Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Watch out for this guy

10K views 54 replies 31 participants last post by  Medic Zero 
#1 ·
Hey folks, I don't really post on forums but thought I should give a warning about the hiker I came across today. I've recently moved up from Eugene to Issaquah for work and haven't experienced this sort of craziness on the trails before.

I was riding down the doubletrack from central park that meets up with coal creek (i think) that connects to grand ridge. There was a big older dude (in his 50s) with two small black corgi-type dogs. I stopped behind him and said "excuse me" because one of his unleashed dogs was in the other lane of the doubletrack. He turns around and just says "no, you're not passing".

I was kind of taken aback and just sat there for a sec while he blocked one lane and his dog blocked the other lane. After a minute or so of this weirdness his dog moves out of the way and I hop into that lane of doubletrack to go around him and get on the trail. The dude freaks out and straight up trucks me off my bike with a two handed shove and stands over me yelling about yielding to pedestrians. I hopped back up and shoved him, forgot what I yelled but I was equal parts pissed and surprised. He backed off for a sec so I hopped on my bike and took off. He was still screaming "come back here $$####***!!!" while I rode off.

Anyway, like I said, big older dude in a safari vest with two little black dogs. I thought people were supposed to be passive-aggressive up here, not just aggressive. :) Watch yourselves out there.
 
See less See more
#36 ·
OP here folks. I don't want to get in to a big discussion about this but I have to defend pushing the guy off after he assaulted me and was standing over me yelling. I'd like to hear the other side of the story too because we weren't even on singletrack yet and there was plenty of room. I stopped behind him, politely asked to pass and when I did decide to pass I was going about 3 mph and he had plenty of room. I don't wear bright colors, use Strava and I don't rip around Grand Ridge like it's my personal enduro course.

That being said, I've been surprised by the amount of dickish riding I see on Grand Ridge. I'm from a place where you yield and you might even (god forbid) stop to chat for a bit with the other rider. Grand Ridge was a culture shock coming from Eugene/Oakridge but it's still a nice place to cruise around after work. I understand how some hikers get pissed at the mtn bikers on GR but it ain't no excuse to assault people. That dude was a dangerous dick but regardless of that we should all strive to be a little more polite and cautious on busy trails. Problem is, the people who need to hear that probably ain't reading this forum. Happy trails y'all.
 
#39 ·
So, the saga continues. I was out walking my dog and ran into our friendly neighborhood bike-shover. This time I got my camera out and started filming him which made him pretty upset. He reads our forums and started calling me "WestwardHo". So, hello sir if you're reading this. I gave him my real name and asked for his which was met with a "f**k you buddy". At that point he called the cops and said that my dog and I were threatening him and going to attack. I just kept filming, letting him get more worked up while I got some shots of his face for the police. At that point he was starting to get pretty upset and one of his off-leash dogs had run off so I decided to head down the trail and call the police myself.

That made him even more mad for some reason and I got some more video of him telling me to come back to fight I guess? He just kept saying I was a p**sy in different uncreative ways. I met with the Issaquah police down at the bottom of the trail and showed them the video that torpedoed his story. The cops were laughing at the ridiculousness of the guy and I was too honestly. They now have a report on file for this as well. I'm not going to post the video since I'm not a lawyer and not sure if I should but here's a pic that gives you some idea of who to look out for. I don't want to put a pic of his face up because I'm figuring he'll murder the next mountain biker he sees if I do that. At least now you have some idea of what he and his dogs look like. Hopefully the chat with the police will keep him under control for the time being.

Grass Grassland Lawn People in nature Park
 
#43 ·
So, the saga continues. I was out walking my dog and ran into our friendly neighborhood bike-shover. This time I got my camera out and started filming him which made him pretty upset. He reads our forums and started calling me "WestwardHo". So, hello sir if you're reading this. I gave him my real name and asked for his which was met with a "f**k you buddy". At that point he called the cops and said that my dog and I were threatening him and going to attack. I just kept filming, letting him get more worked up while I got some shots of his face for the police. At that point he was starting to get pretty upset and one of his off-leash dogs had run off so I decided to head down the trail and call the police myself.

That made him even more mad for some reason and I got some more video of him telling me to come back to fight I guess? He just kept saying I was a p**sy in different uncreative ways. I met with the Issaquah police down at the bottom of the trail and showed them the video that torpedoed his story. The cops were laughing at the ridiculousness of the guy and I was too honestly. They now have a report on file for this as well. I'm not going to post the video since I'm not a lawyer and not sure if I should but here's a pic that gives you some idea of who to look out for. I don't want to put a pic of his face up because I'm figuring he'll murder the next mountain biker he sees if I do that. At least now you have some idea of what he and his dogs look like. Hopefully the chat with the police will keep him under control for the time being.

