[SteamDonkey]

I was at Skeggs yesterday and heard that there were two rangers on MX bikes bouncing around the place. I didn't actually see them but there were a bunch of peeps in the parking lot that saw them. I think they were sticking to fire roads cause I only saw their treads on the way up El Corte Madera.

I heard that they were trying to catch people poaching (North Leaf, South Leaf, etc... were closed).

I dunno, I've been riding at Skeggs like 1 or 2 times a week for the last 4 years or so and have never seen anything like that before. I've seen them in trucks but never on MX.

Anyone else seen this before? Anyone see these guys yesterday?

 

[AL29er]

They hit the singletrack too. We were heading down fir, then turned back up towards skeggs and ran into them back on the wider singletrack. Not a bad job for them, maybe I should try to sign up for some volunteer time

 

[tron]

I saw them..

They were coming down gordon mill as I was climbing up, we intersected
near the bottom of steam donkey. I wouldn't say they were on motorcross
bikes they were more like bikes for kids with those big tires. They were
actually taking it pretty slow. Like I said this was on the opposite end of
the closed trails so I don't think they were there exclusively for the poaching
of N/S Leaf.
This wasn't the first time I saw them. I guess about a month ago I was coming
down Manzanita on the rocky section and I made a turn and almost ran
straight into one ranger on the bike, he really scared me, I couldnt hear him
coming at all. and there was only one.

I was at Skeggs yesterday and heard that there were two rangers on MX bikes bouncing around the place. I didn't actually see them but there were a bunch of peeps in the parking lot that saw them. I think they were sticking to fire roads cause I only saw their treads on the way up El Corte Madera.

I heard that they were trying to catch people poaching (North Leaf, South Leaf, etc... were closed).

I dunno, I've been riding at Skeggs like 1 or 2 times a week for the last 4 years or so and have never seen anything like that before. I've seen them in trucks but never on MX.

Anyone else seen this before? Anyone see these guys yesterday?

 

[Original Goose]

I was at Skeggs yesterday and heard that there were two rangers on MX bikes bouncing around the place. I didn't actually see them but there were a bunch of peeps in the parking lot that saw them. I think they were sticking to fire roads cause I only saw their treads on the way up El Corte Madera.

I heard that they were trying to catch people poaching (North Leaf, South Leaf, etc... were closed).

I dunno, I've been riding at Skeggs like 1 or 2 times a week for the last 4 years or so and have never seen anything like that before. I've seen them in trucks but never on MX.

Anyone else seen this before? Anyone see these guys yesterday?

I saw them there three weeks ago during a ride. I think I crossed paths with the same ranger twice. Once on Tafoni and once on one of the fire roads in the middle... maybe Gordon Mill. He wasn't on a MX bike. It was more like a street bike - fairly smooth tires, upright riding position. Didn't look like it would handle singletrack or a mud pit very well at all, actually. But there were a couple of rockslides around the park which would have kept a truck from getting down the fireroads, so they may have been using the bikes for greater mobility.

I gotta tell ya, I'm not pleased about that at all.

 

[SinglePivot]

looks like this
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/products/unitinfo/2/mcy/6/10/0/yamaha_tw200.aspx

-Sp

I saw them there three weeks ago during a ride. I think I crossed paths with the same ranger twice. Once on Tafoni and once on one of the fire roads in the middle... maybe Gordon Mill. He wasn't on a MX bike. It was more like a street bike - fairly smooth tires, upright riding position. Didn't look like it would handle singletrack or a mud pit very well at all, actually. But there were a couple of rockslides around the park which would have kept a truck from getting down the fireroads, so they may have been using the bikes for greater mobility.

I gotta tell ya, I'm not pleased about that at all.

 

[Original Goose]

looks like this
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/products/unitinfo/2/mcy/6/10/0/yamaha_tw200.aspx

-Sp

That wasn't what I saw. I saw them on something which looked more like a CHP bike. I was really surprised they were riding it off road, actually. But they might have multiple cycles in use.

 

[HarryCallahan]

Seems like a curious choice

I used to do some offroad motorcycling. Big heavy bikes are not optimum for tough, steep terrain, even if you are a really big person. A mid sized (200 to 350cc) bike would make a far more capable patrol machine.

Check out this offering from Honda. A 4 stroke bike like this would be quiet, yet able to climb most technical cycling trails.

https://powersports.honda.com/assets/images/model/model_hero_shot/motorcycles/2004/large/XR250R.jpg

 

[SinglePivot]

I agree the xr250 would be a better choice *if* your main goal was trail riding. That yamaha is very very very quiet and I assume those big fat tires are more low impact than what comes on any enduro/trailbike. They just want to put-put around as quietly as possible. and its fast enough to catch anyone on a mtb :-/

Maybe they have more than 1 style of bike, but I did see a ranger on one of these yamahas back in early fall. I just hope skeggs doesn't turn into a mini marin headlands.

-Sp

I used to do some offroad motorcycling. Big heavy bikes are not optimum for tough, steep terrain, even if you are a really big person. A mid sized (200 to 350cc) bike would make a far more capable patrol machine.

Check out this offering from Honda. A 4 stroke bike like this would be quiet, yet able to climb most technical cycling trails.

https://powersports.honda.com/assets/images/model/model_hero_shot/motorcycles/2004/large/XR250R.jpg

 

[budgie]

Saw those guys coming down Resolution earlier this winter. They were having a hard time with the rooty section: didn't look fun. They claimed to be clearing felled trees, but without any chainsaws or such my guess is they were trying to catch poachers when all those trails were closed.

