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MTB Rider Stabbed by Hiker

42K views 411 replies 97 participants last post by  DIRTJUNKIE 
#1 ·
Wow, this is crazy: Mountain Biker Stabbed by Hiker After Right of Way Dispute - Pinkbike

A mountain biker in Bellingham was stabbed after a right of way dispute on the Stewart Mountain Trail in Bellingham.

A post on the Whatcom County Sheriff Office Facebook Page reports that deputies were called to a trailhead car park in the 3500 block of Y Road on the afternoon of March 6 after a report of a stabbing with several parties involved.

A group of hikers had been hiking down the multi-use, bi-directional trail when they encountered a mountain biker going up the trail. It appears that neither party was willing to yield and an argument broke out over who had right of way. The Sheriff's report contains two separate versions of what happened next, one from the 69-year-old hiker named Dake Traphagen and the other from the unnamed 66-year-old mountain biker.

Traphagen was interviewed at the trailhead and claims that the mountain biker attacked him with his bike after the disagreement and they fell to the ground. Traphagen then claims that during the altercation he had pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the mountain biker in self-defense to get him off.

The mountain biker was interviewed a few days later however and he stated that he had been riding uphill when he encountered the group of hikers and requested that they move aside. He indicated that he was trying to negotiate a technical section that had exposed tree roots and was clipped into his bike. A male in the group grabbed his handlebars, causing him to lose balance. He and the bike tumbled onto the hiker and became tangled up as the victim was still clipped into the bike. The hiker began hitting him and everyone was yelling for him to get off of the man. He then noticed that it wasn't hitting, but that the hiker had a knife and was stabbing him in the arm and the leg.

The mountain biker left the scene after the altercation and 911 was called by the hikers. The mountain biker called an ambulance later that day with stab wounds and loss of blood. He was first transported to the local hospital then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle due to the severity of his injuries. The final extent of his injuries are not currently known.

After two weeks of investigation by the local Police, Mr Traphagen turned himself in to the Sheriff's Office yesterday and was booked in the Whatcom County Jail for first-degree assault and possession of a dangerous weapon (the knife he used in the incident was a spring blade knife which is not legal to possess in this state).

We wish a quick recovery to the mountain biker involved in this horrific incident. We will update this story as more news comes in.
 
#68 · (Edited)
Reading through this thread surprises me that so many mountain bikers go straight to blaming the mountain biker for getting stabbed and almost dying. He went to the hospital and was airlifted to Harborview hospital, the only Level 1 trauma hospital in WA. They wouldn’t have done that if the biker wasn’t at serious risk of dying.
After the event the hiker went on social media to say he was attacked by the biker and to get people to call the park rangers to demand that those trails are closed to bikers.
After a two week investigation, in which the police interviewed all parties, along with a third-party witness, the police charged the hiker with first degree assault and having an illegal knife. A first degree assault charge is a felony and can result in a life sentence.
What was the biker charged with? Nothing.
Yep, sounds like the police thought it was the biker’s fault and he got what he deserved as well.
 
#74 ·
Reading through this thread surprises me that so many mountain bikers go straight to blaming the mountain biker for getting stabbed and almost dying. He went to the hospital and was airlifted to Harborview hospital, the only Level 1 trauma hospital in WA. They wouldn't have done that if the biker wasn't at serious risk of dying.
I think most people here stopped reading at the part where the it sounds like the guy on the bike tried to force his way through a group of hikers.

I hate the way people think they can read a shitty story like this and get enough of a feel for what actually happened to pass judgement on people one way or the other. Been on the receiving end of that bullshit in the absolute worst possible way.
 
#46 ·
Perhaps the multiple use guidelines need modification? Just kidding
Kidding aside and I hate to throw the wrench in but we need one more on this grid (and not because I'm anti-'E'): E-bikes should yield to everyone (that includes uphill!) I'm glad to let an e-bike pass me in an appropriate spot, but there is no way in hell I'm stopping on an uphill singletrack to let an e-bike pass....they can wait until there is a proper opening in the trail that allows for passing!
 
#16 ·
Yeah, the whole "I own the trail" attitude thing is insane. I hike a lot as well as MTB and it just makes so much more sense to me as a hiker to move off the trail when I encounter a biker. It's way easier for me to step off the trail than for them to stop and move them and the bike off the trail. I'm sure that comes from being an avid MTBer and not just a hiker. When I'm on my bike, I yield to all hikers no matter which way (up or down) I'm going since that the "rule" and I don't want to get stabbed. As my daughter used to say when she was 4 years old when ever we asked he what she would do in any situation... "Be nice". Good advice from a 4 year old.
 
#238 · (Edited)
Good points Carl. I'm a wildlife buff and have learned to look for different body languages and what they mean in all wildlife I'm viewing. After seeing numerous Black Bears in the wild sleeping in trees I've come accustomed to looking for them up high in forested areas. They always pick the largest tree around that have a nice horizontal well covered canopy.

I've seen three bears sleeping in this tree at the same time. This day a month later there was one. A HUGE male boar. I gave him his space and peace and quiet and moved along.