View attachment 902298
Good job.
 
#42 · (Edited)
Mr. Corgiman hope you appreciate Pink Floyd's The Wall:

"The evidence before the court is incontrovertible. There is no need for the jury to retire...."

(Leads to "Tear down The Wall!" )

We all want to figure out how get along. Like Ross Perot I am all ears.

You bought that nice house up there and I've feared for the local stakeholders vs. Our clan of the unwashed with our $1000 cars and $5000 bikes trying to share this precious open space.

I'm the guy who puts up the "Let's Fix This" signs here and there over the last couple of winters and dozens of my friends, you know: we the unwashed, fill and shape the trail to give the water an escape route to avoid divots.

Let's fix this...

I'll meet you anywhere you want alone no shenanigans lets just talk about your very special neighborhood.

If you want I can have someone from county parks to hear your story. I can ask the parks Manager Gary Brown to join us or Google him and arrange your own meeting. Again no shenanigans am just trying to gain perspective and mutually determine if we have options to reach out to this readership to help remind them of best practices..
 
#44 ·
I'm still laughing at "safari of trail conflict" :thumbsup:.

Thanks for the update and another huge thanks to Len... for not only fixing up the trails we love to ride, but now offering to be an ambassador! I doubt corgiman will contact you, but if he does, there's no better person than you to have a conversation with.

For the last 5 months, Julie and I have been hiking the trails at GR way more than we ride them. I'd like to summarize our experience and make a point...

*All* of the bikers we've met while hiking have been cool and willing to give us the right of way. We just get out of the way because its the easiest thing to do. And when we're riding, that's what most of the hikers we meet do as well. So our experience at GR has been pretty damn positive.

As you can expect, a small percentage of the riders we've met were going pretty fast and had to brake pretty hard to stop in time. Being bikers, Julie and I are fine with it and the riders are cool about it... even apologetic. However, I can easily see how that could freak out some hikers. Especially those who don't understand mt biking. They could see those encounters as a near devastating crash. Especially parents with younger kids and older folks.

My point... we need to slow down at places like GR. It's not the place for strava or practicing your high speed cornering skills. And the closer you get to Central Park, the heavier the casual walk-in-the-woods traffic will be. I imagine it's the same at St Eds.

BTW, not saying there aren't Vandemans out there on both sides, I think they are rare and I have yet to meet one at GR.
 
#45 ·
I want to second the thanks to Len. I hope he does call and this gets worked out in a productive manner. During our last "conversation" he seemed to think that mountain bikers break the law all the time and this gives him the right to do as he pleases. That said, he's old enough that he should be receptive to some measured conversation once he's calmed down from all this.

On another note, please don't accost this gentleman if you run into him on the trail. The police know who he is now so just give him a wide berth and document anything he does with the proper authorities. I can provide you with a case number if you pm me after you run into him.

And like people have been saying, slow down in the populated areas of grand ridge and try to be syrupy sweet in your encounters with the general public. Most people are wonderful but there are those out there who've painted a target on our backs so remember that we are all ambassadors for the sport and trail access. Anyway, thanks for all the support everyone. I'm hoping this is the last I have to deal with this and I can pedal around stupid and happy for the rest of my days.
 
#46 ·
I would say vigilante, but that's taking law enforcement into one's own hands...he is not enforcing any laws, rather, breaking them.

I would say selfish or egocentric but that means concerned "chiefly" with one's own personal profit or pleasure. His focus seems to be concerned solely (not chiefly) with his own pleasure.

There really is not one word to describe a person who transgresses moral, ethical, or civil law in such a blatant manner. This is not situational, this a personality disorder. Take away the bike, the hike, the park, the dogs...I would be willing to bet that this person's life is steeped in empty and pointless conflict. It's too bad (and quite amazing) that people like this exist in settings such as open spaces and parks where the focus is supposed to be recreation (or re-creation meaning to re create one self outside of the daily routine).
 
#47 ·
One good tip for people who ride GR. Stop trying to count all the knobs on your tires while riding. Trust your skills, your bike, the trail and look ahead for other trail users. 3/4ers of people on bikes that I encounter on that trail are looking right at there tire and that makes it hard to see anything else. If you can get comfortable looking ahead and not having to gazing into the knobs of your tire like it's a camp fire then you will become a more skilled rider.

Hint- If you can't look ahead while riding your bike you might be riding a little out of control of your skills set.
 
#49 ·
The restraint shown in this thread is refreshing.

Field Lieutenant Corgiman is worthy of our pity, not our fists. What a sad little man. Seven billion people on this planet--good luck with your doggies and your trail and your helmet, bud. See you on the other side...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top