Attention OHV users

[ESRD-Information Centre]

TRAIL CLOSURES:

Bighorn Backcountry - is closed due to extremely wet and soft conditions. Travel on the trail with these conditions would damage the infrastructure as well as be unsafe for the user.

Falls Creek/South Ram River - This is a temporary closure, meant to protect the spawning and rearing areas for bull trout and minimize damage from motorized vehicles, that can lead to erosion and the introduction of sediment to the stream.

For more information please visithttp://esrd.alberta.ca/recreation-public-use/public-land-closures/land-trail-closures.aspx

[220swifty]

What does that mean for the area around where the Clearwater and trunk road intersect?

[sjd]

Are you saying all the motorized trails in the Bighorn Backcountry are closed this May long?

[lannie]

Are you saying all the motorized trails in the Bighorn Backcountry are closed this May long?

YES-I would also bet there will be fire bans even if its raining.

This will become the new normal.

[bighorn1]

http://esrd.alberta.ca/recreation-public-use/public-land-closures/documents/FallsCreekSouthRamRiver-TempClosureMap-May12-2014.pdf

[Gorram]

YES-I would also bet there will be fire bans even if its raining.

This will become the new normal.

Yup.

Two main reasons:
1. The state exists to control and expand.
2. Mouth breathers have proven for years that they have near zero respect for riparian areas. A clear trail exists around a bog, they insist on driving through the middle.

The state justifies #1 with #2.
I don't remember the last time we got to our chosen random camping spot, and didn't spent the first half hour picking up garbage, glass, half burnt chairs etc.

The state could enforce the current rules..... But this would remove the justification for #1.

The only quick solution I can think of would need the cooperation of the state, unlikely considering the above points.
The slow solution would be a cultural change, but I fear that today's Eco-fascist environment will produce rebellious mouth breathers faster than cultural change can take effect.

[Sooner]

YES-I would also bet there will be fire bans even if its raining.

This will become the new normal.




I have to agree, blanket fire bans and now area closures to Atv riding. It has started. I have camped near Nordegg the last few years on the May long. 1 out of 4 we had somewhat dry conditions. Every other year it had rained for a few days before and there was snow still in the shade here and there. I get the reason for the fire ban, better safe than sorry but the reason to ban Atv use due to soft conditions, seems pretty lame. What happens every month after when it rains for a week straight. No riding because the ground is wet? I am a hunter who uses an atv and may trail ride with friends a few times a year. We, like most don't rip and tear up the trails. Unfortunately Imo, the You Tube generation with the lift kits, snorkels, over sized 2 inch lug tires and Go Pro's on the helmet have done the damage and it will affect those of us who just want to trial ride. I suspect trail closures will become the normal way of life as well.

[Grizzly Adams]

YES-I would also bet there will be fire bans even if its raining.

This will become the new normal.

Come on, let's get real and show a little respect for the Land. It's an unusual year, still a lot of snow out there and basically muskeg other places. Heard a story last week about a bunch of quadders. Drove down a valley and couldn't get out again.

Grizz

[Red Bullets]

Thank you ESRD for the efforts to preserve what's left of our public wild lands.

Maybe quad riders should be on a draw system on public lands and only be allowed on designated trail systems. Alot of them sure don't know how to self monitor or be responsible land users.

And how something so simple as putting a fire out properly be so challenging is beyond me.

[jungleboy]

Come on, let's get real and show a little respect for the Land. It's an unusual year, still a lot of snow out there and basically muskeg other places. Heard a story last week about a bunch of quadders. Drove down a valley and couldn't get out again.

Grizz

It's the 21st century, it seems that every year is an "unusual" year , every change in the weather is a crisis ,and every time someone thinks about getting off the couch to go outside for a look around they may need to do an environmental assessment first.

[Cal Rakach]

Before you guys get all worked into a frenzy....The closure was made at the request of the Bighorn Heritage ATV Society (BHAS).
They have been the ATV trail builders and maintenance crews for the Bighorn since 2002. They do this work with little to no support from the users or provincial government. It is their weekends, vacation days, tractors and fuel that gives us the trails that are there. They do get support from the other stewardship groups of the Bighorn, such as Freinds of the Eastern Slopes. In the Bighorn we support each other.
Unfortunately there is a line where you move from enough resources to build new trail vrs effort on maintenance; they crossed that line and all effort now goes to fixing, so very few new trails are being created.
Last year because of the rains there was a lot of damage to the trails that the club was not able to address.
Every year before May Long the club along with ESRD tour the trails and make the decision whether or not to open the trails. ESRD and the Bighorn Standing Committee (http://esrd.alberta.ca/recreation-public-use/recreation-on-public-land/bighorn-backcountry/monitoring/default.aspx) have always supported the recommendation of BHAS.
Please respect the closures and yes...expect more of this in the future.
Cal

[MrDave]

TRAIL CLOSURES:

Bighorn Backcountry - is closed due to extremely wet and soft conditions. Travel on the trail with these conditions would damage the infrastructure as well as be unsafe for the user.

Falls Creek/South Ram River - This is a temporary closure, meant to protect the spawning and rearing areas for bull trout and minimize damage from motorized vehicles, that can lead to erosion and the introduction of sediment to the stream.

For more information please visithttp://esrd.alberta.ca/recreation-public-use/public-land-closures/land-trail-closures.aspx

Great to here. Might be worth going west without the idiots ripping everything up.

