Providence Canyon closed.

[OLSEN]

No...not yet but it will not take long if this blatant, in your face disregard for rules and regulation continues. (see photos)

Saturday October 10th; after a morning of donating time and muscle to yet another cleanup and fence building project (this time in Smithfield Dry Canyon) me and a fellow Wasatch Outlaw Wheeler drove up Providence Canyon to enjoy the incredible view that the summit always offers. What we saw was deplorable, the pictures show only a few of the many deliberate illegal tracks that were there and that anyone will see when they are in the area. (hunters, sierra club, forest service, other wheelers)
Pass this around to different lists as the tracks appeared to be fresh and if you know who is responsible will you please thank them for UNDOING years of hard work and time put in by many 4X4 individuals and clubs that HAD made progress in softening the Wasatch Cache Ranger Districts as well as the general publics harsh view of us wheelers.
We all know that according to these pre-meditated and deliberate tracks non wheelers will think all 4X4 enthusiasts are still land rapists and heathens.

 

[Don B]

Those kind of jerks are the best friends the eco-nazis have.

 

[rholbrook]

Is there anywhere to hide one of those outdoor motion cameras?

 

[Grim]

Idiots !

 

[Rot Box]

We were also there on the 10th and saw the same thing. Oregon85 mentioned to me how many trails in Oregon were being closed off and we talked about how the same thing could happen right here. Never in all the years I've been 4wheeling in this area have I seen so many trail closed signs put on new illegal trails. One of the rails was leading off the main route to a small hill climb--seriously! The hillside had huge ruts where it looked (as far as I could tell there was no other point) like people had just tried to make high mark on their buddy's

Providence and a lot of the trail network around here have very vague trail markers. A trail marker that has a big "2" on it means nothing to someone without the CNF map (maps are free btw you can get them at the ranger station right at the mouth of Logan Canyon). I have helped more people that took Right Hand Fork over to Prov and then became overwhelmed with the decent into Prov than I can count. Many needed help and had no idea of where they even were. I might swing by the ranger station and see what it would take to update the trail markers and make signs with details like "warning entering Providence canyon trail rating _______ do not attempt without a capable 4x4 vehicle" or something like that. It would also be nice if the marker said what trail your on, where it goes and a included a few other details. Anyway this would help the people that don't mean to bushwhack but feel they have no other choice.

Providence isn't really in the spot light compared to other more popular trails, but in reality this type of land use is really going to take its toll on us once certain people see it and take action. I couldn't help but think how maybe it would be better if it was shut down for awhile for everyone to realize the consequences of neglecting the area.

I think (especially in this area) most people are unaware of the impact of land misuse, but at the same time there is just no excuse for that huge BF Krawler/KM2 track

 

[OLSEN]

This is the hill Rot Box is talking about and as ALMOST usual this one was started by the ATV crowd. Hopefully it stays associated to their track width until it can be repaired.

Olsen

 

[moab4x4]

That is so completely appalling! Using my tire (type) to do it even. Looks like KM2's by the sipe.
Seriously though. I can't even fathom the level of stupidity that thinks this is OK, cool, or even funny. I would suspect a setup, except most setter uppers wouldn't own that $$ and aggressive a tire. It had to have been an idiot in our midst.
Thanks for the pics and the reminders. I see stuff like that down here in Moab after EJS and wonder who was here that didn't get the message..All the more reason to carry a camera in case we witness this kind of thing so we can take pics and help some $#@%^$$ learn to take responsability for their actions.

 

[OREGON85]

I've put those trail closed signs back up a number of times in various locations up there. At least they didn't break that one off. I wish people would just get it. If the forest service can't keep up with closing all the new illegal trails they'll just close the whole thing! Part of the problem is the forest service has closed or graded most of the trails that were somewhat challenging.

OLSEN, were you among the two jeeps we passed on the way down about 3/4 mile above the quarry?