1923270


This day I spotted a Sow female and her three Cubs.
1923353


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They were traveling on a mountain ridge about 200' above a river. I was walking at a fast pace [almost running] on the other side of the river just trying to keep up with them to get some photos. I managed a couple of photos of the group as they entered a clearing. Suddenly the mother stopped looked at me then headed straight downhill towards me. I froze, 45 seconds later she emerged 75-100' max out of the tall grass on the other side of the river directly across from me. I could have been easily taken had she kept coming. I was frozen still as she stopped at the rivers edge, our eyes met, I was frozen [scared as hell] for two minutes which seemed like 20, we were at a standoff. After I was convinced she knew I met no threat to her babies, I then turned slowly and walked away very slowly [in the opposite direction] looking over my shoulder the whole time. She watched me for a few seconds walk away slowly, she then turned and disappeared into the tall weeds behind her and headed up the mountain side back to her cubs.

Respect their space and read body language. Know how to act with the species you're dealing with.
 
#240 ·
Good points Carl. I'm a wildlife buff and have learned to look for different body languages and what they mean in all wildlife I'm viewing. After seeing numerous Black Bears in the wild sleeping in trees I've come accustomed to looking for them up high in forested areas. They always pick the largest tree around that have a nice horizontal well covered canopy.
With your outdoors experience, do you have tips about reading the body language of hikers? ?
 
#41 ·
I always forget that miserable, unhappy people sometimes end up outside doing fun things. I had a guy square up to me like he wanted to fight on the trails once, and the only reason was because I hollered ahead to let him know I was coming. He stopped and was clearly pissed, turned around and squared up directly in the middle of the trail. I stopped and just stared at him, confused. He gave me the "whaddya gonna do bro" shoulder shrug, so I just went wide around him.

People are weird. Kind of unsettling that these situations can devolve into someone getting hurt.
 
#81 ·
This is the part which smells like pure bullshift to me.

"Traphagen was interviewed at the trailhead and claims that the mountain biker attacked him with his bike after the disagreement and they fell to the ground."

Did he pick up the bike and try to smash him upside the head? I'm not sure about you guys, but bikes are not my first choice weapon. Even the idea that he'd deliberately ram someone with the bike while climbing up a hill is bonkers. The statement makes zero sense. I guess he figured telling the cop "He bumped me with his handlebar so I stabbed him" wouldn't come across quite right.
 
#276 ·
A Bellingham hiker is facing a felony assault charge after he allegedly stabbed a mountain biker multiple times during a right-of-way dispute on a trail in early March.
Dake Hartman Traphagen, 69, was charged March 23 in Whatcom County Superior Court with first-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon, a felony, and possession of a dangerous weapon, a gross misdemeanor. Traphagen was released the same day from the Whatcom County Jail on $1,000 cash bail, according to court records.
Traphagen’s arraignment is scheduled for April 12.
“As previously stated at his first appearance, Mr. Traphagen has a very strong self-defense claim which is supported by two independent witnesses who we expect to testify about the attack on my client. Unlike the alleged victim, he remained at the scene and cooperated with law enforcement,” Traphagen’s defense attorney, Angela Anderson, said in a prepared statement sent to The Bellingham Herald. “My client is a 69-year-old man who cares about his community, volunteers often, and has no history of violence or aggression. We ask that people refrain from judgment and let the truth come out through the court process.”
RIGHT OF WAY ARGUMENT Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies were called to the 3500 block of Y Road on the afternoon of March 6 for the report of a stabbing on the Stewart Mountain Trail. Deputies spoke with a group of hikers, including Traphagen, at the trailhead parking lot.
The group of hikers said they were hiking down the trail when they came across a mountain biker going up the trail, according to a previous story in The Bellingham Herald. An argument followed over which had the right of way on the trail. A witness who was not with the group of hikers but who came upon the altercation told deputies Traphagen allegedly said the biker attacked him and that the biker was not following the rule of yielding the right of way to hikers, the court records state.
Traphagen allegedly told deputies he felt threatened for his life and stabbed the victim, according to court records.
Deputies interviewed the 66-year-old victim several days later and were told that in that particular area there is a large tree root that crosses the trail. The biker stated he was not going very fast, but had enough speed to hop over the root, according to court records. The biker also stated his shoes were clipped into the pedals of his bike and that it’s difficult to unclip them at slow speeds while traveling uphill.
The victim told deputies that he allegedly announced as he was riding his bike uphill and asked the group of hikers to move several times. The biker told deputies Traphagen allegedly said no and then grabbed his bicycle’s handlebars and the pair fell over, the court records state. The biker landed on top of Traphagen, according to court records.
The victim told deputies he didn’t hit, swing or threaten Traphagen. The victim said one of the female hikers who was with Traphagen grabbed his helmet and started pulling it, which choked him, as Traphagen allegedly began to stab him, according to court records.
MULTIPLE INJURIES One of the other women who was hiking with Traphagen took a video of the incident, which appears to show the victim attempting to stand up while his helmet is being grabbed by the other woman, court records state. All of the hikers are yelling at the biker to get off of Traphagen, according to court records.
The woman let go of the biker’s helmet, and Traphagen pushed the victim off of him. The victim stood up and grabbed his bike. The woman who grabbed the biker’s helmet asked what was wrong with him, and the biker allegedly said Traphagen stabbed him multiple times. Traphagen allegedly responded that “you are lucky,” court records state.
The biker asked for someone to call 911 at least three times, according to the court records. The woman who filmed part of the incident called, and allegedly told dispatchers she didn’t know Traphagen had a knife and she was concerned the victim would pass out on his way down the trail due to his injuries, according to court records.
The witness who was not with either party who came upon the incident said they wanted to perform first aid on the biker, but didn’t feel it was safe due to “the aggressive behavior” coming from Traphagen and one of the women he was with, the court records state.
The victim returned to his home and paramedics were later called due to “excessive blood loss from stab wounds,” the court records state.
The biker was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle due to the extent of his injuries. The man was stabbed five times, and a major nerve in his arm was severed, according to court records. The biker has lost feeling in multiple fingers and was told there could be permanent damage, the records state.
Traphagen allegedly had a spring-blade knife, which is illegal to possess in Washington. Traphagen turned himself in on the morning of March 23, according to court records.
 
