National Parks Traveler

Roger, Thanks for the invite, but I highly doubt that I'll make it that way. Too many other trails on the bucket list that would take precedence. Bob, Great funny ending!

Thanks for the invitation, Roger. Maybe I will be near Big Bend someday. If I may provide some evidence for a pretty good level of civility in this thread, here's how some people are behaving in Indiana, in sad contrast: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/31126554/detail.html

Thanks, Roger. Let me say prefatorily that if you register on this website your comments will appear immediately and the "not verified" label will disappear. If you'd like to send your longer comment version to me, please forward it to Kurt. He knows how to reach me and I'm quite sure the same is true of his ability to contact Zebulon.

Zebulon, I can tell it's election time, time to sling mud away from the real issue. We just love red herrings. Everyone else,

George, can you explain why mountain bike is "inappropriate"? It sounds to me like an unsupported opinion. And the main reason why mountain bikers seek a single track experience is exactly the same as hikers prefer it: to provide an experience closer to nature.

I note that none of Imntbike's questions were answered. Quite telling. :) .....

"Similarly, mountain bikes using the same trails as hikers is like the mix of cars and bikes. It's unsafe." Well, one solution would be to ban hiking, for hikers' own safety. I'll ask my member of Congress to get right on it! Problem solved.

A few comments. The atttitude of many mountain bikes is aggressive--not only in defending their activity, but also on the trail. The attitudes I've encountered with mountain bikers is similar to those of other thrillcraft users like dirt bikers, etc. There is even a close similarity in clothing, iconology and demographics. Most dirt bikers are youngish male as are most avid mountain bikers.

Believe it's the "Political Science" angle that's the most damaging and profitable to the likes of "wildlife/wilderness" pimps, in some cases. Some are taken in the beginning with what seems like a cool cause but when tempted with marketing and money rewards lose all objectivity and sense of what's often a simple and monetarily unrewarding solution.

Anonymous: I applaud that this did show up. Integrity is a surprise. A welcome surprise!

Was this a rerun of the scientific study for "global warming"?

Thanks, Kurt, for this informative, interesting, and well-researched article.

Thank you National Parks Traveler for providing this information. I appreciate being informed. Kudos to all for a well presented article.

Yes, the mining industry has such a proud history of good land stewardship!

Reed - Sounds like a problem that needs to be addressed. You'll find phone, mail and e-mail contact information for the park headquarters at the following link. I'd suggest you send this information right to the park:

Excellent May 26 comment, Tammy. In particular, we mountain bikers suspect you're right about how our second-class status was conferred in the early 1980s, though no one's been able to prove it.