Anti Wheeler poll - Vote your hobby!!!!

[Hair]

check this out!!!!

then vote!!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9900937/

[Nobody]

I already voted.

Understand people, that the wording of these polls is slanted.

[DBrown]

I can understand both sides of the argument.......

but the fact is I think it would be better for our government to teach people how to use the land responsably instead of shuting it down. lets face it this is a growing hobby, and people just think its ok to dump trash and fluids that are dangerous to the environment on the trail. when I went to LBL last year I picked up I don't know how many beer cans and food wrapers, broken parts, tools that were left......its stupid. people need to learn that they can't do that or we are all going to pay for them being idiots. I would gladly take a tax increase if they left the trails open and hired more rangers to enforce the law and keep people in the know about what is acceptable and what is not.

lets face it when we hit trails we represent all 4x4'ers with the way we handle our selfs.

sorry for the rant

[Happy_Jack]

Well I feel there should be access for everyone. This sport has grown many fold since I started back in the early 80's. And the area's for us to use has greatly decreased. In addition the ability of our vehicles to accelerate errosion has increased. Seems to me the mind set is that if you have 600hp and 40's with bead locks and grind on an obstical catching air and throwing rocks and earth it's ok. And man it's really cool is you braek something or roll. But if I come down the trail in my modified daily driver and put a few rocks "back" in, I'm "bad"? Some trails are maintained by local clubs but it seems to me that most have had an upward swing in difficulty. While on the other end, county's have been "improving" roads and documenting the improvements so the roads have some protection from being closed.

Now I agree that an off road license or fee's would be better than shutting areas down. But you have to understand that we are not just talking about trash on the trail. These areas belong to everyone and are not ours exclusively to do what ever we want to with them.

Much of my type of wheeling has been closed off, or roads converted for Motorcycle and ATV use only, or turned into graded 2wd roads, or chewed up so bad by extreme trailer queen rigs that have soo much trafic on them. The last I could drive but the 15 extreme Heeps that would come up would be such @$$ #@ts the fun would be zero.

Weather our sport is growing or has peaked can be debated. But the fact is we have as many of more folks wheeling in this country than ever before. And we have much less room for this to happen. We should not be talking about closing more areas. We should be opening them up. Shutting off more ares will only tax the few areas we have even more. Opening up new (or the old ones that were wrongly closed off) will releive
this burdon and slow the erosion that is occurring by over use. Maybe even slow the traffic on some of the trails so I can go back.

[Nobody]

The most important thing to me is being able to take my family up in the hills, and explore an old logging road. Some of my fondest teenage memories are cruising around the hills "discovering" forgotten roads. Now I'm pretty much restricted to an "ORV" park.......This fustrates me so much I often consider saying fuck it and selling everything, but I know I'd really be unhappy then.

I don't want to tear up the National Forests, but I do want to explore them both in a 4WD and on foot. I don't want to be restricted to maintained roads, and then be CHARGED to use them!

I agree that the "Extreme" trailer queens are a significant problem for our trails. These guys are out looking for a challenge, not to enjoy the Great Outdoors. Fortunately, I believe it is a trend, and I see it starting to fade......not fast enough IMO.

I don't really see any hope in the future of our past time. My dad pretty much sits at home pissed off these days because 99% of the places he likes to go are closed. Makes me sick.

Restricting access is not the answer, it just puts more load on the remaining areas and gets them closed faster.

I don't think there is a good solution. There are just getting to be too many people.

[DBrown]

I agree with pretty much everything you guys said, it is frustrating to think that one day its going to come down to if you want to go wheeling you have to own the property that you play on.

when I was at LBL this last year I was talking to a local and he said that the larger rigs were tring to be pushed out of the OHV park and they had put down some new rules that made it look that way. its sad, we don't have the public old roads that are free game around here. it is mostly blocked off and no tresspassing signs set up. if you want to go you have to drive 20-30 mins to get to a small trail. yeah if you know people you can do what ever you want in there back yard but thats just it, you have to know someone. they are starting to open up new places but they are packed with people.

[Nobody]

they are packed with people.

Exactly what I'm trying to get away from.

[Happy_Jack]

Still some places in Utah to go. Colorado had a dry spell and folks didn't go but it was wet this year and folks are back out.

Sounds like we need to get a trip planned to Utah. Hole-In-The-Rock?

[Nobody]

I'm definately going to make it out your way someday.

[DBrown]

keep me in the loop if y'all get some thing together I graduate in dec. so I will have some free time before I have to go get a real job

[ranger5.0]

The P-5000 closes again on the 15th of November to all traffic. They blame it on speed, and the Illegal dumping of garbage. How many refers can you fit on your motorcycle.