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I got a call from a lawyer representing the State of California because a mountain biker is suing Annadel State Park. Apparantly he was riding down Spring Creek trail about a year ago when they were preparing to do trail maintainance. At the end of the trail where it merges with Canyon trail, was a pile of gravel. His contention is that he couldn't see the gravel, or didn't know he could ride around it, and went over it, crashed, and got hurt.
I told the lawyer (she got my number because my wife crashed on the same gravel pile and was seen by a ranger who got our phone number) that the gravel pile was easily avoided, and anyone who went over it did so by their own choice. Furthermore, the earlier parts of the trail are way more treacherous than the flat ending of spring creek trail.
A year ago, my wife followed me as I (voluntarily) jumped over the gravel pile. She miscalculated, crashed, and ended up breaking a bone in her hand. But she freely admits she chose to do something that was probably beyond her skill level.
Our state parks have enough financial problems without having to pay everyone who gets hurt on a trail. I'll probably be called as a witness. I told the lawyer if she needs anyone else I'd post on MTBR and she'd probably get more help
I think she said the prosecution has Robert Van Der Plas, author of The Mountain Bike Handbook, as a witness.
I told the lawyer (she got my number because my wife crashed on the same gravel pile and was seen by a ranger who got our phone number) that the gravel pile was easily avoided, and anyone who went over it did so by their own choice. Furthermore, the earlier parts of the trail are way more treacherous than the flat ending of spring creek trail.
A year ago, my wife followed me as I (voluntarily) jumped over the gravel pile. She miscalculated, crashed, and ended up breaking a bone in her hand. But she freely admits she chose to do something that was probably beyond her skill level.
Our state parks have enough financial problems without having to pay everyone who gets hurt on a trail. I'll probably be called as a witness. I told the lawyer if she needs anyone else I'd post on MTBR and she'd probably get more help
I think she said the prosecution has Robert Van Der Plas, author of The Mountain Bike Handbook, as a witness.