I, for one, would encourage everyone to get out on trail days and help get the work done at the existing parks. Having 4 different trail systems with 4 different flavors of trails is an astonishing feat for a metropolitan area of this size. A willingness from mountain bikers to work in parks, even ones not necessarily close to home has played a huge roll in making this happen.
WHEN we go back into Loud Thunder, it will have to be on agreeable terms for Mountina Bikers, mainly, Hike/Bike trails completely seperate from other trail users trails, preferably with stiff penalties for misuse, and double penalties for anyone misusing the trails or on the wrong trails who pretends they didn't know or didn't see the signs.
One of the many reasons we have such a good relationship with the land managers for our existing parks is that we didn't try to force ourselves into them. We more or less said here's what we want, here's what we'll provide. If we can't agree on the basics, we'll build trails somewhere else. I feel we MUST take this stance with Loud Thunder in the hopes that we would be allowed to build an Epic style trail system that would draw thousand from all over the mid-west- similar to Levis Trow, Kettle Moraine, Brown County. (Copper Harbor and Brown County have tapped into the MTB scene so well and make so much from MTB tourism that they have funding for full time staff to build trails as their primary employment! (DREAM JOB!)
In my opinion, beginning to work on the trails at Loud Thunder without this basic understanding between FORC and the Loud Thunder management would only bring the return of previous long running conflicts, prolong problems best left behind and undermine any potential for the mutual consent for a truly world class sytem. As Sunder and Illiniwek gets built out, the opportunity to focus future efforts on a new system with existing personell increases. On top of this, we always see an influx of MTBers when we begin building in a new park. Taking both of these into consideration, it would seem that there is the "potential" for FORC to handle another trail system.
Believe in yourself? Well sure, of course. But be aware that "believing in myself" has been the root cause of most of my injuries.
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"I feel sorry for people who don't do this." -Badfish41- after bombing the Hermosa's at Levis Trow.
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