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
If it is an established trail who decides if it is or is not a non system trail? I have been riding these trails since the mid 80's and the trails you speak of have been there for over 20 years. I would consider them established trails.
ReplyDeleteDeciding which trails are system trails is a collaborative process that includes many different people with different areas of expertiese. District Rangers, scientists, engineers, and other staff all play a role in deciding which trails are "system" trails and the map is updated periodically.
ReplyDeleteYou can go ahead and use established non-system trails, just not on a motorized vehicle. The impact is too great.