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!"

The Big Draw MTB Ride in the Bruneau Desert

A mountain bike ride high above the desolation of the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness of Idaho.

The fear of falling was a motivator for not getting too close to the edge.

Summary of a Mountain Bike Ride: This ride was originally part of a longer ride in the desert southeast of Bruneau, Idaho on October 18, 2017. Located in the desolated region containing the Bruneau River Canyon and only 70 ‘as-the-crow-flies’ miles southeast of Boise makes this a good day ride to see some spectacular scenery.

The Ride: The approach road was 6-9 miles of washboard and rutted gravel road with the main problem finding safe parking off Blackstone-Grasmere road. I found my safe spot about 2 miles further into the desert than I originally intended.

Once on my bike, the gently rolling hills made biking a little more interesting. Gravel/dirt roads in this area aren’t marked very well and from my experience, they aren’t maintained very often either. To highlight this point I completely missed my first turn heading east towards the canyons. Later in the day, I came out that road and I understand why I missed the turn on this loop-type ride. It didn't even look like a road nor a trail.

This is the turn or intersection I missed. It's on the left ;-)

The highlight of the trip was riding down more widely traveled unnamed trail that followed the rim of an unnamed canyon to a spit of land high above the Bruneau River Canyon. The view from that spit of land was dizzying and spectacular. Really … it was “Wow.”

Once I took in the views from all sides of that spit of land, I headed back to find the trail I should have been on before riding this road. Yes, I did have maps and had the capability to get back on the original circuit that I planned. But once I discovered I missed that first turn, I decided riding the planned loop in reverse couldn’t hurt. The bonus being I was staying on my published route.

The loop road was turned out to be a two-track that wasn’t marked. This loop part of the ride is an official BLM jeep trail while the trail out to the canyon rim is not. My expectation was this part of the ride would be flat and a speedy ride. That didn’t pan out either.

There is an Air Force A-10 aircraft in this photo. They flew close to me but I was slow on the camera.

The loop road was flat but bumpier than the worst washboarded road I’ve been on. I probably cruised this two-track at 10 miles an hour and it tried to shake my brains loose for most of its length. The scenery wasn’t exactly special either. I did watch two military A-10 aircraft flying in the canyon only about 1/3 of a mile away. You don’t get to see that very often in other places in the world unless it’s a war zone.

This wasn’t a mountain biker’s ride but more of a touring #mtb exploring an area not many have ever ventured on a bicycle.

The Ride Details
Date Of Ride: October 18, 2017
Name of Ride: The Big Draw MTB Ride in the Bruneau Desert
Link To Photographs From Ride: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fNfYsEAwyRMEjfld2

Bike Ridden: Giant Talon 2 (2017)
Total Mountain Bike Mileage: 13.8 miles
Vertical Feet: +669 feet / -689 feet
Average Slope: +1.7% / -1.5%
Elevation Ranges: 3,401 feet / – 3,736 feet
Facilities At Trailhead: None
Land Ownership: 100% on public BLM lands. I may have entered the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness while walking around the above mentioned “spit” of land.
Road Mileage from Boise, Idaho to Trailhead: 80 miles

Why "The Big Draw"? The Crowbar Gulch topo map identified it as such. 

If venturing to this area, please understand the small town of Mountain Home, Idaho to the north of this area is a city in decline. Your best options are to avoid the place completely and stock up on food, supplies, and gas elsewhere. #MountainHomeIdaho #CityInDecline

If you would like more information about mountain biking, hiking, rockhounding or any type of outdoor adventures southern Idaho, USA, I will be glad to discuss your options.

This story was originally published on October 20, 2017.

Thanks,



Tim Bondy
Freelance Writer & Citizen Journalist

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

Spivey Road – South of Oreana, Oct. 2017 Bike Ride

A fun but exhausting October 2017 mountain bike ride in southwestern Idaho.

Looking down into Browns Creeks Canyon with the Silver City Mountains of Idaho in the distance

Summary of the Mountain Bike Ride: This mountain bike ride ( #Mtb ) was completed on Oct. 5, 2017, in the Owyhee Front south of Oreana, Idaho. The ride, located about 40 ‘as-the-crow-flies’ miles south of Boise, was on gravel and dirt roads, mostly suitable for higher clearance vehicles as well as ATVs and mountain bikes.

With temperatures in the 50s, this out and back, 22 mile, 1,600 foot vertical, bike ride was grueling for me. The road was rocky, yet not technical but was uphill all the way. The rockiness detracted from the ride because it prevented me from watching the horizon for deer and more specifically, bighorn sheep. However, the view to the south of the Owyhee Mountains and the various shallow canyons was quite beautiful.

