Letter: no reason for mountain bikes on Crane Mountain

As a longtime resident of Bigfork, and an avid user of the Crane Mountain trail system over the years, and even though I have good friends who are proponents of mountain biking, after viewing videos of the kind of extreme mountain biking that is being envisioned for Crane Mountain, I have to say that I am opposed to the introduction of illegal trails, and modification of existing trails for the benefit of extreme mountain bikers.

If illegal mountain bike trails and modifications to existing trails that enhance extreme mountain bike use are allowed to be built on the Crane Mountain trail system, hikers and horsemen will be disinclined to use the area. The last thing a hiker or horseman wants to encounter is an extreme mountain biker screaming down the trail at break-neck speed while they are quietly making their way along a scenic trail. With hikers it’s mostly annoying and slightly dangerous, but with horsemen it’s most often very dangerous.

There is no question that our National Forests are intended to benefit everyone, but when allowances are made for a small segment of special interest users that jeopardize the expectations of enjoyment of the majority of users, serious decisions need to be made. In this case, there are already existing places for mountain biking activities. (Big Mountain and the Island Unit) I see no reason to allow the expansion of extreme mountain bike use on Crane Mountain. There is already evidence of illegal trespass by motorized users on closed roads on Crane Mountain, and any increased use of mountain bikes will tend to increase the possibility of motorized use as well. I am in favor of the removal of all unauthorized modifications to the existing trails, and enforcement of the laws that prohibit construction of illegal trails on Crane Mountain.

Edd Blackler

Bigfork