Jackholes on RE Pass! Oct. 27, 2010

[PJ-Hunter]

This was taken today on RE Pass. There is 12" +/- of snow coverage. That isn't enough to ride. These dickholes were seen ramming through meadows and creeks without a care in the world by a friend of mine who works for CDOT on RE Pass.

Don't people realize that these actions hurt us, as sledders? All of the fighting that the CSA and local clubs have done to help keep areas open could have possibly been undone by these useless morons. All because they couldn't wait to ride.

All I can say is that I hope that the USFS caught them. They were called and plate numbers were taken.

Snow is coming and it won't be long before we all get to enjoy some real riding in epic pow.


I know that some may accuse me of jealousy. No way in Hell! Jealous of trashing wetlands in 12" of wet snow? Nope. I am jealous of Tec and the 3-4' of powder he got to play in on Corona Pass, not RE Pass.

If you know of peeps wanting to go ride, stop them! The USFS is watching now and that is a very hefty fine and rightly so. It won't be long so go watch a flick, polish your tunnel or something to keep yourself occupied, but PLEASE don't ruin riding areas for the rest of us who are waiting to ride in real snow conditions.

 

[arcticcat38]

Had it occured to you that maybe they are not educated on that type of thing????? Maybe it would be better to inform them instead of bash them!!! I have to ask for myself what is so illegal about what they were doing? Seriously!!! A creek is a creek, if it is open in January, Febuary, or March is it not the same as crossing it in November? As for wetlands do you mean marsh or just tall grass type stuff? I can understand that a little. I say a litttle because it will grow back. I can also say if they knew what they were doing was wrong that is also another story. Judging by where they parked I would think they were not educated on the area and or the rules, usually if someone breaks the rules they are not going to park out in the open like that.

I know I am a "Useless Moron" that cant wait to ride and if I had the oppertunity I probably would. Why dont you try to help educate those of us (me included) on a few of the dont's instead of complaining!!!!

 

[CO 2.0]

Those guys were riding about 20 miles too far south.

 

[Qreiff]

Arctic.....don't get your feelings hurt here. Sometimes the "complaining" hopefully ends up being an education. Many of us (myself included) are getting sick and tired of seeing this type of blatant, ignorant act that are affecting the sport of snowmobiling and ALL the passionate people that make up the sport.

To get educated, stick around this site and READ. Get involved in your local snowmobile club, Join Blue Ribbon Coalition, SAWS or something. We may take it for granted but our beloved sport has been in the cross hairs for a long time now and some of us can't believe there are actually people who own a sled don't know this and the issues and groups that are on the frontline of the attacks.

Being that the latter is actually the case, help us help us............Get educated by investing sometime and reading up on land issues here Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and the like.

We have got to continue to rally for one another or our sport is going to be a distant memory versus the way we enjoy it now.

I think we all need bumper stickers that say: "Don't be a dickhole!" (Damn, that is funny.)

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Had it occured to you that maybe they are not educated on that type of thing????? Maybe it would be better to inform them instead of bash them!!! I have to ask for myself what is so illegal about what they were doing? Seriously!!! A creek is a creek, if it is open in January, Febuary, or March is it not the same as crossing it in November? As for wetlands do you mean marsh or just tall grass type stuff? I can understand that a little. I say a litttle because it will grow back. I can also say if they knew what they were doing was wrong that is also another story. Judging by where they parked I would think they were not educated on the area and or the rules, usually if someone breaks the rules they are not going to park out in the open like that.

I know I am a "Useless Moron" that cant wait to ride and if I had the oppertunity I probably would. Why dont you try to help educate those of us (me included) on a few of the dont's instead of complaining!!!!

OK, here is your education. The law states that 12" of solid coverage needs to be on the ground to ride. Why, well it's an old law and should be changed, with the longer tracks and deeper lugs. These guys were riding in the "DRAG MEADOW" on the East summit of RE. Both sides are marshy grass, which according to the USFS, BLM and other enviromental agencies qualifys as wetlands. These sledders were throwing up mud and grass with their tracks. While you may not care, those scars will be visible in the spring and it'll take a couple months to recover. Greenies see that and cry FOUL, hence Hidden Gems.

