The Wilderness Sportsman » Motors Gone Wild

Did snowmobilers trigger avalanche that injured 30 people?

Mike — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:55:10 +0000

A very sad tale. When you combine this with the disturbance of rare species (wolverine, lynx), it really makes you wonder about the pointless activity known as “high marking”.

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REVELSTOKE, British Columbia – An avalanche that killed at least two people at an informal snowmobile rally in Canada’s Rocky Mountains may have been triggered by three daredevil sledders who apparently unleashed a deadly wall of snow on up to 200 people below, witnesses said Sunday.

Off-roaders sentenced in Lake Tahoe

Mike — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:02:21 +0000

They were fined for damaging one acre of land in the Tahoe National forest.

Montana: Snowmobilers cited for entering wilderness

Mike — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:33:16 +0000

This took place near in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness near Gardiner.

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Minnesota: Chippewa National Forest to close 27 miles of road in Remer area

Mike — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:35:19 +0000

The comment period is open until Feb 10th. Note that the link goes to a pro-ATV site.

I’ve camped in the Chippewa and I can tell you they need to close some roads. The balance between roaded and non-roaded is one of the most lopsided I’ve seen in any national forest.

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Yellowstone takes up snowmobile issue again

Mike — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 06:35:26 +0000

Deja vu… Looks like more comments and possibly another study. I;m guessing same outcome but better enforcement due to a more friendly administration.

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Montana: Man sentenced to federal prison for illegal ATV trail in the Gallatin National Forest

Mike — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:39:28 +0000

Outstanding news. I’d like to see tougher enforcement and ultimately punishment for acts such as these that degredate public property.

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Montana: Badger-Two Medicine travel ban upheld

Mike — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:51:33 +0000

Good news! A motorized group wanted an injunction on the plan, but a U.S. district judge denied it.

This is a very special area right up near Glacier National Park. In fact, it’s just south of the town of East Glacier. I’ve been to the area a couple times, but I have never spent what I would conisder to be enough time there. Next year will be different as I plan to make this a priority stop! The Lewis and Clark National Forest is something else.

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Minnesota: Superior National Forest ORV plan challenged

Mike — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:34:27 +0000

The issue here is lynx and invasive species. In the new plan, all but two of thirty lynx areas will have high open road densities which violate the law.

Make no mistake that the Superior National Forest is getting hammered by ORV’s. It’s a great national forest, and needs a bit of help.

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Montana: New snowmobile ruling by judge clashes with Tester logging/wilderness bill

Mike — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:53:31 +0000

Surprise! Well, there was some good news this week when Judge Molloy called for an end to 95 miles of grooming on Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Trails.

Most of this area is in the West Pioneer WSA, a beautiful area still home to the wolverine. The bands news is that the Tester bill will remove most of the WSA and set aside only 25,000 acres for wilderness, while also overriding the judge’s decision.

Montana: Livingston man admits to making illegal trail in Gallatin National Forest

Mike — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:43:08 +0000

This guy built an illegal ATV trail just for kicks. The trail was a mile and a half long.

“It became a project, I enjoyed it”.

The goof only received a misdemeanor for the illegal act. Try going out into the city and hacking down a parking meter and a few mailboxes and see how that turns out for you…..I guess it’s ok to trash forests. At least he wmay be fined 25,0004. He’s also serving a federal prison term for tax invasion. Must be nice to be “serving a term” and driving around around in a forest.

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