Dan's Outside

I go, I see, I do, I walk, I think, I like…

No restraint – no respect

While photographing some trees up the Deep Gulch Trail at Almaden Quicksilver today I heard wheels cutting through the leaves and mud above me. Two mountain bikers were descending from a closed section of the park… onto a trail closed to cyclists… on a day when the entire park was closed to cyclists and horses due to very muddy, wet conditions.

RogueCyclists2004|12|11: Cyclists riding on illegal trails at Almaden Quicksilver. December 11, 2004.

I just don’t get it. There are plenty of legal places to ride and, on good weather days, vast sections of this park are open to cyclists. Why is it necessary to ride illegally?

(Obligatory note: I own a mountain bike and a road bike and a commute bike, and I have ridden the legal trails and roads of this park.)

December 11, 2004 - Posted by | Commentary

2 Comments

  1. Let the bike riders be. I used to hang with a guy who was crazy about errosion on hiking trails. He once accused a fellow traveler of “causing 10,000 years of errosion” when she picked up a big rock and rolled it down a small hill. You sound a lot like that guy. If I were you I’d worry about the bigger picture, like global warming, strip mining, etc. Peace.

    backpacker dude's avatar Comment by backpacker dude | February 13, 2006

  2. Wow, I’m surprised to see a comment on such an old post.

    In any case, I don’t have any issues with bike riders or mountain bike riders per se. In fact I own three bikes: a touring bike, a road bike, and (drum roll) a mountain bike. I’ve ridden my mountain bike on trails at Almaden Quicksilver, the park mentioned in my post.

    Most bike riders – including me – recognize that there are places and times where and when it isn’t OK to ride. When the park is closed to cyclists due to bad conditions, riding on a trail that is permanently closed to cyclists is pretty much indefensible.

    If one really wants to ride in those conditions, there are routes that are open and appropriate at other locations, and there is always still the road.

    But I agree with you on two other counts.

    First, like you I do worry about “global warming, strip mining, etc.” I suspect you might also agree with the “think globally, act locally” sentiment?

    Second, peace…

    Dan

    P.S. – Thanks for joining the site.

    Dan Mitchell's avatar Comment by Dan Mitchell | February 13, 2006


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