Pandion

You're serious? This isn't about mountain bikers being scrutinized, it's about personal liability and the fear of litigation that results in trails being torn down. Do you really think that most the ranchers and major landholders that whose land you're building illegal trails on are a bunch of liberal hippies? Far from it. It has nothing to do with the liberal hippies (or conservatives, red necks, etc.) or whoever you think is holding you down, it has everything to do with your personal actions (i.e., building illegal trails) and your attitude. You want to mountain bikers to be held in higher regard? Try talking with landowners and the forest service and working cooperatively to build trails instead of thinking you have the right to build trails anywhere you want. Hate it as much as you want, but you don't own the land, you don't have the inherent right to build on it. As for your argument that mountain bikers aren't green, I don't buy it. Building illegal trails and riding off trail obviously isn't, but for the large number of us that use trails responsibly, use our bike instead of our car because we love riding, and work to maintain open spaces and the trails in them....I'd say that's pretty damn hippie.