This is a flip-off with feeling.
They see Jules ridin’, they be hatin’.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people who are
offended by the site of a bicycle? My friend Jules and her hubby the Bike
Monkee found this note on their car Saturday after they finished a ride on
Eagle River.
Yes, I said ON Eagle River. They were riding on ice and
snow. You couldn’t even make an argument that they were causing trail erosion
or damage because, come spring, the “trail” will cease to exist when it melts
and flows downstream. And they were riding fat bikes, not Kawasakis, so they
weren’t making noise.
Some grumpy bastard just didn’t like the sight of two people
on bicycles. So he had to try to piss on their good time by arrogantly leaving
a note to say the trail isn’t open to bikes until snowmachines are allowed to
run on it. Yeah, snowmachines. Much of the winter, the river is open to
screaming, exhaust-belching machines. And this bastard is worried a couple of
bicycles.
I haven’t bothered to look up the law cited in the note, nor
do I plan to do so. But I’d be willing to bet that the logic behind the rule –
if there is any – would be related to safety. When public officials determine
the ice is thick enough to support snowmachines, it’s obviously strong enough
to support bicycles. So that’s an easy, no-risk time to say, “Yep, you can ride
your bike on the river now.”
But people routinely spend time on frozen lakes and rivers
before the ice gets super thick. The grouch who scribbled his note was probably
doing the same thing. My guess is that he didn’t give a rat’s ass about whether
Julie and Monkee were in danger. I think he just wanted the place to himself.
Maybe he even saw his method of travel, whether it was on foot, skis or snowshoes,
to be more “pure.”
Screw that guy.
A fat bike on snow is about as close as you can get to a
zero-impact vehicle. And anybody you see riding one is probably going to be one
of the nicest people you’ll meet on the trail.
To hell with the haters. You could never please them anyway.
Go ride your bikes and be happy.
4 comments:
The fact that they knew and cited the regulating section of AAC, highly suggest to me that the note was probably left by a CSP ranger. Too bad they are being so picky about the letter of the law rather than using common sense, but that is largely the nature of the government. Your friends are probably lucky not to have received a $200 citation.
The regulation that he is referring to is not based on "safety" but rather just the all encompasing CSP regulation for bicycle use inside the park in areas not otherwise designated for bikes. Essentailly, anywhere that bikes are not directly allowed (such as trails that specifically say they are open to bikes) are off limits except for when otherwise open to snowmachines. This is reiterated on the Middle Fork Trail conditional use pass as well when listing the other areas that are open to bicycles. I am not supporting it, just letting you know where it comes from. It has nothing to do with ice thickness or user safety, just a regulation that isn't specific enough to address the differences between travel over water versus land such as this case.
I doubt very much it was from a ranger as it was not on any sort of official stationary. Regardless, any ranger who attempted to give me a $200 citation for riding on a frozen river would have a battle on their hands.
As for this: "The regulation that he is referring to is not based on "safety" but rather just the all encompasing CSP regulation for bicycle use inside the park in areas not otherwise designated for bikes. Essentailly, anywhere that bikes are not directly allowed (such as trails that specifically say they are open to bikes) are off limits except for when otherwise open to snowmachines. ... It has nothing to do with ice thickness or user safety, just a regulation that isn't specific enough to address the differences between travel over water versus land such as this case." Well, I guess Julie's finger covers it. Strictly following regs because biking on frozen rivers wasn't event (widely) conceptualized when the regs were written is asinine. And for some NIMBY to take the time to write that...man I which they had still been around. It's a mystery to us b/c we were the only car in the parking lot on arrival and departure so who the hell could have left it.
Bike Monkee
People that leave notes like that are the type that thrive on serving on their HOA committee.
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