[BudhaGoodha]

Our local trails are dedicated for horses and bikes, but for some reason there's hikers who think it's their private land and go out of their way to make deadly traps for bikers.

They move large rocks and put elevated sticks accross the trail in places where a bike will most likely not see them and crash.

I was cruising through a tight, but not blind trail through a section of ferns where the trail is skinny and cover by them. Before I knew it I was doing a giant frog man leap over my handlebars. I landed on my feet just fine and learned that someone had placed a log accross the trail in a spot where it couldn't be seen.

Now I had ridden the same trail the previous day and none of these traps were present, so I know someone has been doing it on purpose.

It really makes me mad. First of all, this is an XC area and ALL of the bikers are over 30 yo very freindly and never go fast at all. Only very curtious people. When I ride I slow down for every blind corner and move off the trail for horses and bikers to pass.

It really makes me sick that a person would do this. I now think I know who's doing it though. There's this one guy I keep seeing who never says hello as I pass him, he just glares at me.

What could I do about this problem. I consider myself a good enough rider not to get hurt by most of the traps, but I guarantee someone is going to seriously hurt themselves out here.

A group of bikers has already taken upon themsleves to remove all of the HATE rocks and HATE sticks on a weekly basis.

I've thought about steaking out a popular booby trap spot for a day just to get a chance to take a picture of this guy (or girl). I don't want to beat him up, just get a picture and post his face at the beggining of every trail with a note about his activities.

What do yo guys recommend?

 

[mtncrawler]

Depends..

What type of land is it? Is it BLM, county maintained and enforced open space, city park? I guess if that was happening in my neck of woods, I might do as you propose and gather more info - pics (even of the "traps") and maybe try and gather some evidence on a person. If there is a local agency that is responsible for that given area and its users, I would contact them first. Maybe talk about the problem with them and hand over any info you have.

I actually got a local agency involved when I witnessed and knew about ORV use in an "off limits" public land set aside for hikers, bikers and horses. They responded pretty well and the guy cam out to document "tracks" left by the ORV and even the area they were riding in from.

So, if turned over to an authority for the area, you may get some professional, legal action as a result. I would not recommend "frontier justice" - although it would probably feel pretty good!

Good luck.

 

[fantom1]

I think the right thing to do would probably be take pictures of the guy setting the traps if you can, and go to the local authorities.....however if it were me I would probably beat the guy up severely. (I know, childish, but Im of the eye for an eye school)

 

[LBmtb]

I think the right thing to do would probably be take pictures of the guy setting the traps if you can, and go to the local authorities.....however if it were me I would probably beat the guy up severely. (I know, childish, but Im of the eye for an eye school)

Haha, that would be my line of action as well.

However the first idea of taking the picture and posting that up was pretty clever and seems a lot more practical. Also contact any authorities that have jurisdiction over the trails first.

 

[skiahh]

You might also check with your local PD. His actions might be considered assault or reckless endangerment or something. So, if you get video of him sabotaging a trail, they could charge him/her with a felony.

 

[Trevor!]

Wow this all rings a bell. But I don't think you ride the same trails I do. Recently a walking group who believe they are a law unto themselves began placing tracks on multi use trails to stop riders from using the trails.

Apart from one or two exceptions for a good bike handler the traps can be overcome, but nonetheless for less established riders.

What pisses me off, is the fact that in all the time I have ridden, either by myself or with groups I have never come across a rider, so see no rational for setting the traps.

The only good thing that has come out of this, is that we are still fine to ride trails and the local municipality is working hard to build bike only park.

Here is a news-clipping about it.

Bushwalkers set biker booby-traps
By Gavin Lower
July 12, 2004

BUSHWALKERS have placed dangerous traps on a Mt Wellington track to stop mountain-bike riders using it, a Hobart rider says.

John Clingo said sticks and rocks were being placed on the Radfords Track, near The Springs, by walkers upset with mountain-bikers who used the track.

Mr Clingo said he had come across walkers on the track angry that riders were using the steep and winding trail.

"Walkers have been putting sticks across the track and rocks in places they should not be," he said.

Under the Wellington Park Management Trust's list of tracks appropriate for mountain-biking, Radfords Track is one where mountain-biking is allowed.

Mr Clingo said that while he had not heard of any riders being hurt by the obstacles, he had heard of one rider who only escaped injury by jumping the hazard.

Mr Lingo said one way to address the issue would be to open the Lenah Valley Track from The Springs to mountain-bike riders.

He is putting together a petition calling for the track, which leads to the start of many mountain-bike tracks at Junction Cabin, to be opened to riders.

Mr Clingo said he believed if the Lenah Valley Track was opened, mountain-bike use on the Radfords Track would drop by half.

He said he did not believe riders on the Lenah Valley Track would be a problem for walkers because it was flat, had few blind corners and riders generally rode slowly along it.

Wellington Park Management Trust executive officer Michael Easton said the trust was aware of obstacles being placed on Radfords Track and did not condone the practice.

"It shows us we need to educate walkers that riders are entitled to use the track," he said.

Mr Easton said the trust believed it was time to review the park's bike strategy but was not proposing to stop riders from using Radfords Track.

He said any petition could be taken into account during the review.

One way the trust was looking at addressing the conflict between walkers and riders was to create a mountain-bike park on the mountain behind Glenorchy, Mr Easton said.

However the park would not have the aim of moving bikes off the mountain but would provide a dedicated riding area that would link with other bike-approved tracks.

Mr Easton said Glenorchy City Council had agreed in principle to put money towards the project and an application for a grant from the State Government had been made.

 

[flowmaster]

It really bugs me when people do that and as much as I want to get mad about it, I just shake my head and defer to karma for their retribution.

 

[BudhaGoodha]

This is happening on public resources land.

I'm starting to think it's a man or a group doing it. One of the traps is a pile of 200 - 400 pound logs that had been rolled into a pile, guess what, they were placed at the exit of a blind corner that dumps off a 12 ft drop if you run into it.

What makes me really mad is that this land is a clear cut area with good trails in it. It's in no way a scenic area. I don't see why people hike through here. It's pretty obvious that it's dedicated for bikes and horses. It really doesn't make sense when there's an old growth forest trail to walk on a couple miles away.

Maybe this is a good time to start making my own single tracks.

 

[pipedream]

Maybe you ought to build some HIKER booby traps. If you've ever been somwhere that cattle are an issue, then you'd know about cattle guards on roads. Basically, they're bars placed across the road's surface with a 2 foot pit beneath them just too wide for a cow to be able to step onto two of the bars, so their hooves fall down between them, and they back up and don't try to cross it. Usually this is complemented with barbed-wire fencing on both sides of the guard.

So, dig a pit on the trail that is most frequented by the traps and see if you can get some of those rollers they use at like UPS stores. Put these in at an interval that a boot cannot fit on two rollers, going across the trail over the pit, and stack up a bunch of briers on either side of the hiker guard so that they can't easily go around it. Then when you're riding the trail, your wheels will glide over the bars, and not their feet. I ought to apply for an evil sidekick position.

 

[BudhaGoodha]

pipedream- It's an idea


but


Horses walk around the area all the time. I like horses and most of the people riding them are freindly.

I think it's just time for me to make some cool hidden trails. There's plenty of clear cuts so All I have to do is move some logs for a trail. Then I have all the spare wood I could ever imagine for building stunts. Clear cuts are a stunt man's dream!

 

[Jm.]

1. Ghillie Suit (sp?)

2. Ruger 10-22 (not necessary though)

3. Camp out

4. Either start firing shots (doesn't have to be at the perp) or get a machete and come at him all crazy-style.