Mountain Biking in Designated Wilderness Areas - Bondy's Opinion

Originally posted on January 17, 2019

Geotagged at 42.6825104, -116.4756164

Link to photo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CaLoeCnRLADyR1KH8


There is an ongoing debate about whether mountain biking should be allowed in designed U.S. wilderness areas. Currently, it is not allowed. As a mountain biker and public lands advocate, this debate tugs at my desire to mountain bike and desire to preserve a portion of our nation's natural wonders for future generations.

Living in Idaho, the wilderness designation isn't as restricting as it is in more populated areas such as San Diego County, California. In Idaho, we are blessed with a huge amount of non-wilderness public lands. We also have a huge amount of wilderness, too. If you are willing to do the work, you could ride a different trail/road every day for a month and never cross your own tire tracks. Lucky!

But should we allow mountain biking in our designated wilderness areas? Let discuss that issue.

What Does the Wilderness Act of 1964 State?

Reference: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/wilderness-act-1964

I believe it's important to look at the law before making any judgments. Many years ago, I believed we should allow mountain biking in wilderness areas. But I didn't do any research. And without doing the research on this issue, my opinion was just an uninformed emotional opinion.

Here is a snippet from the Wilderness Act:

"Section 2.(a) In order to assure that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and modify all areas within the United States and its possessions, leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness."

It's Clear - The Law States No MTBing in Wilderness Areas

Snippet:

PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN USES(c) Except as specifically provided for in this Act, and subject to existing private rights, there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this Act and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area.

I'm going with the thought that "no other form of mechanical transport" written into the law means mountain biking is prohibited in designated wilderness areas. It cannot be much more clear, however, we should also realize mountain bikes didn't come on to the scene until the mid-late 1970s.

Standing on a wilderness boundary in Owyhee County, Idaho

Photo is Geotagged at 42.6583366, -115.6986999

Can a Designated Wilderness Areas be Modified?

Good question, huh?

It appears as if a wilderness area can be modified according to the Wilderness Act of 1964, as shown in the snippet below.

Proposed modification. (e) Any modification or adjustment of boundaries of any wilderness area shall be recommended by the appropriate Secretary [of the Interior] after public notice of such proposal and public hearing or hearings as provided in subsection (d) of this section. The proposed modification or adjustment shall then be recommended with map and description thereof to the President. The President shall advise the United States Senate and the House of Representatives of his recommendations with respect to such modification or adjustment and such recommendations shall become effective only in the same manner as provided for in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

In my non-lawyer opinion, the modification of wilderness areas is necessarily a cumbersome procedure. It involves, at the minimum, the president, both chambers of the House and public hearings to modify a designated wilderness area. But it appears it can be done.

Understand, government writing and its lingo, including our laws, confuse the hell out of me. I have to read most government documents three or four times before I start to understand what they mean. And even when I do figure out what the government documents mean, determining the future implications is just as vexing to me. 

Do you agree that designed wilderness areas can be modified [made smaller], when reading the Wilderness Act of 1964?

Link to a Google Documents copy of the Wilderness Act of 1964:
 https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ENAzakpCXV03AOP1Jst5ORCfzoWzyKYF4EDGbKeB7Y/edit?usp=sharing

San Diego County Area Mountain Biking is Hemmed in by Wilderness

About 157,000 acres of wilderness

From 1974 through the early 80s I lived in San Diego County, California. I attend high school and college in the San Diego area and then I joined the U.S. Air Force and moved away. However, during the time I lived in California, I acquired a love of the San Diego County backcountry before any wilderness areas were established. Someday I will return to that area with plans to mountain bike and hike in the Boulevard, Jacumba and McCain Valley areas. 

The map above shows the wilderness areas that hem in the San Deigo mountain biking scene. 

Interactive Wilderness Map Link: https://umontana.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a415bca07f0a4bee9f0e894b0db5c3b6

About 276,000 acres of wilderness

In my local play area of southwestern Idaho, I have about 700,000 acres of public lands to roam, fish, hike and mountain bike on. The Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness are highlighted in green and encompass 276,000 acres that mountain biking is not allowed. But as I mentioned above, I also have a ton more opportunity to find suitable and legally rideable mountain biking terrain than my friends in San Diego County, California will ever have.

My Opinion - No Riding in Designated Wilderness Areas

In my opinion, backed up by what I believe is the spirit and intent of current law, we should not and cannot allow mountain biking in this nation's wilderness areas. But I sympathize with my mountain biking friends that live in the more populated portions of the U.S. like San Diego that are hemmed in by wilderness.

"We should not and cannot allow mountain biking in this nation's wilderness areas." ~ Tim Bondy on Jan. 14, 2019

The only solace I can find for those who have a need to ride is that they have the opportunity to get those designated wilderness areas modified and turn a portion of that land into something other than wilderness. It will take a lot of very frustrating work/time and you may not be able to chunk out a portion of the land for mountain biking but that is the way the system works.

