongs to a rockcrawl club.

I'm a bit slow, one day lying in bed it dawned on me that it was probably Numbnuts & crew. Doug what I wouldn't give for it to be bicycle guys cutting course. For some fresh air and getting out of the house go kick some dirt and erase the cheater lines, the E-boys are coming, think what it will look like when we're gone YIKES. PS I will do the same.
 
-ROCKY- said:
While we're on the subject. I'm still learning here. Could someone explain the difference with enduros? Thanks :confused:
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Endurbros are mocked because of their sick fashion sense. They are also characterized as being a group of trail users that are more likely to only ride downhill, not maintain trails, and ride in a manner that does not conserve a trail. i.e. millenials on mtb

While in actuality Enduro is just a discipline of mtb racing
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enduro_(mountain_biking)
 
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Mikie said:
I have worked on AT. I have promoted AT. I can't help but feel and know that Dougie is pointing a lot of the grown popularity of AT towards me because I have indeed promoted AT a lot.

Who here on this site has been riding AT since 1993? Anyone? Show of hands... Mine is up.

The boom of mountain biking is past. Past.

The big boom of mountain bikes was during it's discovery days combined with a big crash in the aerospace industry in the early to mid 90's. CNC machine shops were scrambling to find stuff to manufacture and when mountain biking EXPLODED in the early 90's, the world of anodized CNC machined bike parts also exploded. At any given MTB XC race there would be 40 sometimes even 50 racers per class all slamming some poor trail in anywhere USA. Snow Summit parking lot on a Sunday would have no open parking spaces on race days.
I have seen 30 people on AT on any given day back in the 90's. It was my number one time trial, prepping and conditioning for my racing years. It seems like there were less Dicks then but they existed.

AT went dormant for many years. I met Doug in 2012 on STR and discovered we had a trail in common. Acton Trail. So I have taken THE BEAST out there and we cleaned house on the lower sections. I have worked on the upper section in the snow. I have not been as active as others in extending it towards the top. There are a few who have worked really hard on that trail... for years.

When Jackwad Mike, the guy who was over sanitizing Golden Eagle came on the scene, I absolutely came unglued! I mean to the point I was going to slash this guys tires and report him to the Ranger for illegal trailwork (which I would be guilty of as well) I'm embarrassed about that now. I even got a call from the President of CORBA because I was totally out of control. @Kanga 's words of wisdom helped me a LOT! God bless him!

He said, "Mikie, don't worry about the trail. The trail is going to take care of itself. Mother nature will expose more boulders, grow more roots, and plants, and limbs and ruts and bumps. Every trail will take a beating from time to time but over time it changes and changes and changes. It's always going to change. It's going to be okay. So lighten up."

That actually helped a lot! I was humbled and schooled. The heavy rains has brought back the little chunk that is on GE, and now I need to get up and trim the narrowing trail section by section. Every thing Jackwad Mike had done is now gone. Everything is okay.

Pointing out an ethnic group is not the answer. There is White Trash, Brown Trash, Yellow Trash, Red Trash, Black Trash, Men Trash, Woman Trash, Young Trash Old Trash, should I go on?

Every group has it's good it's bad and it's ugly. Get over it all. Be a good example. Respond don't react.

Acton Trail is going to be just fine.
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I think I understand how you and @hill^billy feel. You invest time and effort and take ownership - No, stewardship - regarding the trail. When few to none were caring for it, or riding it, you were there. Others just don't have skin in the game.
Thank you @Mikie and @hill^billy :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Great thread HB.

You know who those riders probably are don’t you? They were likely the local crew from Squeaky Wheel in Palmdale who often make a big showing on AT after a rain. They know who you are and you have their highest respect, you could easily reach out to them and they would listen.


AT trail drama. It’s been going on long before you and I came on the scene HB and will likely continue long after we’re gone. There will probably always be the feud.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/HORSEMEN,+BIKERS+FEUD+ABOUT+TRAIL.-a083902604

Can’t we all just get along?

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-07-08/local/me-22163_1_angeles-national-forest



Although HB did not plant the last spade in the trail’s restoration, he provided a much more significant contribution… The very first effort to resurrect an historic relic of a great trail, abandoned after the Station fire. For this, HB is the undisputed Godfather of AT. Took some guts to look up that canyon at all the miles of devastation and say “we can do this”. That was the invaluable inspiration to motivate others. That very first pass of the torch from HB to others was the big one that eventually led to the trail being completely restored almost to the top. Amazing what a group a motivated individuals can achieve?



As for the disrespectful trail users; I’ll share what our good buddy Maddog always used to say, “Fix and Educate. No use getting upset over something we have little control over”. Or do we? Some wise words from the Dog, an Educator by trade. I’m going to miss that guy.




Personally, I like the Forest Service’s view on the situation (the very first time ever);

"Motorcyclists, hikers and horseback riders must continue to share an unmaintained six-mile trail in the Angeles National Forest that they've feuded over in years past, say forest rangers from the Tujunga district office..."


I say let all user groups enjoy a valuable resource and hopefully all play nice together. May the AT always be an out-n-back and may it never be a shuttle route Lord willing. If the shuttle plan is a vision of those who follow, maybe it is time for me to pass the torch.

Meanwhile, I shall continue to fix and educate...
 
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