Fort Valley
I’ve always had a middle gray opinion about our beloved Green Fuzz otherwise known as the USFS, meaning that I could have cared less if they were around or not. They had always been more of a hall monitor than anything. Benign.
But then I had a Sunday ride and I couldn’t believe what I saw. Indeed, they are as useless as green pants and a Parks & Rec Degree.
I rode what I often ride in the spring. I call it The B Loop. It’s the B Loop because Benson was the first to intro it to me. It’s a ride out the Fort Valley trails on the high side, over to Snowkabowl Road, then over to da mesa fer som dat fire road rambah too da sowf on oder to da Lowell Observatory. Occasionally, there are rednecks there. No big. I stare at them, they stare at me. It’s all staring at this point.
So yesterday I hit up da Moto to the Pipline well on my way. I’d been up there the day prior & from there, the single track drops back in on the downhill side towards Snokabowl. And it’s a sweet trail from there on out to the road…or so I used to think.
Over the winter, our wonderful USFS has, in some way, regulated the deforestation of certain areas of the forest suggesting that it will help save us from going to hell. Up about a mile on SnowBowl Road, there is a new, freshly graded logging road that is oh so smooth and wide, that only a Cadillac would hate it.
Shortly after my successful navigation of the lava fields on that Upper Fort Valley primo tecky Track, I dropped into that same road on its tip end. I then road it for another 1.2 miles to its terminus with Snowbowl road. In my mile dot duece freewheel down it’s dreary banks on the edge of Snokabowl road, my trail had been crushed completely and was gone along with my ambition. I rode the road back completely bummed, crushed & What The Fucking.
What this means is:
Over 1 mile of the Fort Valley Trail System has been desroyed (or improved if you are an asshole) by a logging road that runs directly over the pre-existing trail. 4 Years ago, the FBO and other orgs in this area worked their asses off putting that trail in. It has Been Anthony’s race course for the four years of its existence? And now it has been rolled & stuffed. For rekoning to all my Sonoran brethren, that trail is as legitimate here, as NationalĂ‚Â is on da SoMo in Pheeny. In 2 more years, there will be houses on that road. This is what I suspect. All while the Green Fuzz fills out the paperwork with a #2 Ticonderoga.
At this point, I can’t believe it, but it is real. I am absolutely pissed and would liek to see some heads roll. I will dream that something will come of this such as phat green fine to the logging company that is out there reaping. And after that, prehaps some firings in the USFS office. I think that is more than resonable. But I know and yea, I’ll be amazed it anything happens at all. If the USFS can allow a fire road the size of San Fransisco to plow down any trail, anywhere, then they are living proof that to have the governement in control anything, is asking to get fucked over sooner or later. I think Jefferson said something to that effect.