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Should trails be kept secret?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 31 47.7%
  • No!

    Votes: 34 52.3%
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Secret Trails: Hot or Not?

6K views 149 replies 41 participants last post by  Paul B 
#1 ·
This, from the Sedona Trails thread:

raisingarizona said:
Yeah, whoever maps out all our secret trails on the internet is LAME! Keep em for those in the know and a little mysterious. It's like having guide books for everything, it starts to destroy the adventure of places and it begins to popularize and eventually ruin places with crowds. So Knock it off city slickers!
So what says the AZ forum-goers? I have some fairly strong feelings on secret trails but I'll save it for a bit.

p.
 
#58 ·
trb2929 said:
There you go, don't talk about it. But if it gets out who will regulate who may or may not ride this no longer secret trial? What extent are you willing to go to defend your trail on public land? I get the building of the trail stance! I also don't think we have a right to know where every trail is located. But I don't think if it is on public land anyone has the right to restrict me from riding it. Speaking for my self only, I'm not there to trash what others have built but to enjoy it. So if they asked I not ride what they built I would probably say fine.
I think the point is not protecting a "secret" trail once its identity is known, but rather keeping it secret as long as possible. I don't think anybody is suggesting that you do what you can to keep riders off said trail. But freely adversiting it--especially on a public forum--is not a way to keep the crowds away.
 
#2 ·
My personal opinion is unless one owns the land. We all have as much right to a certain trial as the next person. What makes one person or group the sole entity that can use said trail? If you have a specific trail and want it for your own keep it to your self don't ride with others which may leak information about this exclusive trial system.
 
#4 ·
trb2929 said:
you have a specific trail and want it for your own keep it to your self don't ride with others which may leak information about this exclusive trial system.
Yep, or at least don't act like a sore-looser when it does become known. I don't go out of my way to share the information, but friends will show friends, who will show friends, and so on.
 
#5 ·
Paul B said:
This, from the Sedona Trails thread:

So what says the AZ forum-goers? I have some fairly strong feelings on secret trails but I'll save it for a bit.

p.
I wanted to qualify my vote (which I think I voted "yes"). I personally don't think one should discuss secret trails on various user forums such as mtbr.com. Word of mouth is fine, but I do hope bikers use some discretion. I'm not saying one needs to know the secret handshake, but there are plenty of well-know trails in AZ for all of us to ride. Secret trails are kept secret for a reason. Once a trail becomes well known, things like trail sanitation, erosion, and overuse become an issue.
 
#6 ·
I think word of mouth is the best way for secret trails to exist since we know their not going away.
The internets are screwing up the old word of mouth ways and evryone has the handshake now.
If you want access to trails that others don't know about: Ride a lot, talk to other riders, hang around a LBS, explore, just be patient!
 
#7 ·
chongoman said:
I think word of mouth is the best way for secret trails to exist since we know their not going away.
The internets are screwing up the old word of mouth ways and evryone has the handshake now.
If you want access to trails that others don't know about: Ride a lot, talk to other riders, hang around a LBS, explore, just be patient!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I think this is all that needs to be said.
 
#10 ·
az1jeff said:
Keeping any kind of trail information to yourself or your little group = the very definition of selfish.
I don't get why people feel they are entitled to know where every trail is.

If you are constantly getting the cold shoulder with regards to "secret trail" info, then maybe its you...

Ps...I'm not privy to all the trails out there. But I don't really care, there are plenty of others to ride.
 
G
#12 ·
az1jeff said:
I don't get why some people feel that only they are entitled to public land/trails.
Because more than likely, they are the one's doing the work to build the trails and don't want people mucking them up. No one is entitled to every trail and not every trail has to be available to everyone.
 
#17 ·
What is so wrong with wanting to share trail information with others so they can enjoy? After all, isn't riding, when you reduce right down, about having fun? I don't see a single problem with wanting others to be able to ride. That's just me. But then again, I don't ever feel I'm the only one who's entitled to shared trail(s).

:rolleyes: r
 
#19 ·
az1jeff said:
What is so wrong with wanting to share trail information with others so they can enjoy? After all, isn't riding, when you reduce right down, about having fun? I don't see a single problem with wanting others to be able to ride. That's just me.
I will agree that riding should be about fun.

However...

Some trails are not built for heavy traffic. Having a few people ride it and constantly maintain it isn't a problem. But when you have a ton of people start coming through, and barely any of them do any maintenance, then it becomes a rutted out mess.

Or...someone rides a trail that is way beyond their ability level, gets messed up, and get's the trail shut down.

If everyone was responsible for their own actions, this wouldn't be an issue...but unfortunately that's not the world we live in.
 
#20 ·
sixsixtysix said:
Here's a suggestion. If you want to ride "secret" trails. Pick up a shovel and mcleod and build one yourself instead of expecting someone to give you a turn by turn map to their hard work.
So someone put a gun to your head and said "you must build this trail on public land?"

Don't want the potential for over-use. Buy private property. Build you very own trails where only YOU get to ride.
 
G
#23 ·
az1jeff said:
What is so wrong with wanting to share trail information with others so they can enjoy? After all, isn't riding, when you reduce right down, about having fun? I don't see a single problem with wanting others to be able to ride. That's just me. But then again, I don't ever feel I'm the only one who's entitled to shared trail(s).

:rolleyes: r
I have no problem with people wanting to ride, and there are plenty of established trail systems for the general population to do it on. Secret trails are usually secret for a reason, maybe there are risks associated with a secret trail that are not ok for the general public to be riding. Maybe, the builders want singletrack to remain singletrack, maybe thy don't want poachers enjoying the fruits of their labor. Plenty of reasons to stay quiet, not very many for shouting from rooftops.

Think of it like fight club.... DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB:p
 
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