Thread hijack continuation- I have a very difficult time when people who blatantly ignore trail etiquette are the victims and the person who was using the trails as intended was the bad person. While I recognize this could have been handled better, the people who have spent thousands of hours over the last 10 years and pretty respectable amounts of their own money to build the trails are happy to let hikers use them. All they/we ask in return is that they not use them when they are closed and that they follow the same use guidelines set up for everyone to avoid injuries. While a few bad apples could make all hikers look bad- we have reached a point where a few good apples are using properly and the masses are the bad apples.
It is incidents like this that make the HIKERS look bad- they were in the wrong and I hope they left with such a bad taste in their mouths that they either follow the signs or start staying on the blacktop trails. It sounds like they almost caused serious injuries to themselves and innocent trail users- something my patience has been thinning on for a very, very long time.
As for IMBA- IMHFO, they've become nothing more than a special interest lobbying group. The last time I tried to rejoin IMBA which was admittedly a few years ago, 60% of my fee was going to go to a club 100 miles away with 1 park and 5 miles of trail that doesn't allow membership to vote on their decisions or even attend their meetings- and none of my money would go to the 30 miles of trail and 4 parks (at that time) right here in the ole QCA because FORC wasn't really interested in becoming the latest incarnation of their subsidiary. (Something I personally supported, but clubs shouldn't be forced to do it or loose our local donations)
FORC recognizes that local trails are managed locally. You want to give money to an organization that has forsaken local trails unless you give them 12 grand to say "trails are possible" (duh) - with no actual trail design or layout- then support IMBA. You wanna support opening the wilderness areas- I encourage you to support STC, You want to build and manage trails locally- I encourage you to support FORC.
Look at the FORC home page on the left side- There is a reason more and more cities and groups are joining FORC for local help in getting trails started in their area- and it ain't just cause we drink good beer. Its because we build and support local trails- and TRAIL BUILDERS the way IMBA used to.
I know this isn't politically correct- If I have offended blame your parents for raising a sissy. LETS RIDE!!
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.