What if you did not have many trails to ride where you lived? What if the trails you rode became undocumented after the area became a wilderness? Would you feel the same way? Most folks never think of what is really right or for others, just themselves.
That's Non Sequitur.
Because it is a lot harder to ride a bike off trail than to hike off trail. There is no reason too. However, some could hike their bike. I do that in the forest. I will carry or push it up and down real steep terrain. What riders could also do is build undocumented trails. That is a possibility
What? Do you mean riding dirt bikes in the Wilderness? Who is advocating that?
In the wilderness? What about monster trucks and army tanks? So, you are saying if we let mtn bikes in the wilderness then people will be driving their trucks in the wilderness too? I doubt that.
I think it is a right for us to access "our" public lands and I do agree that there will be some restrictions. Some folks like LOTS of restrictions, some folks like FEW restrictions, more or less.
Why not limit the number of people accessing the wilderness? Make a lottery system? Don't people on horses have less impact on deer and elk?
No, I was trying to understand what you were saying. I did not intend to pass them off as your opinion. This type of communication on posts is much more difficult than talking. Yes, you are correct, access our public lands is not a right. However, it is our land, we the people own it, not the blm or the forest circus. The agencies that administer these lands serve the people. I believe there should be some restrictions and believe there are way too many now. I'm not really ever "happy" with restrictions, however, I agree some are needed. Like most people I don't like it when things I enjoy get restricted, but I understand that some things I enjoy should and are restricted. Mtn bikes should have some restrictions. I believe in getting more folks into our public lands, even if it negatively effects my time in the outdoors. I don't ride horses, but want them to have access. I don't belive in motorized equipment in wilderness, and it getting developed. In fact the only thing I can think of allowing in their that isn't already allowed is wheels, like game carts, bikes, stollers, and I think scooters that are pulled by dogs. I may never ride my mtn bike in a wilderness if it becomes legal, because it's a long drive to me. I'm in favor of it, because I think it's the right thing to do. I try my best not to be selfish, or hypocritical as much as posdible and yes sometimes I am, because I'm human.
I don't understand what either of you are saying? Are you saying some day you won't be physically able to access wilderness, right? Dewarcher, what do you mean by "selfish to eliminate future generations from enjoying that same incredible experience of solitude just because YOU can't get there anymore?" What do you mean? What will happen to eliminate future generations from enjoying the wilderness? Mtn bikes?
I see the domino, or slippery slope? It could stop right now, which it probaby will or end after bikes. It should be real difficult to change, which it is. If the country decides to do away with willderness and build condos, because that is what the owners of the land, we the people want, and are willing to legislate to get it done, so be it. I'm totally against that happening, of course. I'm in favor of allowing mtn bikes in the wilderness and the local areas restricting and/or regulating them. I'm not really convinced that mtn bikes were meant to be excluded from the wilderness. In any case if this fails, that's fine. It's not like wilderness is the only place to mtn bike either.
