Posted on May 13 at 4:21 p.m.

If you don't want people to be emotional you need to be much more responsible about how you write things. You have attacked a user group and then play it off like you were just trying to explore issues to get people to talk to resolve issues. If you don't want fire don't light the match.

The switch backs that you referred to are not primarily from bikes. From what I saw they are from foot travel. That would not be a good alternative path for a bike. For one it is just as easy to continue down the trail, and two if you did not take the first one the second one would be impossible to turn into. So how did it get there? The ironic thing is that you did not include a picture of the switch back a little further down the trail or discuss why it is there. I witnessed a dog come down the cut back and slide dirt down it. It is not a cut that a bike would take as it would jam you into the wall. Did Frank have his dog on a 6 foot leash and keep it on the trail? My guess is the dog ran free on and off the trail and used the cut back that you are blaming solely on bikes. It might have even toppled the lily too. If a bike hit those lilies it must have been from a crash. Bikes don't just wonder around off trail like a dog, horse or hiker can and do.Can you do an article on the costs of dogs on the trails.

In general the trail is in amazing condition. If it is a little wider because of bikes that is a good thing as it gives room to safely pass other users and keeps the vegetation back so we do not have to spend money grooming the trail as much. I am not seeing you or Frank point out all the broken poison oak twigs.

My concern with any user pushing against other users is that it then becomes more tedious and annoying and expensive to manage the users than to maintain the trails. If you really don't want to chase bikes off the trails then stop pushing. Do you really want trail cops? Right now it is a great place for many people. Let's leave it at that and use our energy for maintenance and education. And let the Front Country Task Force do their thing.

On The Hidden Costs of Mountain Biking

Posted on May 7 at 8:31 p.m.

I see you are on an anti bike campaign. What are the ethics of using your position as a member of the press to reinforce your personal agenda? Your arguments against bikes on the trail have a couple of holes and are misleading. Studies have shown that bikes, hikers and horses do about the same amount of damage, so it is just as valid to suggest eliminating hikers instead of bikes. I think the picture showing the illegal cut back is from hikers not bikers. ( I will have to investigate, but I have never seen this cut back on my bike). The trail maintenance cost you declare to be prohibitive is more than covered. There are now many volunteers maintaining the trails and many are mountain bikers. Mother nature will cause way more damage than any user group. Are you going to regulate Mother Nature next? If the plants you are showing are that endangered the trails should be shut down. Otherwise they are unfortunate victims of all users. Are you sure no dogs or people or horses have ever toppled over any vegetation? Once again I must point out that you are causing problems for multi use not solving them. Don't make me go out documenting hikers and the damage they do, or start finding the hikers that have sabotaged the trail attempting to hurt and maim people on bikes. Please figure out a more productive approach.

On The Hidden Costs of Mountain Biking

Posted on May 6 at 7:48 p.m.

Mr Ford, - From my observations there are actually very few trail users that have issues. They just like to be out there and are friendly and courteous. Its people like you that seem to need to push your agenda on everyone else that causes us to have to create task forces and take time and resources to resolve the issues that you help create. I took up biking because I was sick of fighting for waves. Now I have to fight for trail use? It is ridiculous. It is more important to keep the trails multi user friendly than to create yet another unhealthy exclusivity in our society.

On Why Mountain Bikes Need Regulating