Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125698
The following comment appeared in SUNSET Magazine, the October issue of this year. TRAIL BIKES AND WILDERNESS One day in early June this past summer a member of Sunset's staff was hiking with his family on a national forest trail a few miles north of California's Sonora Pass. It led away from civilization into wilderness, away from noise, exhausts, pavements, into nature's world, its quiet pace, and its silence. operators to conduct tours by four-wheel-drive vehicle into the wilderness areas of such parks as Canyonlands. Unfortunately, the mobile little trail bike, subject to the same regulations as four-wheel vehicles in most jurisdictions, is not subject to the same physical limitations. It can go almost anywhere a horse or a man can go. One realistic approach being tried out by the Bureau of Land Management and other jurisdictions is to set up trails or courses exclusively for trail bikes where they won't disturb wilderness walkers. cars on streets - nor do I like spooking a horse or startling hikers, yet since bikes seem to be unwelcome anywhere; I go where I can. I believe that hikers should have the right to enjoy the. rewards of a wilderness hike without trail bike intrusions, but what about the rights of the trail bike riders? You ask for ".ensurance" of your rights. Shall we also have laws saying "Hikers Keep-ou t?" Incidentally, trail bikes really have a lot going for them. They get a lot of people out into nature that wouldn't walk across the str.,et and on a Sunday of an appeal by William and Victoria Hoover, Danville residents who plan to build a home about one-fourth of a mile from the park area along Tesla Road. The Hoover's said their objections were based on the noise that would be generated by motorcycles using the park. Park operator John H. Brillisour told the board his tmn, Carnegie Cycle Park Inc., has over 1,200 acres in adjacent San Joaquin County where cyclists can ride their bikes. Yesterday's board action will permit expansion of riding activities into Alameda County, onto over 300 acres owned by the firm. M 8> :. 0 :;; ~. ~ z III :;; ~ w d fj lawlorum All this was interrupted suddenly and noisily by a motor bike parade coming up the trail, exhausts popping. It was just one family, husband, wife, and children, o.n no less than five trail bikes. An hour later the interruption was repeated as the trail bike procession returned. The trail was muddy that day. The damage done by the five skidding bikes was extensive. And such damage always makes the typical soft trail so/face more vulnerable to erosion in the next rainy season. The trail incident recounted here is repeated countless times, in countless places in the West every week, often innpcently. Last March the Bureau of Land Management completed a study of how off-road vehicles (including trail bikes) use its land, but the BLM has not yet set up any special program of control. The U.S. Forest Service has closed all wilderness areas to off-road vehicles and has restricted their use in other areas. The National Park Service and many state park departments flatly restrict vehicular travel to park roads except in specially designated areas. Off-road vehicles can be useful, as even the National Park Service recognizes, to the extent of permitting certain licensed We believe that the encroachment of trail bikes into natural areas should be strongly discouraged. In furtherance of this belief, since December of last year Sunset has accepted no advertising for trail bikes. Furthermore, we recommend that all federal, state, and local agencies administering public lands reexamine their policies concerning trail bikes. It is time to enact and enforce regulations ensuring a family's right to enjoy the rewards of a wilderness hike without trail bike intrusions. LETTER IN' REBUTTAL Gentlemen: Your Aug. 68 issue states on page 40, "Sunset is a magazine of information rather than a journal of opinion or fiction." However, on page 232 of Oct. 70, on ''Trail bikes and Wilderness" you say, "We believe that the encroachment of trail bikes in to natural areas should be strongly discouraged." Since you are now editorializing, are you now going to afford equal space to dissenting opinions? I think not. Neither has the BLM or any other agency managed to provide any trails for the bikes. I con't like competing with trucks or you can cover a hundred miles of terrain and see things you could never see on foot. Since you are recommending legislation to curtail my rights, I have asked you to cancel and refund the unused portion of my subscription. Sincerely, RALPH E. NEVIS This article appeared recently in the HERALD NEWS in Livermore, Calif. SUPERVISORS GIVE MOTORCYCLE PARK PERMIT Although the Hoover's were the only testifying at yesterday's heanng, County Planning Director William Fraley said others have voiced co~ce~s over noise, fire danger, sarutatlOn and traffic problems that could emanate from the cycle park. He said ,:onditio ns imposed by planning commIssIoners should take care of all problems except noise. Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve.the permit,. w:ith Emanuel Razeto opposing the rnaJonty. opp~nents .. TO Alameda County supervisors yesterday approved a conditional use permit to allow expansion of a motorcycle park into Alameda County along the south side of Tela Road, seven miles east of Livermore. 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