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  • #31
    Originally posted by FishPOET View Post
    The 400K was spent closing unauthorized routes.
    So after 6 months of trying to let my incredibly hot level of anger at the SBNF simmer down, I finally ventured out to see just what the desecration level really was. It was bad. It was exactly what I feared it would be, only worse, because it was Stupid!

    I predicted that the manner in which SBNF went about this would create a scofflaw problem, and it abundantly has come true.

    I started on the traditional west side, heading east. The first half the trail is absolutely ruined. The two most fun parts of the trail are now blocked, heinously. The TreadLightly and Leave Only Footprints ethos was shat on by the SBNF. I have seen slash and burn fire emergency firebreaks done with less environmental harm. And they think the OHV crowd is the problem? Fools! Where is the weeping Indian in this story? He sure would not be on SBNF's side on this issue based on what they've done.

    With such good examples of land stewardship, the good people of LA have learned their lesson, and responded in kind. The west side of the trail was a trash dump the whole way up. I was disgusted. But at the same time, I was motivated. I quickly filled up my TrashaRoo, and was thinking of planning a Clean Up day...but then I started putting two and two together. I noted that the "Adopted By" sign at the west side was blank. As if the previous club just gave up in disgust at what the SBNF had done. I don't blame them. I then noted that all the blocked routes where fairly heavily traffic'd anyway. A few 4x4 tracks, but mostly motorcycles it appeared to me. Nonetheless, the new bypasses to the heinous blockages are quite prevalent, and ample evidence that SBNF's stewardship and actions do not represent the will of the people.

    As I progressed to the east side of the trail, I noted two major items of interest. There weren't any fresh bypasses, and there was virtually no trash.

    Since the SBNF did not molest the land on the east side (yet), the trail users treated it with respect and care. It has changed very little in the past 6 to 8 months.

    My will to organize a clean up dissolved back into straight out anger at the SBNF. They created the condition the trail is in now. They can clean it up. They apparently have the money. They sure didn't seem shy about blowing half a million dollars in scarring the land. I think they must like it this way. If someone as simple as me can predict this behavior and result, surely they can too. I can't help but think this is all intentional. Screw prop 21. The only thing they do with more money is use it to destroy the land, and take away my rights to enjoy it. Oh, and double their salaries during an economic crisis.

    Segment 141, Map 1
    People creating a highway of a bypass around a blockage





    Immediately adjacent to the blockage, they inexplicably left this ugly, pointless, route open. Obviously, protecting the trail and the environment was not the selection criteria!


    They closed the most fun part of the entire Cleghorn route, but as you can see, the Public do not agree. I was actually pretty shocked at the blatant disregard for the closure. I think this is Segment 143, Map 2:




    Here is what the east side of Segment 143 looks like:


    Immediately after 143, I was totally surprised that they kept this little rutted hill open. Here is a great example of an unnecessary side trail, that has been illegally widened in the past year or two, where erosion is occurring, and trail blockage would actually make perfect sense, but no, they kept it:


    I hate LA "culture"


    So they spend half a million dollars, and do ZERO trail clean up. Last year the radio antenna blew down, but does SBNF make the owners clean it up? Apparently not? Does the SBNF clean it up using the license and permit fees the collected from the radio tower owners? No of course not. They want volunteers to do it, because SBNF are such good stewards, they deserve our free time and labor.


    Coming down the east side of the crestline, I was surprised to find that this might have been a blocked trail? There was no evidence of blockage on the west side....And does the SBNF concern itself with fire threats? Here they actually CREATED a fuel dump for a future fire. It's mind boggling.



    Now I get to segment 144, map 2, and I find this. Is it closed, or is it open? I searched the bushes, dug through the dirt vainly looking for a remnant of a trail closure sign. There was none to be found. When I reached the far point where this OHV segment rejoins the main road, there was a group of Jeepers at the bottom of the hill. They told me SBNF removed the signs and opened this segment back up. Who knows? There was certainly no evidence to the contrary. Entire trees had been cleared for the new path, so it looks legit, but I can't tell.