The Ride Details: I forgot to turn-off my GPS tracking when I got back to the truck and it continued to track all the way home and into the house. All statistics are approximated but likely very close to reality.

Specifics

Date Of Ride: October 5, 2017
Name of Ride: Spivey and Alder Creek Road Ride
Link To Photographs From Ride: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PYkukRMsr8Gh1alA2
Total Mountain Bike Mileage: 21.9 miles
Vertical Feet: About 1,600 feet. This is the one stat my GPX/Google Earth are having troubles parsing.
Average Slope: 2.9% / Max Slope: 11%
Elevation Ranges: 2,792 to 4,285 feet

Land Ownership: Mostly Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and some Idaho State Lands. No private property was encroached upon during this ride.
Facilities At Trailhead: None
Road Mileage from Boise, Idaho to Trailhead: 65 miles

The end of the trail for me. 

If venturing to this area from the east, please understand the small town of Mountain Home, Idaho is a city in decline. Your best options are to avoid the place completely and stock up on food, supplies, and gas elsewhere. #MountainHomeIdaho #CityInDecline

If you would like more information about mountain biking, hiking, rockhounding or any type of outdoor adventures along the Owyhee Front, I will be glad to discuss your options.

This story was originally published on October 18, 2017.

Thanks,



Tim Bondy
Freelance Writer & Citizen Journalist


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

We Already Share and Use Our Public Lands

Last edited on March 16, 2017

At least two Idaho state legislative representatives are quite excited about the prospects of getting their hands on some, most or all 32 million acres of the federally owned lands in our state. This public lands take-over wet dream is also shared by the right wing conservative majority in other western states with Utah politicians being the most vocal. Locally, Representatives Megan Blanksma and Christie Zito are the noise makers.

The fence between cleaner and pooh-strewn on our public lands of Idaho

Photo Details:
Geographic Coordinates: 42.7709056, -116.298325
Date: March 15, 2016 at 3:48 P.M.
Owyhee County, Idaho.
Land Ownership: The people of the USA.
Photographer: Tim Bondy from Tim Bondy - Freelance Writer

In May 2016, Megan Blanksma and Christie Zito, then legislative district 32 candidates extolled their vision of how great it would be if we could more readily share our public lands with corporations and/or allowed the state of Idaho to "manage" all those lands. We already know Idaho is better known for selling their state lands than properly managing them.

The word "Manage" as used by Blanksma means "being in charge of" instead of  the other definition, "help in the administration of our public lands for all people."

Sharing Already - The Proof Is On The Land
On March 15, 2017, I went on a hike that started on Mud Flat Road in the Owyhee Mountains of southwestern Idaho. The cross-country hike took me up to Peak 5356 and back again. The first half of the hike was on the State of Idaho lands and likely some federally owned BLM grazing allotments also.

During the state and grazing allotment portion of the hike, I shared the land with a massive amount of cow patties. This is quite normal in this portion of the Owyhees. The fence and the lands seen beyond in the above photograph were conspicuously free of the shared cow patty environment.

Once I crawled under that fence, there was no more empty cans, junk or trash. Around the peak however, there were some old cow patties. I suspect these were from cows that migrated up to this area from another grazing allotment to the north and east. So Representative Christie Zito from Idaho Legislative District 23, we are sharing our lands. No more compromise required ... okay?

Finding Nemo the Cow Patty out in the desert is easy

Management For Corporations
Representative Blanksma from Idaho Legislative District 23 wants Idaho to manage, as in take full control of our federal lands. She has no real plan other than an old bill that Congressman Raul Labrador submitted a few years ago. That bill was just a public lands take-over idea.

The only way Idaho could afford to "manage" our federal lands is by selling off a good chunk of it and agreeing to use that money to manage the lands they grabbed from "We, the People." Remember, Idaho won't even fund education properly and local school district are forced to vote on funding levies every few years just so school buildings can be properly maintained.

Call To Action
I know there are a lot of people living in Idaho who wish to keep public lands public. These people come from all walks of life and use some of the 32 million acres of federally owned lands in many different ways.

There are concerned fishermen, kayakers, hikers, ORV users, motorcyclists, birder, hunters, rockhounders and explorers to name just some of the hobbyists I can think of.  If you use our public lands in a responsible and gentle way, please tell your state and federal elected officials to "Keep Public Lands Public ... now and forever."


Originally published on March 16, 2017.

Thanks,


Tim Bondy Freelance
Writer & Citizen Journalist

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

.

Hike To Below Peak 5651 - Owyhee Mountains

Last updated on March 14, 2017

Summary: This review is about a hike in Owyhee County, Idaho, a place that you might find is a good vacation spot if you are looking for uncrowded outdoor recreation. It's also unique, rugged and quite beautiful. 