What? That's not Fair? 

If wilderness is hemming you in and you believe I am wrong when I say mountain biking should never be allowed in designed wilderness areas then I say life isn't fair. But also realize, I live in a place where restaurants, shopping, and culture do not exist. I also live in a place were abundant and good paying jobs do not exist. I also have awesome mountain biking, fishing, and hiking opportunities.

I have traded one aspect of living for a different aspect of living. You may not be able to afford to move to southern Idaho and I certainly cannot afford to move to a place where there the weather allows me to comfortably ride 365 days a year. That's life, baby!

I will be glad to show you around my little area of Idaho for some uncrowded mountain biking. Contact me and I'll arrange some riding where you'll likely never see another biker on the trails.



Last updated on January 17, 2019

Thanks,

~ signed ~

Tim Bondy
Freelance Writer & Citizen Journalist
.
I am a proud citizen journalist, aka "enemy of the American People!"

Mountain Bike Ride To The Big Draw Near The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness

Mountain Bike Ride To The "Big Draw" In The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness Canyon

This is a photograph of the Big Draw

Summary of a ride: This little-visited part of the Owyhee County, Idaho is called the Bruneau Desert and my mountain bike ride took me out next to the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness area. The true and official wilderness is literally two steps from my Giant Talon 2 bike (in the photo above) while the rest of the land is 100% publicly owned. During this October 18, 2017, ride, I gained a new appreciation for this part of our country. If you want a truly unique place to ride, this southern Idaho area would be one of the locations you should seek out.

More information about the Bruneau–Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness can be found at https://www.blm.gov/visit/bruneau-jarbidge-rivers-wilderness-area

The Story: Finding a place to park and use as a trailhead was a little difficult because almost the entire ride is on narrow two-track ranching roads. The chances of encountering another vehicle are pretty slim but one doesn't want to impede neither ranchers nor the occasional hunter on their way to fill a deer or elk tag. I found a spot.

The trailhead and parking area for the Big Draw Ride

I had the entire ride planned out and annotated on my 7.5-minute topo maps. It seemed like a pretty straightforward ride but I missed my first turn that would have taken me towards the deep river canyon. As it turned out, missing the turn wasn't a negative. It got me to the "Big Draw" portion of the canyon and it was spectacular. I would have come upon the Big Draw later in the ride but being fresh when coming upon such awe-inspiring scenery is better. Good for me.

The landscape when unable to view any of the deep river gorges in the area is actually quite unremarkable and dare I say, boring. It's also quite flat. The mountain biking couldn't ever be called technical by any means but there was still some dangerous bits to ride. Let's just say tumbleweeds cover many of the small draws and that dead vegetation tends to cover up large bolder and basketball sized rocks on the not-ever-maintained two-tracks. Just a fair warning.

The sagebrush steppe of the Bruneau Desert in Idaho. My lunch stop too.

On this Wednesday afternoon I was riding, two A-10 fighter aircraft were flying through the nearby canyon. Quite impressive to watch these weird looking aircraft flying, nap of the earth, 300 yards from the two track I was navigating. Very cool. Seeing those A-10 aircraft isn't unusual because the U.S. Air Force maintains a bombing range a few miles to the east.


The Ride Details
Date Of Hike / Ride: October 18, 2017
Name of Hike / Ride: Mountain Bike Ride To The Big Draw Near The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness Canyon
Link To Photographs: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fNfYsEAwyRMEjfld2
Total Biking Mileage: 13.8 miles
Vertical Feet: +669 feet / -689 feet
Average Slope: +1.7% / -1.5%
Elevation Ranges: 3,401 feet / 3,736 feet
Total Time On Trails: 2 hours 40 minutes
Facilities At Trailhead: None
Land Ownership: 100% BLM public lands
Gear Used: 2017 Giant Talon 2 Mountain Bike
Road Mileage from Boise, Idaho to Trailhead: 79.7 miles

Outdoor Concierge Service: If you would like more information about mountain biking, hiking, rockhounding or any type of outdoor adventures along the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness or Bruneau Desert, I will be glad to discuss some outdoor options. Use the contact form on this site or leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

In Decline Statement: If venturing to this area, please understand the local opinion is my hometown of Mountain Home, Idaho is a city in decline. There are some businesses thriving, but not many. Your best options are to avoid the place completely and stock up on food, supplies, and gas elsewhere. #MountainHomeIdaho #CityInDecline

This story was originally published on November 4, 2017.

Thanks,



Tim Bondy
Freelance Writer & Citizen Journalist

I am currently a proud citizen journalist, aka, "enemy of the American People!"