Timely article. In my two rides on the pedal only mtn this week I did a bit of exploring, once to the east and once to the west. In searching out some old lines that don't get ridden anymore a few new ones popped up. If you live for riding, then you know the experience and excitement of finding something new is almost as good as actually riding the new thing itself. I am decidedly torn on riding secret or unsanctioned trails though, especially ones in hot zones that are known to create tensions with land managers.
Part of the appeal of the secret trail is "finding" something new, being part of a limited cabal that knows about the trail and riding something that you're not supposed to. Part of the unease of riding hidden trails is knowing that I may be contributing to land managers removing support for legitimate trail projects. These feelings of pro and con have ebbed and flow over the years, with the help of self rationalization such as what PowellRiviera described earlier. However, most of us here can remember the time when there was a strong push to close trail en masse, so it pays to consider that we are only a few grumpy bureaucrats or elected officials away from losing access that we seem to take for granted. Yes in the grand scheme of things a few lines etched into the forest are pretty insignificant, but to others they may be very significant.
I think the best analogy is one that comes from my motorcycle riding group - time and place. There are times and places we can act like hooligans and there are times and places where it's just not that smart. Just like that last little exit trail Dave talks about, a poor choice of time and place can bring unnecessary heat that upsets our apple cart.
Oct. 27, 2023, 8:18 a.m. - Mark
Timely article. In my two rides on the pedal only mtn this week I did a bit of exploring, once to the east and once to the west. In searching out some old lines that don't get ridden anymore a few new ones popped up. If you live for riding, then you know the experience and excitement of finding something new is almost as good as actually riding the new thing itself. I am decidedly torn on riding secret or unsanctioned trails though, especially ones in hot zones that are known to create tensions with land managers. Part of the appeal of the secret trail is "finding" something new, being part of a limited cabal that knows about the trail and riding something that you're not supposed to. Part of the unease of riding hidden trails is knowing that I may be contributing to land managers removing support for legitimate trail projects. These feelings of pro and con have ebbed and flow over the years, with the help of self rationalization such as what PowellRiviera described earlier. However, most of us here can remember the time when there was a strong push to close trail en masse, so it pays to consider that we are only a few grumpy bureaucrats or elected officials away from losing access that we seem to take for granted. Yes in the grand scheme of things a few lines etched into the forest are pretty insignificant, but to others they may be very significant. I think the best analogy is one that comes from my motorcycle riding group - time and place. There are times and places we can act like hooligans and there are times and places where it's just not that smart. Just like that last little exit trail Dave talks about, a poor choice of time and place can bring unnecessary heat that upsets our apple cart.