[nct-l] yikes! bikes!

>-- We do have a lot of mountian bike problems. Are they really that bad?

No,  Not really.  I've never been injured or harassed by a mountain biker.
But again, like horses, let's admit that they are a more intensive use and
require more durable trail.  Here in Michigan, the Michigan Mountain Bike
Association maintains tons of trail, and does a good job.  I'll never join
as I'm not a mountain biker, but they do good work in my experience.

MMBA is also smart enough to recognize that mountain bikes don't have to
have access to every trail.  Their organizing goes a long way towards
helping concentrate bikers in areas where hikers tend not to go.  Since I
don't care for mountain bikers, I don't hike trails like the Pinckney loop,
Yankee Springs, or Big M.

Incidentally, every time I've informed a mountain biker that they were on a
"hiker only" trail, they were polite and acted ashamed and left without
confrontation.  On the other hand, I've not had the same experience with
horse riders.

>-- Where do we need to take bear precautions? Which precautions?

Where there are bears :)

Paul Haan
Grand Rapids MI

Paul Haan
Michigan Benchmark hiking info
http://my.voyager.net/jacobjans

"The clearest way into the Universe
is through a forest wilderness."
				-John Muir


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