#282 ·
MULTIPLE INJURIES One of the other women who was hiking with Traphagen took a video of the incident, which appears to show the victim attempting to stand up while his helmet is being grabbed by the other woman, court records state.
It's good that there's video documentation.

The witness who was not with either party who came upon the incident said they wanted to perform first aid on the biker, but didn't feel it was safe due to "the aggressive behavior" coming from Traphagen and one of the women he was with, the court records state.
Ooof. It's good that there was at least one impartial witnesses too.
 
#131 ·
Did anyone else pick this up off his website? Kinda cryptic if you ask me....

My view
In this age of digital relationships, digital sound, and immediate gratification, we often lose sight of the hands-on nature of the arts. To me, guitar making is more than technique or science, more than just the finished product. It is an experiential, hands-on relationship one develops over years of trial and error, and comes to life when one develops a deeper insight into the medium with which one is involved. And if you don't agree with me, I will stab you in your stupid ass!
 
#320 ·
I got this update from a local (Bellingham) radio station:

this case is still pending jury trial due to two continuances. The defendant was held on $1,000 bail and that was posted 3/26/21 and he was released that day. A jury trial was scheduled for 7/6/21, but an order of continuance was filed 6/30/21. The trial was rescheduled for 9/13/21, but on 8/18/21 there was another order of continuance granted. The trial is now set for 11/1/21 at 9am.

Marcus
 
#28 · (Edited)
I suspect we've all struggled to get untangled from our bikes in the past. I'm just trying to picture some dude grabbing the bars and both of us getting stuck underneath the bike with me on top. Then trying to extract myself from the bike while clipped in with an upset hiker pinned underneath me.

I can imagine a lot of confusion on everyone's part.
 
#39 · (Edited)
EDIT: This whole situation: Beta male pissing contest.

A complete unraveling of trail etiquette turned lizard brain. Local multi-use trails typically have signage that basically puts bikes at the bottom of the pecking order in terms of ROW.

I struggle when people get so worked up and entitled in multi-use outdoor spaces and are completely ignorant to LNT and trail etiquette. It's there for everyone, know the rules and abide by them. I do not condone the stabbing, but the biker choosing to get tangled up with foot traffic when denied space and access to pass is completely on him. He would have also known the hikers were uncooperative had he tactfully engaged in a verbal exchange with them earlier.
 
#147 ·
...man, all of this is even more reason why I do more of my riding when it is 32ºF and below...

freezing cold and snow weed out a lot of the riff raff...
 
#215 ·
I didn't really intend to get sucked into this convo... just read some amazing comments that left me shaking my head.

Anyway - the best weapon against a bear, isn't a weapon at all - it's your brain. Being educated on wildlife and having situational awareness will prevent you from having an adversarial encounter you really have almost no chance of winning anyway. Most negative encounters are about what you did or failed to notice.

Watch how fast this black bear runs after another bear (and how it scales a tree!) in this video:

Same video here but with more footage:

I've seen hundreds of bears on my property or in the wild proper. Amazing creatures and are due respect. If they want to move or charge, you will be taken back on how fast they are. Best of luck on retrieving a weapon that requires precision accuracy and likely won't impede the bear anyway. The idea of carrying as a first line of defense is laughable. I'm no expert but when I read/hear some people say cray-cray things I'm like "the only people who believe that are people who never seen a bear react".... run away or climb a tree or remove a weapon from a backpack and draw?...psffft.

1) Judgement & awareness
2) Bear spray
3) Prayers and guns

I can't say that it's no chance or maybe wouldn't see you survive something you wouldn't ordinarily - a stalking situation maybe.... but if you were actually serious about safety and outcomes, you'd educate yourself on their behavior and apply yourself to being attentive & diligent.

virtually all black bear encounters are not hostile. Most 'scary' situations you hear about are due to people and frankly are probably not overly life-threatening - but understandably perceived that way. Camp scavengers and such.

All that goes out the window with browns - that is not my area tho - Im sure Jayem can educate
 
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