Gravitythief76 wrote on 12/15/15 at 5:02pm:


Short Answer:

Directly No-------Indirectly Yes

Anything that falls in the proposed sections which will be recommended for wilderness would be officially out of bounds for MTB. Not sure where Raider Camp is, but you can check the maps included in their proposal.

As for the rest, it's essentially status quo except we don't have to worry about it any more... the trails would be protected for MTB use.

Gravitythief76 wrote on 12/15/15 at 11:51pm:

That's actually some of us IMBA's position in certain areas and yes it's unpopular with some folks but not me.  Our forest and trees and our environment are more important than anything else, IMO.

You can read the MOU that was submitted as a group comment detailing the proposal for the NRA through a link on this webpage (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

More information is here (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

And yes I think Raiders Camp is within the proposed NRA.

This is why I support the Sustainable Trails Coalition, a group created to reverse the 1984 Forest service decision to ban bikes in wilderness. The original wilderness did not and was not intended to ban bikes. The STC is currently raising funds and has a bill with lobbyists in Washington looking for a congressional sponsor. We need more people supporting wilderness protection and lifting the ban would add millions of supporters overnight. We are not asking for access to all trails, just that bikes be considered a legitimate user group so local land managers can decide. I think the fact that so many towns in western NC depend on recreational tourism dollars is a big factor in proposing national recreation areas as opposed to wilderness. I also think that the so many organizations came out in support of NRA's in Pisgah speaks volumes. Even the equestrians agree along with the wilderness society! Just look at the list of supporters here: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Check out the Sustainable Trails Coalition here: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

From what I remember Raiders falls in the "Harper Creek and Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area". This was a sort of "wilderness" with a lower case W. Not technically Wilderness (that can only be designated by Congress) but something just shy of it. When the "study area" designation took over thats when alot of those Harpers Creek trails were officially closed to bikes... as I remember. Before that, Raiders, Persimmon ridge, Harpers, etc. were open to bikes and hikers (and even horses I think). WSAs do allow the use of motorized equipment, bikes, horses etc. but that access can be removed if the USFS deems it necessary to protect resources. Hence the closing of those trails to bikes. I might (probably) be way off on that though...

Either way people still ride those trails and little to no enforcement of the bike ban has happened.

As far as hiking trails being converted to bike trails....

I have it from PAS (Pisgah Area Sorba) that the USFS is not opening any new trail to bikes and definitely not cutting new trail for bikes. There is such a massive back log of work needing to be done on existing trails that it will be decades before they finish the repair work on what is open to us to ride. All those old fall line trails (upper Black, Pilot, Horse cove, Cantrell, etc. are going to be repaired to current USFS sustainable trail guidelines. That being said they just cut in a new Spencer Branch but technically that was considered a repair of the old Spencer Branch to prevent sediment runoff, environmental impacts, etc... so "new" trail may happen but it wont be the classic Pisgah gnar gnar... More like mellow grades, machine cut grade dips, and purpose built speed checks (big a$$ rocks) to keep speeds low to limit user group conflicts... 

Either way... I'd rather see bikes have access to boring trails as opposed to no trails. 

And the Nature Nerd in me would rather see miles of open, unlogged, and undeveloped land than trails... But dont take away what we already have...

And I support the bike ban in current Wilderness areas. When is the last time you went to Linville Gorge or Shining Rock... Hikers are destroying those trails just fine without the help of bikes haha. Its nice to have a place where only your two feet can get you around.

Its a really complicated issue for sure.

@banjopickin: Thanks for the excellent post.