Thoughts about the trails we ride part 2

In the previous post, I talked about how I really want to go out and ride some trails because their future may be uncertain. Here are some more thoughts on why trails close:

Natural causes: This is actually a big issue in Edmonton with trails that are close to the river bank. When the river rises in the late spring, it sometimes takes some trail with it. This is usually solved by re-routing the trail further from the bank. Another example of a natural cause of "trail closure" is when the trail gets overgrown or covered in deadfall.This usually means that the trails were not really that popular to begin with, so not much of a loss.

Logging/Development: This is truly tragic because the trail is pretty much lost for good. However, there are plenty of examples where local trail organizations have arranged with the logging companies to have them clear the trail after logging is completed. Meandering singletrack in the middle of a cut block! Well, it's better than nothing.

Land ownership issues: It surprises me how much of our wilderness is owned by someone! Many local trail organizations have been able to negotiate with landowners who happen to have sections of trail crossing their property to maintain access for trail users. However, there are other landowners who are concerned about the nuisance or liability issues. Occupier's liability is actually a huge issue for riders who enjoy man made stunts. Landowners need to be educated about the economic benefits of trails, and riders need to take responsibility for their mistakes! A change in the laws regarding occupier's liability could potentially revolutionize mountain biking as we know it.

Environmental issues: I have seen 2 main examples. The first being trails that cannot handle the traffic they received without frequent maintenance (they end up getting neglected). They become blown out and much of the soil has been removed by use. The solution to that is to first of all route trails at an acceptable grade for the traffic they will receive and the soil conditions, and to keep up on maintenance, possibly armouring the trail. If closed, these trails should be reclaimed if possible to discourage future use. The second example of closure for environmental reasons is to protect environmentally sensitive areas and species. This is a big issue in the Canmore area where many trails are in Provincial or National Parks, or in areas that are designated as wildlife corridors.

Canmore mountain bikers have lost lots of high quality singletrack  (Soul Brothers, Alpine Club, Touch of Class. I regret not getting a chance to ride any of those trails, and there are probably many more that were closed as well) as wildlife corridors are zoned to help wildlife deal with being forced further up the valley by housing and *shudder* golf course developments. Well, I would not want to have any wildlife encounters, but there have been some trail closures that are not consistent with the science: closures in areas that are not wildlife corridors (either not used, or too steep to be suitable), or trails within arms lengths of existing developments (roads, housing, etc..). In addition, some trails that were closed in corridors were reclaimed, making them unusable for animals, defeating the purpose of the corridor. I would hope that these wildlife corridors are still studied and monitored. If the effect is not significant, then there is no reason why the trails should be closed...

In some cases, mountain bikers have been singled out for trail closures, while hikers and even equestrians still have access to the trails closed to bikes. While I would prefer to stay away from most of these multi-use trails: they might be of little interest to me (not singletrack, not rideable, or to avoid potential user conflicts), there are some classics that have been closed specifically to mountain bikers (Mt. Assinaboine).

I appreciate the efforts of mountain bike organizations to develop trails that use intuitive grades and contours. Trail closures not only remove a piece of cultural significance (ie: one of the original freeride trails), but they also displace trail users and concentrate them, potentially increasing user conflicts.

In the next installment, I will have some opinions on what Mountain bikers can do to maintain trail access, and some thoughts on how to replace or expand trail networks.