Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net
----------
> From: JBagford@aol.com
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Shareing the trails
> Date: Saturday, February 08, 1997 12:30 AM
>
> When we get right down to it, all of us out there on the trails are in
this
> together. If we begin fighting among ourselves, we may loose the use of
our
> trails. I ride on a trail that is extensively used by horses, bikers and
> hikers. Yes there are some bikers who are loutish brutes, but guess what?
> There are some horsemen out there who are every bit as bad! (The hikers
move
> to slow for me to see <g>). The majority of both are very polite. Mtn
bikes
> do some damage to trails if not properly managed, so do horses. Where I
ride
> it is the wildlife (buffalo) that do the most damage. Everyone of us has
an
> interest in keeping the trails open. If we work with the Mtn Bikers we
more
> than double our strength. Do you have any idea how many more bikers there
are
> than horsemen?
>
> I don't mean to sound angry, I am not. But I do belive that we need to
take
> responsibility for preserving our right to use the trails. To me that
means
> bringing only certified weed free hay into any National Park (even where
it
> is not required, and other people are just brining any old thing),
cleaning
> up all the manure around the trailer (even if it wasn't my horse that
> "dropped" it), being polite and friendly (even to the uncouth few), and
> volanteering to help maintain/rebuild trails. Lets not start pointing
> fingers, because there are quite a few that should be pointed right back
at
> us. Horsemen, hikers and bikers are all out on the trail for the same
> reasons. We love it and we can't imagine living without the beauty and
> freedom we find there.
> Jane, UT