Marin, Bikes and Trail Access

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_13210153

This debate has been going on forever. It's tired and pointless. Mt. Tam is never going to be open to bikes and I'm really not sure it should be or that I want it to be. Bikes are hard on trails and trail users. They are fast, loud and dangerous when the rider doesn't have a real, vested interest in being considerate and sane.

The Marin locals that really know the mountain understand this. The guys I know that ride Marin hard care about the mountain, care about other trail users and really aren't the ones bitching about a lack of good single track to ride.......they know how to ride the good stuff and how to do it under the radar. They ride at 5am or in the middle of the night, or when it's pouring rain or the fog is so thick and the North West winds are so strong no one else wants to be outside. They study maps and pay attention to usage patterns on the mountain. They know what trails are too far to be accessible by foot 30 minutes before dark and which trails are going to be full of tourists and they plan rides accordingly. And if they get sloppy about it, or lazy, or inconsiderate, or occasionally unlucky they pay the price in tickets.

It's funny. The super aggressive people that are all about No Bikes, you don't find them 4 miles up Tam at 8pm or above Woodacre an hour after sunrise on a Saturday. They are hiking Steep Ravine at 9am on a Tuesday. The hikers and equestrians you do meet way out in West Marin, when you are miles off the beaten track, they are almost always cool. There is a mutual respect between people who put up with cold and rain and other obstacles to do what they love.......whether they are hikers or bikers or they are just Marin cruisers who like to burn a breakfast bowl and watch the sunrise.

If you really want to ride illegal trails, get up early or stay up late. Invest in a light system. Bikes are faster than hikers you should be able to get there first. If you insist on riding Troop 80 at noon on a Saturday you deserve the ticket and the mouthful you are inevitably going to get from angry, scared hikers........

Go Ride!