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By primergray - 4/7/2005 11:55:40 AM
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An Offroaders Thoughts #6
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
I want ANYONE who wants to respond to this, make sure you read the posted links first!!
It has been a week since the Easter Jeep Safari (EJS). There have been numerous pictures posted and Articles written about this Event. Some good, some bad. I want to address one Article that has been on the Internet for the last few days.
Instead of trying to write my own “thoughts” on the subject that has drawn the most attention, Bill Burke’s article, I will just post the links and let you people decide. Then I will post my “thoughts”.
From Electric Sheep’s Blog:
http://landuse.blogspot.com/
From JeepAholics:
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=38782
From Pirate4x4:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=344816
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=344954
Why is it that Bill Burkes’ Article has generated more debate on Land Use Forums than the Meetings for the Rubicon Trail?
What about the debate for RS 2477 rights that seemed to have died?
Why did this Article generate such a debate on one Bulletin Board and not another?
What is the big deal about this Article?
My “thought” on the reason?
Because Easter Jeep Safari is a more Publicized Event than any other Offroad Event in the US!!
Do I sense apathy, as YellowSub1962 stated in my interview?
http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37310
Are Offroaders “splitting” into diverse groups that will eventually separate the “Moderate Offroader” from the “RockCrawlers”?
The “Family Offroader” from the “Explorer of Trails and Historical Sites”?
My “thoughts”, YES!
This article is further driving the wedge into an even deepening gap from those that “have” and those that “have not”!
My “thoughts” on this subject?
I completely agree with camo’s comments in the Land Use section of the Pirate Board on this subject!! A lot of you won’t, no offense, I don’t care.
If you can’t make the Trail with the equipment you have, don’t turn around and blame another group of wheelers for the “short falls” of your rig or your wheeling experience! Take your lumps, like all of us did, and go back to camp.
We all started out some where in this hobby! No one I know started out with a 50 thousand dollar rig!
Even though I agree with some of this Article, as a whole, I don’t!
My “thoughts” on this “article” are simple, EDUCATION!!
Teach the people you wheel with the proper use of their vehicles and use some peer pressure!!
Jack Ducummon, Jr
Land Use Moderator
www.jeepaholics.com
www.broncoholics.com
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By Electric Sheep - 4/7/2005 1:51:24 PM
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Initially, I agreed with Bill Burke. And to be perfectly honest, I think that the vast majority of the various forum discussions has been POSITIVE, if only for the fact that it has made more people aware that they should:
(A) Always be respectful of the land
(B) Clean up after the folks who won't do it themselves
(C) Report the folks who break the rules/laws.
(D) Realize that we have an image problem, and do something to help!
Now having said all that: I agree with Camo for the most part, too....Bill Burke unjustifiably applied a stereotype to many of us, and he damn sure isn't helping our image problem. I'm willing to bet that his article is flying through the EcoNuts' email boxes as we speak.
- Sheep
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By Blair Will - 4/8/2005 5:14:08 AM
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I pretty much agree with Bills piece. Those who don't see his point...well, the greens are going to close all your trails. They have already closed over 75% of the routes in CA. The Red Rock 4wheelers have to basically beg to get a permit to do EJS and it gets harder every year. Can't camp at spider lake. Newsflash: Surprise Canyon is NEVER going to reopen. Certain routes in Death Valley the greens are right now pushing for administrative closures.
See a pattern? Don't you get it yet? Greens want ALL land closed to ALL vehicles. Don't like you just because you fourwheel. Land managers tend to be less zealous and more diplomatic. See it both ways. But...hard for managers to come down on the side of wheelers, and help moderate the influence of the greens, when a week after EJS a drive around outside moab shows trash, off-trail blazing, etc. We will never convince the greens to see the "balance" between land use and wilderness conservation, but we can keep a few land managers on our side if we just clean up our act a little bit.
On the off-trail issue, lets face it. Most "regular jeep trails", even the "hard" ones, are no match for competition rock buggy. If you really need to wheel where your huge rock buggy is challenged, go to the hammers, or an OPEN ohv area, or private land. Please don't go off established trails that are "too easy" looking for obstacles. If you WANT to behave like the redneck beer-swilling idiot, high on gasoline fumes, that the sierra club thinks you all are, get all your friends together and buy a piece of land with a pile of rocks on it and go "wheeling" there. But please stay on the trail on public lands.
Hate to be negative but, like Bill, I worry for the future too....
Blair
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By primergray - 4/8/2005 6:07:51 AM
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Blair,
We worry about the future of wheeling also. Maybe our point was lost in our Article.
We have seen beautiful Vistas and wonders of Nature that we would have never seen except for the use of an OHV.
The problem we have with the Article is that it, in our opinion, is driving a wedge into the OHV Community. We, as users of Public Land are already split as it is between ATV, Dirt Bike and Mountain Bike.
Why seperate us into more distinct Groups of Public Land Users? We are already fragmented enough!
camo at Pirate4x4 let me use this quote from a PM he sent Jo:
camo:
"well my definition of an eco-nazi is anybody who insist that the enviroment is to be used only how they feel it should be used and all other opinions are wrong. clearly this guy thinks that unless I wheel for the same reasons he does I am the problem."
We have very strong feelings when a person writes an Article that, in our opinion, sounds "elitist".
Jack and Jo
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By Electric Sheep - 4/8/2005 9:13:44 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by primergray
The problem we have with the Article is that it, in our opinion, is driving a wedge into the OHV Community.
EXACTLY!
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By velvetfang - 4/8/2005 11:34:25 PM
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I, too, noticed that he seemed to target the rock-crawling rig builders, but I didn't see that as the focus of Bill's article. I think it is fairly clear that his point was regarding how any and all offroaders should behave when out on public land. To have to clean up human crap, t-shirts, bottles, and plastic is unexcusable and disgusting. I completely agree with him about these incidents being the reason that we lose access to our favorite lands. The hypocrites and those suffering from a huge case of apathy do nothing but hurt this family sport.
I think it was wrong for him to so specifically mention the hardcore rock-crawlers. But the things he had to do and witness were even more egregiously wrong. Our sport must police itself better if we want to survive in a world that is becoming more and more "land over responsible freedom".
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