What is up with This?????

[Long Gone]

I received an e-mail with this link in it today about how the Spokane, Wa. sheriff and friends are issuing tickets to snowmobile riders who are caught riding off of the trails. They say that they are tired of going to find lost people. Is this what our sport is coming to?

What is the real story Spokane people?

http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?s=7583192

 

[Ollie]

Reading the article, sound like you arn't supposed to leave the trails in that area.
COuld be wrong though.

 

[JasonAK]

To keep things safe Spokane County, the Parks Department, the State Patrol, the Idaho Parks Department and Kootenai County are all teaming up to make sure people stay on the trails assigned to snowmobiles.

I grew up in the CDA/Sandpoint area and I have never heard of a Law that says you have to stay on the trails. We only used the trail to get up to elevation so we can go riding. Glad I moved to Alaska.

 

[Long Gone]

I hope it is wrong!!! Otherwise the trend will move around to other areas. Maybe there should be a big protest.

Is there any one from Wa. here that can elaborate on this subject?

 

[bigfoot]

I live in the area and have never heard of this. I have no idea what they are talking about... F*** them!!!

 

[Barnes]

That sounds like a load of horse cr*p. Tickets for riding off the trail? What is the purpose of a mountain sled if you can't take it off the trail? Yes, this new law might help with not having search and rescue come out twice a year. I have saved stranded people before, if I get in a perdicimate where i need search and rescue to save me, I hope they return the favor.

 

[cabin308]

Mt. Spokane State Park???

Could be referring to the Mt. Spokane trails. I ran into two Sheriff deputies on sleds up there a couple years ago and got the low down from them. Near the ski area, you have to stay on trail except for a hundred yard wide swath to the top where the towers are. I believe the maps at the Snopark also say no off-trail riding in certain zones. Part of the reason is the ski area trails also come off the top of the mountain and they have to keep the snomo's clear of the ski runs for liability issues.

 

[Long Gone]

Do they not have a search and rescue group up there? I have helped several times finding people as well. I don't really mind it, as I hope some one would do it for me.

 

[WMD]

Big game winter range?

Around my house in east Idaho there are designated big game winter range areas and it is illegal to ride off trail and they WILL give you a ticket.

Most of that country is fairly flat anyway so I don't ride there. And I love to hunt so I want those animals to have a good winter.