After the weekend of 20 March 2004, I'm going to change the way I wheel. After a good conversation with BLM at Annihilator, we all need to step up our efforts to be more aware of what we do to the environment.

We are going to be under intense scrutiny in the Table Mesa and other areas managed by the BLM for compliance with trail ethics. I'm sure this will apply to your area sooner than later, if it's not already being done.

We, as a group, must come up with a better way to manage ourselves for trail runs. As a trip leader, you bear the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the group and enforcing the tread lightly ideals with your group. We all know breakage is part of what we do for fun. But when it happens, we must be careful to avoid spilling oils, grease, anti-freeze, etc.

From now on, I WILL BE POSTING VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS FOR EVERY TRAIL RUN I LEAD.

I will take the responsibility to ensure that as a group, there will be proper equipment available in case of vehicle fluids being spilled, be it plastic bags to contain oils, a drain pan, or some of the new hi-tech oil remediation compounds like ZEP PEAT SORB.

This is an example of what I'll be posting- this happens to be for Predator.
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Predator is a 4+ rated trail, and vehicles with tires less than 33" will be left at the trailhead. Front and rear lockers are recommended, body damage is likely. If rock stacking is required, unstack any piles. Please carry proper equipment to recover any spilled oil or other vehicle fluids in case of breakage.
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I hope we can all try to do everything we can to maintain our sport. I know that in general, we are more in tune with the environment than most of the anti-recreationalist groups. We actually get out and enjoy the remote areas of Arizona!

Thanks for reading my suggestions.

 

Excellent post. I was going to post a similar thread about wheeling ethics not only for established trails but for the casual wheeler too.

 

Ordered one! $36.50 shipped- great deal!

 

that's the same place I got my hella 500s from ($76 shipped). good service.

 

wow-

great service!

I received the oil spill clean up kit today. It contains three bags of Oil Gator absorbent powder that contains oil-consuming bacteria, an oil absorbent mat, non-latex disposable gloves, a heavy duty plactic bag to hold the soiled pad, dirt, etc., and instructions for use. It will easily fit under a seat or compact into a large ammo can for storage.

later

 

im kinda proud of what you guys are saying. either take care of it or it will be taken away. but this also applies to the line some people seem to want to take dont kill a bush because you want some air time. there are people out ther that are looking for any excuse to completely shut us down. there is a faction of the environmental wing that thinks humans and their machines are a blight on the earth. lets not give them any more ammo then some idiots already give them

 

This is all great sutff, I'm glad to hear people talking like this. Most of the guys(rednecks) around campus all think 4wheel'n is mud bogg'n and all you do it WOT all the way through a trail. It's guys like that that mess things up for everyone. If you start to spin and scare up the ground, come off that line and try a new one, or lock up another diff. take the extra effort to not show off and sling mud, dirt or sand. We have to take care of things, it won't be here forever, and our actions off road can certainly make it go away faster if we're not careful, spinning tires on tree roots and close to trees can kill them in no time if everyone did it. Glad to here some concious minded off roaders finally. Now I'm starting to sound old, I better stop and go remind myself I'm 21, <---Te-he(that's better)

 

Trail ethics doesn't stop with a well-prepped rig. Is the driver trail-ready? I don't like to see drivers drinking alcohol while on the trails. There is a time and place for that activity, and it's not on the trail.

 

Tell it brother, if drinking and driving is against the law on the road what chages it off. Stupid people kill good people. There should be seperate places for people like them.

 

a beer is one thing but most of the people i see out dirt biking or in sand rails are S@#tfaced and hauling ass. if you think the desert is a place to get trashed and go riding just remember that if you crash you will become a statistic, and one day those statistics will be used against all of us

 

It isn't just the environmental groups. Was reading on the net the other day (here) about some hunting groups complaining about ATV riders. There was mention of the new tracks they're putting in, but the ATV hunters also drive around and scare off the game that other hunters are trying to get on foot or horseback.

 

like i said all of these groups are watching and waiting. i am not a sand person but i have friends that go to glamis and gordons well and they say it's like a police state. the cops take it to the extreme and the fees are like 30 bucks to camp for a weekend. that place has been so out of control for so many years that the crackdown i guess is kind of a good thing. i went there years ago and everyone was trashed and riding and every weekend at least one person was run over and killed. i dont think our group of toyota people are that irresponsible, but we have an obligation to say that that is bad behavior.