And the rules are on BIG HUGE brown signs in the area, you can't miss them!

 

[tudizzle]

Really seems like splitting hairs...was there 12" inches on the side of the road? Was there more than 12" a couple hundred feet down the trail.

You surely could not tell from the street? I don't see any tracks to dirt?


Seems like a little bit of jealuousy/hate cleverly disguised behind righteous rhetoric.


Hey I'm jealous of everybody riding too!

 

[rocks rev]

R.E. only got 12in?

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Really seems like splitting hairs...was there 12" inches on the side of the road? Was there more than 12" a couple hundred feet down the trail.

You surely could not tell from the street? I don't see any tracks to dirt?


Seems like a little bit of jealuousy/hate cleverly disguised behind righteous rhetoric.


Hey I'm jealous of everybody riding too!

That was the East Summit Lot Dizz. The place where Burandt and the peeps with big trailers park. That view is looking South to that band of trees along the road with the South Meadow on the right and the "Drag" meadow behind the camera to the North. I was over in Steamboat looking at spare cars and you can clearly see tracks through the meadow with dirt and mud thrown around.

Certainly not being self righteous but this crap happens every year and wha La, the next couple of days and photos show up in the Steamboat paper with an article about sledders riding in low snow conditions with the standard warning quotes from the USFS.

If you are jealous, go ride Corona or SOCO. They have rideable roads and you have the time, right? I still have to do some upgrades and soup up the 120 for PJ. I don't even like riding this time of year, why break stuff now when it may ruin part of the good riding season?

 

[PJ-Hunter]

R.E. only got 12in?

looked pretty thin to me. You can see grass and rocks thru the snow

 

[arcticcat38]

Arctic.....don't get your feelings hurt here. Sometimes the "complaining" hopefully ends up being an education. Many of us (myself included) are getting sick and tired of seeing this type of blatant, ignorant act that are affecting the sport of snowmobiling and ALL the passionate people that make up the sport.

To get educated, stick around this site and READ. Get involved in your local snowmobile club, Join Blue Ribbon Coalition, SAWS or something. We may take it for granted but our beloved sport has been in the cross hairs for a long time now and some of us can't believe there are actually people who own a sled don't know this and the issues and groups that are on the frontline of the attacks.

Being that the latter is actually the case, help us help us............Get educated by investing sometime and reading up on land issues here Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and the like.

We have got to continue to rally for one another or our sport is going to be a distant memory versus the way we enjoy it now.

I think we all need bumper stickers that say: "Don't be a dickhole!" (Damn, that is funny.)

Thanks for the input it does help me. I understand the whole snowmobile club but the one by my riding area had done a terrible job so we figured that wht should we give them our money if we did not feel that they were using it properly. I mean we would have to go mark trails properly and the gromming was terrible and so on. They have gotten better so maybe it is time to rejion the club.

 

[arcticcat38]

OK, here is your education. The law states that 12" of solid coverage needs to be on the ground to ride. Why, well it's an old law and should be changed, with the longer tracks and deeper lugs. These guys were riding in the "DRAG MEADOW" on the East summit of RE. Both sides are marshy grass, which according to the USFS, BLM and other enviromental agencies qualifys as wetlands. These sledders were throwing up mud and grass with their tracks. While you may not care, those scars will be visible in the spring and it'll take a couple months to recover. Greenies see that and cry FOUL, hence Hidden Gems.

And the rules are on BIG HUGE brown signs in the area, you can't miss them!

If they were throwing up mud with their tracks they are Dickholes!!!! That was not really stated before and if there are BIG HUGE brown signs....Dickholes!!!! But if there was 12" were they wrong or just ignorant because of where they rode? You would think if there is 12" to make it legal they would find the better areas to ride and not tear things up.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

The law says 12" of coverage. To me, that means 12" of a good solid base where you aren't touching the undergrowth or soil. Not 12" of freshly fallen snow where your track still contacts earth. We all know that with the new sleds, the power, deep lugs with long tracks that spinning down 12" is nothing. We have all seen our tracks in fresh snow with a good base and it's easy to have a trench more than a foot deep. So, with 12" of snow to the ground isn't good enough to ride on, IMO. First, it does tear up the ground and growth, second, it's not so hot on your sled. You can tear lugs off, hit rocks or stumps and believe me RE Pass is littered with them. Walk around during the Summer. What you see on the ground is amazing.