    Chicken Corner (segment 145) is definitely closed:



    Oddly, the fence at the bottom of Suicide Hill (or whatever it was known as) was gone, and there were a lot of tracks up it. All motorcycle tracks. The fence posts at the top of this short hill climb were still in place.


    The big hill on the east side is still open. In fact, after Chicken Corner, everything was still open, and pristine, with no trash that I could find.
    The rock ledge at the top of the hill has gotten a bit more challenging though. I need to engage my lockers!

    The spacing of the ruts is what creates the difficulty. All four wheels are in holes, up against a vertical ledge


    Cool cloud view on top:


    The east side is still fun:



    Broke my ORO swaybar disconnect on this flex.


    Broke the 'axle' of the swaybar clean off:

    Field repair:


    On the east side trail entrance, the AAT sign post said that the Drifters Jeep Club controlled this trail. Is that true?
    Off road adventure photography:

    TreadLightly Trainer
    Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
    HAM - KI6PFO

    2005 Rubicon Unlimited + trailer

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    • #32
      Get involved with some of the off road organizations. CAl 4wheel, corva, Blue ribbon. This forum can't do anything on its own. Lots of individuals want to wheel but don't want to join clubs or organizations to help keep trails open. Participate in some of the organized events. Get involved.
      1994 Toyota, dual cases, 5.29 axles with ARB's

      Comment


      • #33
        Originally posted by igofshn View Post
        This forum can't do anything on its own.

        I'm hoping to be able to report this will not be the case anymore. We will know in a few months.
        [CENTER][COLOR=#ff0000]Resistance Off Road
        [/COLOR]Join the Resistance...
        http://www.resistanceoffroad.us[/CENTER]

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        • #34
          Talk does nothing. You need to have resources to get things done. Money and donations help. The organizations like I mentioned earlier have money and resources to get things done. Again I say get involved.
          1994 Toyota, dual cases, 5.29 axles with ARB's

          Comment


          • #35
            Originally posted by igofshn View Post
            Talk does nothing. You need to have resources to get things done. Money and donations help. The organizations like I mentioned earlier have money and resources to get things done. Again I say get involved.
            I am involved as are a lot of others here. Positive attitudes help too! And by the way, talkin does plenty if you speak to the right people.
            [CENTER][COLOR=#ff0000]Resistance Off Road
            [/COLOR]Join the Resistance...
            http://www.resistanceoffroad.us[/CENTER]

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            • #36
              Originally posted by nwoods View Post
              So after 6 months of trying to let my incredibly hot level of anger at the SBNF simmer down, I finally ventured out to see just what the desecration level really was. It was bad. It was exactly what I feared it would be, only worse, because it was Stupid!

              I predicted that the manner in which SBNF went about this would create a scofflaw problem, and it abundantly has come true.
              Nathan,
              I truly understand your anger, but please don't aim this at the SBNF folks that support the off-road community.

              The Cleghorn Road is 20 minutes from my house. It is where I have tested almost all of my new modifations to my Jeep over the years. It hurt me more that I can say when some of the side trails were closed. But I can say with confidence that at least ONE voice was heard before the route designation rules closed these trails.

              I attended the High Desert meeting to discuss the changes in 2007. I put in writing why I thought that the side trails should be kept open. I did a lot of homework. I used the SBNF road designations posted on-line that included these side trails as a known and numbered trail as my arguement.

              I can say with confidence that the folks that we work with on a regular basis in the SBNF were not supportive of these closures. It was clear in 2007 and it is still clear today.

              Don't blame the USFS, blame our lack of knowledge of the political power channels.

              We are ignorant! We as a offroad community are fragmented and useless as a political front. We are political morons when it comes to defending the things that we love most!

              Unfortunately, losing some of the Cleghorn side trails were the cost of me learning this lesson. We seriously need to find a way to unite on a national and monetary level to defeat the powers that want NO MOTORIZED vehicles on ANY road that is not PAVED!

              We can start by voting OUT Boxer in this election and Feinstein in the next election.

              Just go to the polls and vote people, really, Just VOTE.
              Last edited by Mike; 10-25-10, 11:20 PM.
              [COLOR=#ff8c00]MYJEEP(crawls)ROCKS(again).com

              I have finally stopped drinking for good.
              Now I drink for evil..... :devil:
              [/COLOR]

              Comment


              • #37
                AMEN MIKE!