[Gorram]

Cal reminds me of another factor.

Perhaps the only hope we have of retaining access to the West Country is by participating in stewardship groups.

As someone who gives 20hrs/week (min) to another group, I'm painfully aware that this means a dozen or so folks doing all the work so the rest can have access, but that's par for the course.

Perhaps legislation that allowed stewardship groups access to the funds raised when they video the mouth breathers doing damage.... after their quads, trucks, RVs are auctioned off? :shark: What color IS the sky in Gorram's world....:sHa_shakeshout:

Cal, how can folks get involved?

[Cal Rakach]

Thx Gorram
If you want to get involved here is a list of AOHVA member clubs
http://www.aohva.com/membershiplisting.php
Each club has their own activities and love new members.
Cal

[bessiedog]

So...
I've run alot of the lower trails in the Pass.... Too wet and too much snow still around down here...

Why haven't these trails been shut down round here??

Trails are gonna be massacred this weekend.

[woods_walker]

Thanks for posting that information Cal.

It doesn't take much of a rut on a couple of those hills to make a channel for the water to head downhill and wreck a trail. I remember what those trails were like before the group took over and improved them and it is sure a more enjoyable trip because of their continued effort. How is the snowpack in that area anyways?

[Cal Rakach]

Bessie Dog; CNP does not have the mechanisms that the Public Land Use Zones do..although Castle Special Management Area is/was (I'm not sure its current state with the new S. Sask Plan) a Forest Land use zone but since it's inception back 1992 those mechanisms were never put in place although outlined to do so in the access plan. In the Ghost and Bighorn we have monitoring/management committees in place with powers at the local ESRD office the ability to act on. Our Rocky ESRD types work hard to support the stewardship groups...with no tools in their tool box.
Woods walker; I was not on this years trail check out but the report is still lots of snow plus the existing damage from last year.
Last Thursday I was on a trails and random campsite tour down on Rig Street and could have probably still gone sledding.
Yesterday I took my vintage motorcycle for a spin out to Shell Burnt Timber gas plant to see if I could score a Ghost map at the kiosk...none yet. The bush and ditches were full of snow.
Here in Sundre, my neighbor across the street still has snow banks in front of the house.

[lannie]

Come on, let's get real and show a little respect for the Land. It's an unusual year, still a lot of snow out there and basically muskeg other places. Heard a story last week about a bunch of quadders. Drove down a valley and couldn't get out again.

Grizz

What do you mean - come on get real?

[Helim]

Fire ban quad ban like they will get followed haha no one gives a rats behind as long as they do what they want thats all the care about these days cant even walk a km into the bush without filling back pack full of garbage give it 10 years and wont be able to quad or camp cause of this **** and youll hear the whine going on then!

[Klondike]

Great to here. Might be worth going west without the idiots ripping everything up.

Best not to wander too far off the pavement though. Sure wouldn't want the 1st responders to use atv to save you from yourself:snapoutofit:

[Jims71duster]

Thank you ESRD for the efforts to preserve what's left of our public wild lands.

Maybe quad riders should be on a draw system on public lands and only be allowed on designated trail systems. Alot of them sure don't know how to self monitor or be responsible land users.

And how something so simple as putting a fire out properly be so challenging is beyond me.

It's not the quad riders as a rule that mess everything up on May long, it's the kids that have 1 to 2 hundred of the at the same party or area and mess everything up. Most times I come across quad camp area, they are cleaned up fairly good

[leeaspell]

Come on, let's get real and show a little respect for the Land. It's an unusual year, still a lot of snow out there and basically muskeg other places. Heard a story last week about a bunch of quadders. Drove down a valley and couldn't get out again.

Grizz

Some quadders started a wildfire west of whitecourt over the weekend, story is that stuff built up around the exhaust, fell off and caught the grass.

[jungleboy]

Some quadders started a wildfire west of whitecourt over the weekend, story is that stuff built up around the exhaust, fell off and caught the grass.

actually I heard it was a couple of hikers that lit a small fire to cook and it got away on them

[leeaspell]

actually I heard it was a couple of hikers that lit a small fire to cook and it got away on them

Stories eh lol. That's the last I heard on the local radio news

[jungleboy]

Stories eh lol. That's the last I heard on the local radio news

That's ok I was just messing around , I never even heard of the fire but just wanted to show how easy it is to pick out a group and blame them for whatever incident one sees fit and no one questions it.

Everything bad that happens in the back country is not the fault of one particular group . Sort of like when a skier is killed in an avalanche,it's a tragedy but if a snowmobiler is killed in an avalanche, then he /she was an idiot who probably brought it on themselves.

[leeaspell]

That's ok I was just messing around , I never even heard of the fire but just wanted to show how easy it is to pick out a group and blame them for whatever incident one sees fit and no one questions it.

Everything bad that happens in the back country is not the fault of one particular group . Sort of like when a skier is killed in an avalanche,it's a tragedy but if a snowmobiler is killed in an avalanche, then he /she was an idiot who probably brought it on themselves.

See, I believed it, because 2 years ago, hikers lit a fire in a field behind Wal-Mart to cook a few hot dogs that got away from them, so I actually believed your story lol. That almost got real bad when fire crews went in with cats and hoes to build a berm and a guy for pembina or someone showed up and said you're about to stick your bucket into a 8 inch sour gas line lol