chainsawgoddess

Being tired in the dark is hardly an excuse for littering, and it is NOT well within reason to leave trash out there. It looks bad no matter what. Maybe next time leave a note for the DNR people who are assessing the damage and tell them not to worry about the garbage, cause you're going to pick it up later. I'm sure they will understand. You shouldn't have to be asked to pick up trash on your own trail either.

My husband rides there, and I frequent the area for numerous reasons. Why do you care? Is it going to make me a credible source if I'm out there every day shuttling and building trails? Even if I suck at riding bikes and I only go out there when my husband does to "check things out" and see the trails, I know what trash looks like. I'm not trying to say I know everything about the north fork, but I know throwing trash on land that isn't yours for whatever reason is a crappy thing to do. I don't see trash like that on the other trails around here like on Galbraith. It wouldn't be tolerated in most places. Why is it there? This is just my opinion, and I feel keeping the area clean would only be to the benefit of the users...having worked with the DNR in the past. Perhaps if there were trash bins out there, that would help the problem, but that's just another expense for them. I know it's not fair that the other people make a bigger mess than the bikers, but as my good friend L says, "fair only comes once a year... and it's in the summer." I want the north fork to live on!

ebxtreme, I know you guys do a great job cleaning up the crap from the shooting range, and that I haven't been on all the trails, but I was kind of surprised at how much stuff was on just moto and at the regular shuttle turnarounds. It's probably because I go much slower than most people on the downhill that I notice. I also ran up the trail. The unburied human shit was a nice touch! It's the little things like that which tend to make me quite upset. I know I'm new here, I'm not a great biker, and I don't get involved in the political stuff, but I do love the woods and feel the need to speak up. Just because it looks bad because of the redneck shooting range, doesn't give others permission to do the same. From my experience, the biking community in Bellingham is/would be an asset to any land manager or agency, and most would feel privileged to have such a passionate group of people to work with. I was just personally disappointed in the litter problem outside of the shooting range at the north fork. I would be more than willing to help clean it up if that happens again.

I don't ride at the North Fork, and I attend all the trail maintenance days I can... which is a lot as it turns out. I also pick up trash that isn't mine. I know they (the DNR) don't understand the importance of the trails, and the trails are wonderful (or at least the one I have ridden twice and the others I've dug on). I'm not saying they are right or justified in closing the land to everyone. I have done my homework on the issue. This is MY issue with how people treat the land they so prize. It's not up to you to stockpile cans in the woods, cause they are not your woods. How hard is it to pick up your trash? Seriously! Tell me you can bring in a case of full beers but you can't leave with them once they're empty. If you want it to be yours, treat it like it's you own.

The trails at the north fork are nothing short of amazing. It's true, people pour their heart and soul into building, maintaining and riding them. People expect logging to happen and trails to be lost, but this is quite a low blow with little warning. While it's easy to hate the DNR, you have to look at it from their standpoint. When they drive out there, what do they see? Trash. It looks like a landfill. Sure, there are lots of users out there who are responsible for their own kinds of mess, but I doubt the people in the minivan with a gun rack and 5 kids are the ones who left the truckloads of beer cans along the sides of some of the downhill trails. I’m not calling anyone out, but I find it ironic that so much pride can be taken in the trails, yet the area 10 ft off the trail can be so blatantly misused and trashed. I know there are clean up days out there, but it’s obvious that people don’t respect the land. You don’t see beer cans hanging from trees on the interurban trail. If you saw someone throwing trash in your yard you would be mad. From the standpoint of the DNR, it looks like the users of the north fork area don’t care enough about the land to be trusted out there while there is millions of dollars worth of logging equipment out there and log trucks on the road. It’s not that cool to shit where you eat. It also takes more than a couple people once a year to keep that place clean. Make it look like you care, and perhaps someone will take note of your combined actions.

The trails at the north fork are nothing short of amazing. It's true, people pour their heart and soul into building, maintaining and riding them. People expect logging to happen and trails to be lost, but this is quite a low blow with little warning. While it's easy to hate the DNR, you have to look at it from their standpoint. When they drive out there, what do they see? Trash. It looks like a landfill. Sure, there are lots of users out there who are responsible for their own kinds of mess, but I doubt the people in the minivan with a gun rack and 5 kids are the ones who left the truckloads of beer cans along the sides of some of the downhill trails. I’m not calling anyone out, but I find it ironic that so much pride can be taken in the trails, yet the area 10 ft off the trail can be so blatantly misused and trashed. I know there are clean up days out there, but it’s obvious that people don’t respect the land. You don’t see beer cans hanging from trees on the interurban trail. If you saw someone throwing trash in your yard you would be mad. From the standpoint of the DNR, it looks like the users of the north fork area don’t care enough about the land to be trusted out there while there is millions of dollars worth of logging equipment out there and log trucks on the road. It’s not that cool to shit where you eat. It also takes more than a couple people once a year to keep that place clean. Make it look like you care, and perhaps someone will take note of your combined actions.