                I couldnt have said it better myself.

                Thank you!

                Tam
                2002 TJ on 35s a bit of lift with some stuff
                Rock-ItMan all the way around

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                • #38
                  Originally posted by JeepGal View Post
                  AMEN MIKE!

                  I couldnt have said it better myself.

                  Thank you!

                  Tam
                  [COLOR="Blue"]I also second that, Mike.

                  mk[/COLOR]

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                  • #39
                    friggin ridiculous. Still, be happy you actually have trails to still ride on. They've closed EVERYTHING in 200miles of me because of pot growers and meth labs.
                    beer.. the cause of, and solution to.. all of life's problems. Come find me. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000361801890

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                    • #40
                      I stopped at the Ranger Station near the Discovery Center (closed Wed and Thur) today and picked up a map from the outside display that was dated Sept 2010 and it does not show the recently closed trails. Sad. Guess I could have just gone around the fence (since I was on my bike) and if I got caught would show them the map I just got. I know

                      By the way, today was a great day to be old and retired. Did a 100 mile loop from the house up the mountain and back. Perfect!
                      Rich

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                      • #41
                        Volunteer hours

                        Saw this linked on Pirate:

                        http://www.highlandnews.net/articles...1770485994.txt
                        Rich

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                        • #42
                          Originally posted by Ol Man View Post
                          Very nice article but they do not mention of the AAT Program. :dunno:

                          I would be interested in seeing the total hours between the two programs.
                          Check out .

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Rich,

                            Thanks for the link on that article. Very Cool.

                            The new maps purposely are altered from the older maps to take old existing trails, mining roads, mines and other features off. I guess someone thinks if you don't see it on the map then you won't want to find that historical stuff. I have all of my old maps and would share when someone wants to see whats really out there

                            And by the way....The new blocked trails look like crap. How ugly and embarrassing.

                            Mitch

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                            • #44
                              I need to correct my first post. I cited segment 143 as one more fun routes that was closed, but I think it's actually segment 142.

                              I am still seething mad at SBNF's criminal misuse of public funds on this issue. I still am shocked that a something as basic as signs as the trailhead are not used to notify trail users of potential closures. It's a deliberate, tactical omission. They don't want our opinion. That's why they make it so hard to figure out what they are doing. My government's actions make anarchy seem like a rational response.
                              Off road adventure photography:

                              TreadLightly Trainer
                              Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
                              HAM - KI6PFO

                              2005 Rubicon Unlimited + trailer

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Nathan,

                                As you know, I just ran Cleghorn this weekend as part of the pre-run for next month's Expedition Portal beginners trail run. It was hard to tell where the "restoration" work to block the illegal trails was done. In fact, it was hard to tell if a bypass was illegal or not; the rocks have been scattered and/or new, well-worn paths around the rocks exist. The west end of the v-notch on Cleghorn has many large rocks at the west end, which tells me that it's not an authorized route but there is a well-worn trail that goes around those rocks. A few of the bypasses along the eastern half of the route don't seem to have had any rocks or rehab work to block them, so I assume that they are authorized bypasses, but they don't have any signs indicating that they are "open" either. I saw one sign post on the western portion of Cleghorn that was near a bypass that said "Stay on Designated Route" but I couldn't tell from its placement whether that meant that the bypass was legal or not, and I saw one faded pink signpost that said "No Motorized Vehicles" that clearly meant to me that the bypass was illegal, even though the rocks were moved aside and there were plenty of tire tracks going up the bypass. Whereas on the Pilot Rock trail (2N33) there are signs which indicate the open legal bypasses (the signs say "Open Route" and they have a black diamond symbol on them) but I didn't see any such signs on Cleghorn. I don't know if they were maliciously removed or if they never existed.

                                I'm sure that Ranger Greg and other FS officials are getting frustrated by the lack of regard for the illegal bypass closures but it would be helpful if signs were posted to show the open and the closed routes.

                                Russ
                                If you don't like the way I drive, stay out of the bushes!
                                KI6MLU

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