Comments on: Off-Road Weekend Degenerates Into “Near-Riot Conditions”

By: Dmotes

Dmotes — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:58:31 +0000

Has anybody else noticed an increase in “sports” that involve going, but not going anywhere or for any purpose? I wonder if that is increasing. Seems like it to me. By the way, add snowmobiles and jetskis to that list.

Dave

By: Big Sky Taku

Big Sky Taku — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:22:45 +0000

Haven’t been to Little Sahara since about 1976 or 77. Sounds a little bit different. Although in about 1985, I got off a three week Grand Canyon trip, then spent all night driving to San Diego to drop off some friends at the airport. In the middle of the night, somewhere out by El Centro, we crested a rise and there were seemingly hundreds of dune buggies, jeeps, motorcylces, etc. tearing around the desert in the middle of the night. It WAS Mad Max! Talk about bending the mind after three weeks on the river. Anyway, the ATV wars continue, but more stories later.

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:41:31 +0000

If you want to get some good information on the state of off-road vehicles on our public lands, check out Wildlands CPR. They are Montana-based group working for sensible outdoor recreation and wildland restoration.

http://www.wildlandscpr.org

(disclaimer: I also work for them)

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:54:14 +0000

One bit I left out of the original post is the role the industry is playing in its own demise. After all, in all their advertising, they show ATVs ripping up muddy trails, plowing through streams, chewing up wilderness — the very activities that are getting ATV use restricted.

It’s more than a little hypocritical, and it’s akin to the skateboard industry crying out “skateboarding isn’t a crime” when most of the marketing suggests that’s the highest use for the things.

By: razmaspaz

razmaspaz — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:12:41 +0000

“some hunters have complained that barring ATV use in roadless areas effectively denies them access to public lands”
I love that argument. If the collective public wanted motorized vehicles in our roadless areas, we would have put roads there. I guess it is a little difficult to carry a deer 10 miles after you shot it, so the walking argument is a little harsh… Of course, if you wanted to you could always use a horse.

By: KW Morrow

KW Morrow — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:42:50 +0000

And some people thought Mad Max was science fiction.