Ward Canyon Trail closed 5/31 and 6/1 for "Bountiful Bomber" Downhill Bike Race

[Marshall]

Alright, I am not writing this to advertise the race that takes place Saturday May 31 and Sunday June 1 near the "B" in Bountiful, rather making a complaint about it! I was up on the Ward Canyon Trail in my Jeep today and I noticed that the course for this organized downhill bike race leaves existing trails in several places and cuts through vegetation. I have included a couple pictures as an example that are in the "2nd Meadows" area of the Ward Canyon / Buckland Flats trail. Anyone familiar with this area knows there are more existing trails in this area than there should be anyway, so to create another for a sponsored event seems ridiculous, especially given the amount of effort we as responsible motorized users put forth in order to keep trails open. I know there have been several clean up trips sponsored by RME on this very trail. I may be reaching a bit here, but can you imagine if we organized a rockcrawling event where we all went out and blazed new trails through vegetation on public lands? And as a sidenote, they have posted signs along the trail notifying all other users that the trail will be closed this weekend for the event...so be sure NOT to go wheeling up there this Saturday or Sunday!

 

[zukgod1]

I gotta say I'm speechless, really I am.

I mean as you said if we were to set up an event out there and go off making new trails we would have EVERY tree hugger this side of the Mississippi crawling up our backsides with TV cameras right behind them.

I'm without further words here, just baffled.

 

[SAMI]

I say we block them from going off the legal trails... Park our rigs in the way of them..

Really though, how is this allowed?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Before anyone makes a giant knee-jerk blunder. Call the Forest Service. Its my guess that they have a permit, had their routes OK'ed and will have FS supervision, thats assuming they did go through the permit process. If not... ask the Forest Service to start cracking skulls.

Assuming the do have a permit, this isn't at all uncommon, even the routes don't surprise me. Professional Rock-Crawling events, film industry, mineral extraction, etc apply for permits that allow them to build temporary routes.

 

[SAMI]

I'm on the phone with Carol in the SL office... She has no idea what would be going on up there, and hasn't heard anything about a bike race or permits for such..

They're going to go check it out, and will follow up with me about their findings.

-Jason

 

[zukgod1]

I'm on the phone with Carol in the SL office... She has no idea what would be going on up there, and hasn't heard anything about a bike race or permits for such..

They're going to go check it out, and will follow up with me about their findings.

-Jason

Excellent, keep us informed on what you hear please..

 

[SAMI]

Excellent, keep us informed on what you hear please..

Could get interesting.. But, not uncommon for the left hand to be unawares of what the right hand is doing She doesn't deal directly with the permits, but she's contacting the person who does. Then she'll call me back.


Organizers of the Downhill Event:

Salamander Promotions, Inc.
Ronald Lindley
71 E 2050 N
PROVO, UT 84604-5829
(801) 375-3231
(801) 375-3231 (fax)
eracerhd@netzero.com

They didn't answer but i'll shoot an email

 

[Brett]

Good job Jason, lets hope we find out they are doing it the right way and not just up there making tracks where they feel like it.

 

[SAMI]

Email to Ronald:

Hi Ronald,

My name is Jason Goates, current Board member and Land Use Officer for the Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association( www.u4wda.org ). I've recieved a few calls/emails about the setup for your event this year. It's been brought to my attention that there are signs posted stating that the trails used will be closed to all other users, and that vegetation in the area will be compromised with the running of 'new routes'.

My intent and purpose for this email is to check to see that a permit has been obtained through the proper agencies, such as the Salt Lake Forest Service Office. I'd like to be able to report back to the 4x4 community that all of our hard work and service hours with the Forest Service isn't being undone by the Bountiful Bomber DH event this weekend.

Please get back to me as soon as you can via email

Thank you,

Jason Goates
U4WDA

 

[Tacoma]

As a mountain biker and former racer, I really hope that 1. they DO have the permits, and 2. that they can appreciate the 4wd community's perspective, and appreciate the effort that we put in to keep OUR trails open.

 

[JeeperG]

build temporary routes.

Isn't that how bypasses start? I have already been up in that area to extract a vehicle and close off some bypasses.

Just cause your sh!t is small doesn't mean it don't stink.

 

[SAMI]

Email from Ronald...

Hi Jason,

The Bountiful Bomber mountain bike race is under permit by the US Forest Salt Lake Ranger district. It has been since it's inception in 2001. The Forest Service conducted an impact study and determined that the race impact was negligiable. That being said, the course route is on public land (Forest Service) for only the first 200 yards, the remainder is on private land owned by the Kingston Family. We have been granted permission by the private land owners to conduct the race on their property.

Let's work together to keep the Bountiful trails open. It's truly refreshing to learn of a motorized OHV operator who actually gives a damn about the terrain up there. I'm sure there are a lot more like you, it's just that I don't really notice the "good guys" when there are so many careless, irresponsible folks up there tearing up the roads and trail with there machines. Keep up the fight!

Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns about the bike race.

Best Regards,

Ron Lindley -- Bountiful Bomber Race Director.

 

[Badger]

Good to know and nice follow through on all the info guys.Did you shoot him an email back after the last one?I would shoot him a link to here as well as U4WDA's web site.I find it hard that he has never heard of U4.Get him and all his buddies involved in U4 ,you know most of them have 4 wheel drives to get to some of the locations they ride.It would only make sense that they are made aware that there are plenty of "good guys" out there trying to do the right thing.

 

[Tacoma]

Killer!

It would be great if they would work with U4 on some kind of project... Could be the start of getting other users to see that the access fight involves us all... thinking about areas like the Grand Staircase that are closed to everyone but hikers now.

That's good that he wasn't a douche about it!

 

[Marshall]

This is an ideal outcome as far as I am concerned! I am glad to see they have permits and everything is legit...(even though I disagree with the apparent double standard, and with the fact that all it takes is a permit to create new routes off of existing trails) but happy to have raised awareness among the bike crowd that most motorized users are responsible and do "give a damn". I agree with getting his organization involved with ours...so they can see how many "good guys" there really are, and that we are willing to get out and do actual work to improve the trails. Thanks to everyone involved!

 

[SAMI]

I have not sent him an email just yet, though i will when I have a minute long enough to produce a well thought out message thanking him and inviting him to join forces..

It is pretty rad that he emailed back on such a busy weekend for him. I honestly figured that I wouldn't back until after the dust settled from the big race this weekend.

I've got some ideas cooking..

 

[jesse]

its good to hear about some cooperation between sports

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Isn't that how bypasses start? I have already been up in that area to extract a vehicle and close off some bypasses.

Just cause your sh!t is small doesn't mean it don't stink.

I didn't say one way or the other. However if the FS authorizes their trails (which as I guess they had in this case), its a moot point. In many cases some sort of restoration bond or guarantee is in place to ensure that the area returns to its previous way. I'm guessing with the case of a single track mtn. bike rout they will just scatter debris over the 200 yards and call it good? I wouldn't consider it a double standard as it happens for OHV users, 4x4 users, and industry on the same playing field.. all can ask for a special use permit to orchestrate and event as such.

 

[Tacoma]

200yds of mountain bike trail cutting through grass is a hell of a lot easier to remedy than a Jeep track anyway. Couple hours at most with a hoe and some grass seed, woo ha you're done.

I have absolutely no problem with anything that's been done.