Re: Rain, Rain, I Want To Train!

["Sullys Maze" <Sully@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>]

REPLY TO 04/07/98 00:08 FROM ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: Rain, Rain, I Want To
Train!


However, your other option is to understand the going in mud is a good
"schooling opportunity" and that you can get a pretty nice "workout" with
a bit of hill and a bit of mud and a lot of walking.

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Just a couple of thoughts on this matter, and please, it is NOT
directed at this poster, just some food for thought.

In MY area, I am very disturbed by riders that use the trails in the
winter.  We are lucky in that we have numerous nice hard dirt ROADS
that go for miles and miles, and are just perfect for winter
conditioning.  All our TRAILS (mainly on BLM and the state forest),
have been put in at considerable cost and sweat, and are generally
for hikers, horses and some open to bikes.  To use these trail in
the rainy season, with horses, just destroys them.  They turn into
mud bogs, then the riders skirt the edges, ruining the vegetation
and causing erosion.  To me, this is SO selfish and self-serving.
In some cases, the trails are marked closed to horses in the rainy
season, and the riders ignore these signs!

It really reflects badly on the horseback users, and in a lot of
cases, it is the distance riders using these trails in the winter.
I prefer the roads in any case, as you can get into a good pace ,and
not have your horse slipping and bogging down.

I believe this is endurance related, as if we don't show some
responsibility and concern for our trails, and other users, we will
end up losing the priviledge of using them.

Karen

To:  ridecamp@endurance.net