 

[snowmobiler]

ive allways wondered what does more damage.those riders or threads on the internet like this one.

 

[tudizzle]

Nobody even measured the snow depth? Complete strangers who may or may not have been violating a law are being called out on the innerweb...plus having their identity reported to the authorities? All based on a picture someone else took from the street????

For all we know the FS pulled up....checked the snow depth...then told them to have a nice day.

There are jackholes in this situation....just not sure if it's those pictured.

 

[sledskiing]

Just make sure there is 12 inches of human brown solids on the ground and you are OK. Pretty clear to me

 

[backcountryislife]

Nobody even measured the snow depth? Complete strangers who may or may not have been violating a law are being called out on the innerweb...plus having their identity reported to the authorities? All based on a picture someone else took from the street????

For all we know the FS pulled up....checked the snow depth...then told them to have a nice day.

There are jackholes in this situation....just not sure if it's those pictured.

Really surprised by your responses.

If guys are kicking up dirt, it doesn't take an F'in geenyus to figure out that it's a BAD idea. Now if they're road riding or hitting a few drifts off the road that are doing no harm... hey, GIVE ER!!! But if you don't understand that people tearing up a meadow without having any thought to how it affects the issues at hand, I've overestimated you.

 

[tudizzle]

Really surprised by your responses.

If guys are kicking up dirt, it doesn't take an F'in geenyus to figure out that it's a BAD idea. Now if they're road riding or hitting a few drifts off the road that are doing no harm... hey, GIVE ER!!! But if you don't understand that people tearing up a meadow without having any thought to how it affects the issues at hand, I've overestimated you.

I get the issue...I uderstand the law...I just do not see the need for a public lynching of strangers when nobody has any real facts in the situation.

BCIL you are all about education....this is how you would have handled this situation?


I personally would have approached them...started a convsersation..got some facts....shared some facts and moved on.

 

[RDrangstveit]

If I remember, they gave out some expensive tickets on RE last year for this. I agree, laws or no laws, don't destroy the land for an early ride.

 

[SledsWest]

I get the issue...I uderstand the law...I just do not see the need for a public lynching of strangers when nobody has any real facts in the situation.

BCIL you are all about education....this is how you would have handled this situation?


I personally would have approached them...started a convsersation..got some facts....shared some facts and moved on.

I tend to agree with Dizzle's approach. Not everybody is on these forums or anywhere else on the interwebz, gleaning all the "facts and truth" that are shared here on a daily basis. Some just don't know the rules, not out of blatant disregard for the law, but out of not being informed or educated on the matter. For example: I didn't know these laws existed, honestly (but my common sense would have kicked in too, not everybody has it). Instead of a public flogging and getting the small group of sledders that do exist out here in the west to either abandon the sport or cause a schism between us, lets educate each other and keep each other afloat. IF, after being educated (and that can't be assessed from a cell phone pic on a drive-by at 65 MPH), the same people continue their reckless behavior, then let the beatings begin. Everybody has a first ride and everybody has a first time riding a certain area. Just remember we all have been there and weren't born knowing ALL the rules, laws and tricks....its taken years to get to where we are (except for me and my extraordinary knack for the sport )

 

[rotax]

While I am with you wholeheartedly on blatant and obvious stupidity (aka tearing up grass/dirt right off the side of the road), I am strongly opposed to finger pointing and getting law involved against ANY fellow sledders (unless of course its unrelated to snowmobiling; stealing, arguments, gun fights, etc...).

That turns into statistics, which, to the rest of the world, we're all snowmobilers, the same snwomobilers, the same group of people...
They won't group us into "lawful/responsible snowmobiler" and "unlawful/unresponsible snowmobiler". We're all the same to them. Maybe it does just require we self-govern/educate our kind, our people in these issues.


And if you insist on getting out early (we all know people will), at least be smart about it. Stay out of obvious 'issue areas', stick to the roads till your out of sight of the general public, take it easy on the low snow areas..


Thanks for starting this Ralph, it should be done every season at this time..to educate.