FYI, the signs claim that poaching trails at Skeggs is a misdemeanor, plus a fine. Definitey has kept me on my best behavior!

 

[Shwaa]

Hmmm

Hmmm I saw 2 what looked to be very YOUNG "rangers" on these dirtbikes about 2 weeks ago when I was climbing Resolution, they were coming down it, ranger attire and all. They scared the hell outta me, and I gave them a dirty look. The looks on their faces were something like "woops, we aren't supposed to be here". I am curious as well.

 

[HarryCallahan]

Single Pivot, thanks for the additional info on the Yamahas. You make some good points. Back in the day, I had 2 different bikes. A Honda XR200 was quiet and stealthy, with good compression braking for tricky descents, but not slack enough for sandy spots. Then there was the IT 175 Yamaha, not stealthy, all about rpm and going fast.

Hey, we've got nothing to fear, right? Cause we're all following the rules.

 

[rpet]

That is so unnecessary. Such an overly crowded and impacted trail system doesn't need lazy rangers on motos riding the singletrack. It would be worth a few complaints calls to HQ, guys.

Especially considering that the whole Woodside/King's Mtn. region used to have *major* MX traffic and still does have a fair bit on some of the private lands within a mile of Skeggs. Rangers should be leading by example. I can just see the chuckleheads gassing their Suzukis and thinking "well, I saw a ranger riding one..."

I don't see why rangers even need to take trucks down in Skeggs... they rarely ever fix the big bridges or anything like that, so why the need for any heavy equipment?
I'd say *maybe* 1 guy on a quad with a trailer to lug the shovels up/down the fireroad and the rest of the trail maintenance team should be hoofing it. It's not like this is real backcountry or something.

-rob in NY

 

[SteamDonkey]

Rob-

You are so right. I was thinking about complaining to HQ about it but thought that may be overboard. The more I think about it, the more I think it's BS that these guys are on MX's in the preserve. And wtf are these guys doing on trails like Resolution, Manzanita, and Tafoni anyway? Going downhill it is tight but possible to avoid another MTB coming the other way. MX's would be tough to avoid. On top of all that, El Corte Madera was really soupy near the bottom. You have to wonder what they were thinking taking MX's on that trail with it being so saturated.

Also who wants to listen to moto engines out there? It was bad enough that some fktard was out on a downhill bike on Resolution with a backpack boombox Sunday.

That is so unnecessary. Such an overly crowded and impacted trail system doesn't need lazy rangers on motos riding the singletrack. It would be worth a few complaints calls to HQ, guys.

Especially considering that the whole Woodside/King's Mtn. region used to have *major* MX traffic and still does have a fair bit on some of the private lands within a mile of Skeggs. Rangers should be leading by example. I can just see the chuckleheads gassing their Suzukis and thinking "well, I saw a ranger riding one..."

I don't see why rangers even need to take trucks down in Skeggs... they rarely ever fix the big bridges or anything like that, so why the need for any heavy equipment?
I'd say *maybe* 1 guy on a quad with a trailer to lug the shovels up/down the fireroad and the rest of the trail maintenance team should be hoofing it. It's not like this is real backcountry or something.

-rob in NY

 

[Ogre]

Empty trails

I was at Skeggs yesterday and heard that there were two rangers on MX bikes bouncing around the place. I didn't actually see them but there were a bunch of peeps in the parking lot that saw them. I think they were sticking to fire roads cause I only saw their treads on the way up El Corte Madera.

You guys really make me appreciate the trails we have out here. No speeding tickets, no rangers chasing us on MX bikes, heck on a 'busy' Saturday I saw 1 group of hikers and 6-8 cyclists over a 7 hour period of time. The only rangers were helping us with trail work. The biggest problem we've had lately has been vegitation overgrowing the trails because they don't get enough traffic. Well that and the fact that the trails turn brown and hot in the summer.

 

[jpre]

Just for the sake of saying it, Skeggs used to be an MX park long ago wasn't it?

 

[rpet]

jpre - I didn't mean to come off as anti-moto, as I am an occasional dirt biker myself. I'm not sure if Skeggs in particular was an "official" MX park at any time, but I do know that the whole peninsula mountain system from Pacifica down to Aptos was pretty much an offroad free-for-all 30+ years ago.

You can still see Ford carcasses and miscellaneous rusting engine blocks on Montara Mountain, on the beach near Mavericks and all through the woods off of highway 35.

Things have changed quite a bit as the area has been tamed and the human population has exploded, though there is still a fair bit of illegal offroading, as well as game poaching and "farming."

To be clear: there is also still *legal* MXing in these parts on private lands; I have friends who are property owners and enduro riders on "the mountain" quite close to El Corte, and I have participated in a bit of throttle twisting in these redwoods (but never on public lands).

Though Skeggs and other parks may butt up against less-regulated private areas that are used for various activities, I hope that the parks can remain a refuge for flora, fauna and low-impact (non-motorized) park users. With the incessant development, these little oases will become even more crucial.

-r

 

[jpre]

jpre - I didn't mean to come off as anti-moto, as I am an occasional dirt biker myself. I'm not sure if Skeggs in particular was an "official" MX park at any time, but I do know that the whole peninsula mountain system from Pacifica down to Aptos was pretty much an offroad free-for-all 30+ years ago.

I didn't mean to come off as pro-moto. I was just blathering out loud. And perhaps reminiscing about freedom that isn't to be anymore.