Non-System Trails

A concerned citizen recently brought to my attention the existence of some non-system trails around the top of Maple Canyon (trail #006) that are getting a lot of use. These trails are seeing some good traffic from motorcycles and because of years without maintenance, have become very trenched out. I was thinking about a solution...

Our primary options are to:

a. Post signs informing riders that the trails are non-system and are therefore illegal.

b. Close the trail by means of engineering (stacking cut logs and brush on top of it).

c. Issue citations to anybody who rides them.

Unfortunately, none of these options seem like good solutions to me. Signs are regularly shot up or ripped out of the ground, logs and brush are easy to be removed if one is willing to take the time and any citations are only going to create enemies for the USFS.

I believe that the most successful way to solve this problem is through social networking and peer influence on the trail. If we can get the word out that the use of non-system trails is counterproductive, maybe we can stop this problem. It has worked before and I hope it will again.

Here is the scoop...

-One trail begins near the meeting point of #006, #013 and #016. This trail heads North to a large meadow on the East side of Dick Mountain, then somehow makes its way to the top of Dick Mountain. Somewhere along the route Hobble Creek golf course is viewable. Apparently this trail has become badly trenched.

-The second trail begins a short distance to the South of the 006-013-016 junction. This trail begins in Little Diamond and feeds out at "Lower" Dibbles Canyon, approx. 1.5 miles up the Maple Canyon trail #006.

If you are riding in the area, you could let other riders know about Forest Service Summer Travel maps and the Uinta Trail Council. Protect your privilege...ride on legal routes only. Let's continue to work with the Forest Service to build a trail system that is fun, sustainable and navigable.

I have drawn on this image with pencil to show the approximate location of the non-system trails. The Hobble Creek golf course is marked with a circled X and the large meadow is marked with a small empty circle.

Contact: spanishforktrails@gmail.com

Downhill Biking and Single Use Trails

In my 6 summers working for Forest Service trails crews, I have seen a surge in the popularity of mountain biking, especially when it comes to "downhill" riding. This has led to an increasing number of conflicts between users. We have heard stories of horsemen being hit or nearly missed by bikers, one such case resulting in a man being thrown from his horse and knocked out cold. Horse riders can't hear bikers coming and bikers are riding too fast to stop in time. Just this morning we found a log that was intentionally placed in the trail to slow bikers. This situation isn't good for anybody.

In an effort to solve this problem, downhill riders have gone in search of new trails. In some cases this means using a trail that is not on the map ("Lower" Bennie Creek) and in other cases new trails are being built specifically for downhill use (Squaw Peak). This has created a unique management issue for Forest Service trails crews and law enforcement. Are we to shut down these rogue trails and ticket riders or ignore them? Because we are managing more trail (320 miles) than we have the resources (2 guys) to properly maintain, we are not looking to add new trails or more miles. Until we see current system trails managed to their specifications (Cottonwood 2nd Water), adding new trails seems like a bad idea. Ignoring the issue isn't really an option either as unmarked trails that are not on the map will cause confusion for users and without maintenance will eventually be unusable.

Fortunately we are not the only Forest Service District to deal with these problems. The Jackson Hole Ranger District, on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, has been successful in managing these same issues. In an attempt to manage illegal downhill trails, the Forest Service went looking for a group to adopt them. The Adopt-A-Trail program is a great idea. It allows individuals or groups to assume the responsibility of maintaining any particular trail. This ensures users access for the future and gives them a great sense of ownership. The need for a sponsor of these illegal downhill trails is what gave birth to the Teton Freedom Riders. Under the direction of this unique volunteer group and its founders, the Jackson Hole Ranger District has become a premier downhill biking area. Up to 40 riders arrive to help build trail on every "Dig Day" and local shops help by sponsoring the events with food, drinks, etc.

These efforts eventually got the attention of the Wyoming Business Council who allocated $50,000 in grant money for the construction of new downhill trails. The money generated by biking tourism was a big plus for the community and the potential value was recognized. This money provided wages for about 7 guys working all summer to build downhill specific trails. How cool is that? Now rather than working against each other, Forest Service trail crews and downhill riders are working side by side to build some awesome features.

Currently the Jackson Hole Ranger District has trails designated for Horse/Hiker only, for Cross-Country mountain biking only, and for downhill biking only. These trails are well marked and downhill trails indicate that no uphill travel is permitted. It is the responsibility of the trail adopter (Teton Freedom Riders) to keep these signs properly marked and maintained. Were the TFR to go away, the downhill trails would soon follow suit.

This is where good leadership comes into the picture. Without a good leader who can see to it that the program doesn't fall apart in the winter, these groups die off. This nearly happened with the Teton Freedom Riders. The Uinta Trail Council is a great example of a dependable volunteer group on our District. When we recognize a need on a motorized trail, we simply notify these guys of the need and they pretty much take it from there. By doing so, they protect their privilege and ensure future access. The Teton Freedom Riders have gone so far as to visit Whistler in Canada to learn how to build better features.

The potential is there for our Forest to be a destination biking location. We currently have 31 trails on our District alone designated for mountain bike use. There is potential beyond this for adding non-system trails (Kuntz Flat, near Shram Creek #124) to the map. We need to start somewhere though.

We are currently in the process of planning a "Dig Day" to improve Bennie Creek #071 in Payson Canyon. Work will consist of berm removal, water bar installation, brushing and rock removal. It will probably take place around mid-September. If you are interested in taking part, get in touch with us at SpanishForkTrails@gmail.com