 

[OLSEN]

Yes sir, that would be me.
Red TJ

 

[OREGON85]

I don't recall anyone coming up between us and you. They must have come up some other way then.

 

[alwaysxj]

i seen a group of jeeps at macys that left just before our group did and then i seen them back in town when we came down and that is all the people that i seen. maybe it was one of them.

 

[SportSawyer]

... I think (especially in this area) most people are unaware of the impact of land misuse

Yeah. Like driving on dirt roads when they are too wet.

 

[OREGON85]

I was just up there today on four wheelers and there were tons of off trail tracks. Several were right over the top of road closed signs. One of the really bad ones (tore up a whole hill side) had a forest service guy parked at the bottom scoping it out. Then on the way back there were even more tracks and it was twice as bad. I don't get it. I also heard they're planning on grading Millville Canyon the rest of the way to Logan Peak.

 

[bryce]

I dont understand Y everyone seems so pi**ed about this.
Clearly whoever done this was well within FS rules of driving 200' from the road to camp/picnic. What you didnt see his sandwich wrapper in pic #2?
I am more pi**ed that the FS closes off every wide spot in the road. You cant even pull over to let somone pass without running over a road closed sign.
If you have a truck and a trailer and you want to go camping then good luck to ya. Camp spots are fenced off and posted "CLOSED". If you have a tent and a backpack you might be in luck, as long you can find a spot to park your truck without parking on top of a road closed sign. Thanks to the efforts and support of the 4x4 comunity "we, us" have helped the FS to close our access to our forests, with more to come.
I am more pi**ed that the FS restricts access to historic roads.
Did you know that the road from south can to docs flat now has a width restriction? (Ogden district)
Did you Know that is a road that the county claims?
(Cache county)
And that dont pi** y'all off?
The FS cites sedimentation as reason for road closures. Yet the FS blows out every beaver dam they can find.
I will give a little, I think the hill climb didnt need to happen.
ROT BOX I think has an excellent point about posting roads.
The most breathtaking sight I ever saw was caused by erosion.
Larry, I still love ya.

 

[SAMI]

^ You is confusing to read..

 

[OREGON85]

The most breathtaking sight I ever saw was caused by erosion.
Larry, I still love ya.

You're probably actually thinking of mass wasting not erosion. Mass wasting is caused by gravity and usually lubricated by water. Erosion is the movement of soil by an abrasive force like water, wind, tires etc. or a combination of abrasive forces. A huge mass wasting event will move soil maybe a mile. Erosion can move soil across the globe.

 

[Rot Box]

If you have a truck and a trailer and you want to go camping then good luck to ya. Camp spots are fenced off and posted "CLOSED". If you have a tent and a backpack you might be in luck, as long you can find a spot to park your truck without parking on top of a road closed sign.

Did you know that the road from south can to docs flat now has a width restriction? (Ogden district)

There are plenty of camp trailer spots out there you just have to settle for a spot in a higher traffic area. You can't access the back country as easily with one and for good reason. It pisses me right off to see someone on a narrow road with a jackknifed trailer because they wanted to avoid the crowd or get closer to their favorite hunting ground.

As for South Canyon I did know that as I found out the hard way during the elk hunt I still haven't heard the reasoning though so I won't jump to conclusions.

 

[OREGON85]

I also heard they're planning on grading Millville Canyon the rest of the way to Logan Peak.

I just got of the phone with the Logan Ranger District and they WILL be continuing the grading all the way to Logan Peak next year. Apparently there was a public hearing on it. I didn't know about, did anyone else?

The person I spoke with said Millville is probably next. I'm about ready to sell my Toyota and give up.

 

[Rot Box]

The person I spoke with said Millville is probably next. I'm about ready to sell my Toyota and give up.

That's fine as long as the crowd continues to stay in the Logan Canyon area Keep the Toyota and head further North with us one of these times. The annual Christmas tree hunt is just around the corner I'll let you know the details when it gets closer.

 

[OREGON85]

What's further north?