How to get riding rights revoked....

[Garandman]

Every year our snowmobile club makes a special effort to thank and reward private landowners, but every year it seems we lose one or two properties due to out-of-bounds riding. Now I've seen it for myself.

There's a Class VI road next to our property in NH. A wooden bridge (rated for 6 tons) spans a brook. There is a ford on our property, next to it.

Last year, a logger repeatedly drove a 23 ton log skidder over the bridge, tearing up the bridge deck. You could still cross it, with care.


But a small number of local off-roaders decided to start using the ford instead. We didn't stop them because in late summer, fall, and winter the ground was fairly hard and they didn't do much damage.

Forward to this spring, and they continued to use it during mud season. Their tracks killed the vegetation and made tracks. Water started running down the tracks, eroding both banks. I should note this was only two or three drivers/riders: most of the rest of the ATVers and 4 wheelers took the bridge, slowly. A neighbor spotted the skidder using the ford as well, tearing down saplings and a tree in the process.

The tracks became a stream when it rained, and washed away 1-2' of soil.


The Select Board knew about the bridge damage, but not the ford. I went to the meeting earlier this week, showed them pictures, and asked, "what do you recommend?" Bottom line is the ford is now posted No Trespassing, and if there is any further use I can put a chain across (the Fire Department and Police will have keys).

9 out of 10 users respected the land. The 10% then trashed it for everyone else. The Connecticut River Conservancy is going to help us stop the erosion (two to five years to mature), but we probably can't restore the banks so they will remain closed. They are going after the logger to repair the bridge, and will require a bond be posted in future.

[aldend123]

A sign that says something like 'Erosion Control: Must Use Bridge' seems like it would be more effective than the standard no trespassing.

Maybe I'm having trouble with the context of the landscape, but I could see another line of logic from a rider's POV. "Oh, the bridge is damaged. Don't make it worse by riding on it. Go around".

Also, the overall theme seems to be 'riders' but the skidder damaged the bridge, and the skidder drove up the ford. Kinda seems like the riders aren't the cause of your troubles.

[Garandman]

Plenty of blame to go around.

As mentioned, the vast majority of ATV'rs and 4 wheelers simply crossed the bridge by following the beam.

The Select Board is going to turn up the heat on the logger to repair the bridge, but the logger has now dragged their feet for more than a year: shocking no one who regularly deals with them.

[R7]

Maybe the thread title should be "How to get your logging rights revoked" ?

[nhbubba]

So the moral here is riders lose a place to ride because a logger wrecked the bridge?!

[Imbeek]

I'd rather have a freaking j day on my property than any conservancy group or local government tree huggers getting their hooks into what I can and cannot do in the future with my land.

Sorry to be blunt, but some soil washing away=who gives a crap

Don't lose focus; you are a motorcyclist. Don't go flipping sides on us, although it sounds too late now. Should've just taken the logger to small claims court. No one's gonna get muddy if the bridge is there in good shape. Get back to us when they try fining you 10,000 per incident of using your brush hog or cutting firewood within 99 feet of that wetlands...

[Pittenger5]

Now, Im certainly no structural engineer, but that bridge dont exactly look like the Zakim. Couple hundred bucks in wood and an afternoon swinging hammers should be able to take care of it.

[breakdirt916]

Log skidder dude sounds like a dick

[aldend123]

Plenty of blame to go around.

As mentioned, the vast majority of ATV'rs and 4 wheelers simply crossed the bridge by following the beam.

The Select Board is going to turn up the heat on the logger to repair the bridge, but the logger has now dragged their feet for more than a year: shocking no one who regularly deals with them.

Ignoring any skills/fear issues, I meant that I could see leaving whatever is left for those who aren't able to cross next to the bridge. Like trucks, people on feet, bicycles etc. The ATV is the vehicle who needs the bridge the least, so leave what remains for everyone else. Could another compromise be arrows pointing riders to cross on the opposite side of the bridge?

My airchair detective skills tell me that wear pattern on the ford picture looks like something big and heavy. Doesn't remind me at all of ATV wear patterns. I'm just not seeing why riders are catching much shit for any of this. Even if a few deserve some blame (ehhhh), it's like when the general public assumes one random asshole street rider is a representative on our behalf.

[Garandman]

It was another local ATV'r who told me about the skidder using the ford. A lot of locals were pissed at the logger, who has history. We did what our neighbors recommended: brought it to the Selectmen.

Today we put down conservation mix, straw, and stacked some rocks here and there to slow dow the water velocity. But the damage is done and I don't see this being fordable again, the soil has washed away two feet of soil on one side.

A sign that says something like 'Erosion Control: Must Use Bridge' seems like it would be more effective than the standard no trespassing. .

We added the following in 3/4" labels to the signs:

"Closed by owner until further notice due to stream bank erosion. Emergency vehicles only."

[Chippertheripper]

I don't see this being fordable again, the soil has washed away two feet of soil on one side.

pfffft, I'd ford the fuck out of that, soil washed soil, or no soil washed soil.

[nhbubba]

Braaaaap...

[Tekime]

So a nearby club has put a lot of work into keeping passing rights on this small, private trail that connects two important routes. They clean trails, put up signs, build bridges, all clearly marked to GO SLOW at this one spot right next to a family's home and respect the land. Instead, some group of dicks decided to wind it out past the family the other day, nearly running over their son his first time out, and just to be complete and thorough dicks they all gave the family the middle finger as they ripped past.

Doesn't really have anything to do with your story just thought I'd share

[aldend123]

So a nearby club has put a lot of work into keeping passing rights on this small, private trail that connects two important routes. They clean trails, put up signs, build bridges, all clearly marked to GO SLOW at this one spot right next to a family's home and respect the land. Instead, some group of dicks decided to wind it out past the family the other day, nearly running over their son his first time out, and just to be complete and thorough dicks they all gave the family the middle finger as they ripped past.

Doesn't really have anything to do with your story just thought I'd share

Gotta admire the commitment. No half-assed dickery there. Hard to find the gray area on that one.


Wait... I got it. ADV salute.

[Tekime]

Gotta admire the commitment. No half-assed dickery there. Hard to find the gray area on that one.

lol, yeah they are definitely committed to the dick.

Wait... I got it. ADV salute.

[gixxer72]

So a nearby club has put a lot of work into keeping passing rights on this small, private trail that connects two important routes. They clean trails, put up signs, build bridges, all clearly marked to GO SLOW at this one spot right next to a family's home and respect the land. Instead, some group of dicks decided to wind it out past the family the other day, nearly running over their son his first time out, and just to be complete and thorough dicks they all gave the family the middle finger as they ripped past.



Doesn't really have anything to do with your story just thought I'd share

My experience is most of the problem riders seem to be towny rednecks on local trails. I see much less tomfuckery and litter on the bigger trails up north (where most non-residents ride.) Same with brook fishing, these fucking scumbags leave all kinds of trash. Drives me insane.

[Garandman]

So the moral here is riders lose a place to ride because a logger wrecked the bridge?!

Naw, more like this.