So I remember last year I tried to ride my bike through the beautiful San Elijo Lagoon trail that was made for hikers (**only-as it turns out). It's a nice, mellow, and scenic ride and can be done in such a short amount of time, it would always fit into my schedule.

So one day when I'm riding through, some lady tells me she's part of this tour-guided group that goes through ecological reserves like SEL and looks at the wildlife.

Frankly, she warned me not to be on that trail, saying that if the park ranger/tour guide ahead saw me, he'd force me to leave, etc.

Now I wondered, why in the hell is is wrong for me to have a nice and easy bike ride on 2 soft, rubber tires when you can take a whole group of geriatric hikers, stomping their feet and walking their dogs that take craps on the trail and romp around into the bushes? What more damage am I doing to the trail than they are? None in my book!

I apologize for the rant, but would you guys go there to ride your bike anyway and just deal with the fact there might be an angry park ranger at some point to give you a talk?



/Dante

i would Occupy the San Elijo Hills Lagoon Trail

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'the notorious North County Sancho'

Not a good trail to ride. Too many hikers. And not a wide enough trail for you and hikers to be on the trail together without one of you getting pissed. I love riding bikes, but some trails should stay just for hikers and geriatric pricks who don't pick up dog poo.

For a mellow easy ride that you can do quick. Ride Lake Hodges. They like bikes there and it's pretty fun and family friendly. MTRP is pretty good too, but I think you have to have a 29er and wear spandex to ride there now.

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"F*ck it Dude, let's go bowling"- Walter

someone get Canaan a 29er.....

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'the notorious North County Sancho'

It's a Cal. Dept. of Fish & Game property: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region5/

Unfortunately, they appear to have absolutely no knowledge of the small impact of mountain bikes. Feel free to pass on actual science to them:

http://www.imba.com/resources/research/ ... -practices

http://www.imba.com/resources/research/ ... ain-biking

http://www.imba.com/resources/research/ ... -charlotte

I used to live at the top of that hill overlooking that area, then became part of the 99%. I used to ride there ocassionally, nice downhill from the top of the hill, but got lots of dirty looks from the bird watchers. They had a point since the noise would scare the egrets or whatever they were so assiduously counting - what a weird past-time.

It's kind of a small trail system, maybe 3 miles max. I did not find it worth it on a bike. It makes for a great trail run though.

Go check out PQ or La Costa which are close by.

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"We'll ride it until they pave it."

-Big Clyde

I don't think that impact is the issue. I believe that their current thinking is that you have to be interacting with wildlife to be allowed on CDF&G lands. In other words, viewing wildlife through either a scope or a camera lens.

That's my feeling from attending the Commission meeting on Thursday morning in Santa Barbara. By the way, the mid-December Commission meeting is in San Diego.

I'm still pondering this. More later.

Thanks for the replies

Yeah I guess I'll just go pedal around somewhere else lol. Hodges sounds like a fun place!

Once again, I apologize for the rant, but it was just something on my mind at the time...

Just out of curiosity, where is the La Costa trail?



/Dante

Hope this works, I uploaded a track into google maps awhile back:
http://g.co/maps/rxxmq

Also, mountainbikebill.com has a write up, of course.

Yay thanks! I'll try and go there soon, since it's pretty close to my place.



/Dante