I went on a solo cross-country hike in the Owyhee Mountain southwest of Grand View, Idaho. Peak 5651 was my destination but I never made all the way to that little spot on this earth but I was close. Why? I ran out of energy and I'm not in the best physical condition after a long, cold winter.

The view from near Owyhee Peak 5651 in March 2017. Rough Mtn. is the name of the snow covered peak in the mid-ground

Stop For Food and Supplies
If you are need of some last minutes food or supplies, there is a cafe and a small general store on Highway 78 just outside of Grand View, Idaho. For a better choice of supplies and munchies, buy them in the Boise, Caldwell or Meridan area before heading out.

Here is Grand View, Idaho link to Google Maps 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grand+View,+ID+83624/@42.9832396,-116.1069455,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x54addd3e7db5cd89:0x95af201b2651a22e!8m2!3d42.9896139!4d-116.0934305?hl=en&authuser=0 Mountain Home is a city in real decline and it's a good idea to stay away when on vacation.

Details:

• Coordinates the photo was taken: 42.7479889, -116.2795861
• Taken on March 12, 2017, at around 3:30 P.M.
• 20 miles southwest of Grand View and 60 miles south of Boise, Idaho (as the crow flies)
• All lands along the hike to the peak were public and freely open to hiking 
• To start the hike, park at or near coordinates 42.766069, -116.280721 just off Mud Flat Road.
• There are no trails to the peak so you just need to point your nose towards your destination and start walking. No, really.

A spit of land called "Between the Creeks" can be seen in the background.

Why Off Trail There?
The primary reason I wanted to peak-out in this particular area was so I could view and possible hike part of the way down into the Shoofly Creek canyon a.k.a. Perjure Canyon. The hike up to this butte was tougher than I expected so I stopped when the view was good enough. And the views of this little-visited canyon area were spectacular.

Video was taken from the summit area

When looking along the northern horizon I could see the snow covered mountain peaks extending from Near Ontario, Oregon and eastward to the Pioneer Mountains near Haily, Idaho. That's a quite a view considering Haily is over 100 miles from Peak 5651. 

Originally published on March 14, 2017.

Thanks,


Tim Bondy Freelance
Writer & Citizen Journalist

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

.

Owyhee Mtns Vinson Wash Outing - Public Lands

Photography, Outdoors, Owyhee County, Idaho, Desert, Public Lands
Last edited on February 26, 2017

A fork on an unnamed road in the Owyhee Mountains

A sunny, 40℉  February 2017 day in the Owyhee Mountains of southern Idaho. 

Sunshine has been a rare commodity in southern Idaho this winter. So when the opportunity presented itself, I took it and headed into the Owyhee Mountains for a pre-microadventure exploration hike.

This area about 15 miles southwest of Grand View, Idaho and about 50 miles south of Boise, Idaho and will likely be the location of a future microadventure in 2017. It's a sagebrush covered desert environment with a number of peaks to explore. And I have explored many of them since 2007. But now it's time to get out into these "deserty" mountains for a overnight camping adventures.

The two-track seen in this photograph has no name that I know of. It is only suitable for high clearance vehicles and of course ATVs, motorcycles and hiking. I walked.

This photograph was taken at 42.8234194, -116.2587694 on February 25, 2017 at 2:45 P.M. while facing west.

Peak 5141 is located at 42.826619, -116.310974 and is about two and three-quarter miles away from the photo location.

Ownership
On this exploration, I hiked a total of 4.13 miles and at no time did I step foot on anything other than public lands. From the research I have done, most of the lands within a 10 mile radius of the hike are federal lands and freely open to hiking ... no permission needed.

The next biggest land owner within a 10 mile radius of my hike is the State of Idaho. Idaho owned lands are a peculiar in that they can lock out citizens of the state when they wish and for any reason apparently. Idaho also has a long history of selling off their "state lands." For this reason, the citizens of the U.S. need to tell their representative to keep public lands open and free to all of us. Once lands are sold off to corporations or private parties, the "No Trespassing" signs and fences go up.

Private property is the last ownership category in this area. Most of the private lands in this area are located in the river/creek valleys and are mainly ranch lands.

Directions to the photo location from Grand View Idaho
Turn left onto ID-78 E 2.1 mi  Slight right onto Mud Flat Rd/Shoofly Rd  Continue to follow Mud Flat Rd 15.7 mi  Turn right onto Oreana Loop Rd/Poison Creek Cutoff 2.7 miles. Look for a two-track dirt road on the left.



Originally published on February 26, 2017

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Thanks,



Tim Bondy
Freelance Writer & Citizen Journalist

I am currently a proud "enemy of the American People!"