Oregon FS 4x4 limitations???

[Peanut]

I pulled this off another wheeling site. Not sure about the truth behind it, but maybe something we need to check into further?

This is not me doing the writing - it was written by a fellow wheeler.
As of 2009. If a trail on Forest Service land is not marked "Open" Then it is closed. If it is unmarked, it is closed. (unless you checked in with the local FS office and found out otherwise that day) So this means for me, that everything up Lolo Pass. All around Goat Mt. and really everything except the TSF area. Is now closed to wheeling.
Like I said it does not have to have a closed sign to be closed. This is sad.
But even more sad would be to be like the guy that got a $5,000 fine and his rig taken away. Not just impounded, it's no longer his. For drivng down an unmarked trail.
Not sure of other states. But that's how it is here in Oregon now.

It is now our responsibility (always kinda was, but now it's ENFORCED) to know what is wheelable and what is not, with or without signs.

Quote from another site from a guy who works with the Forest Service to get more trails opened:
"Please be careful, On a "Criminal Trespassing" charge they can and sometimes will take your rig, fine you big time and throw you in the clink to think about it. Not to mention it looks really bad on those who try and keep areas open / get them open!"

Guess my last trip up Goat. Was my LAST trip. Goat is a mix of BLM and FS land.

So for us north Oregon wheelers TSF area is it for future wheeling. At least around here.
Until the new Hood River trails are done.

Legal areas can be found here. http://oohva.org/ (go to the bottom, links down there)
A nice little site where you can select what class OHV you want to ride/drive
And an area and it shows you whats what. http://atv.prd.state.or.us/places.php
And here is a little info. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/recre...dex.shtml#regs
(La Dee Flat is the area behind the RV park past Estacada for those who know it. Closed now, I had read there are supposed to be new class 2 trails being built there soon. )


This is a new 2009 law.
The info came from a FS rep.
The guy who got the fine I do not know.
And I guess it happened a few years ago. It was used as an example that happened of what they can do to you. (he proly did get caught on the wrong side of a gate or on a trail known to be closed)

I do know of a guy that got arrested in the La Dee Flat area behind the RV park though, he was wheeling in the mud pits along the road. That was the last time I was out that way. And that area IS listed as off limits to wheelers, has been for a few years on the Forest Service website. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/recre...dex.shtml#regs
But people still wheel the piss out of that area. (I have been back there a few times myself, I admit)
And that is why this new law went into effect.

They say nothing about the Goat area though.
But they also say: "If it's not MARKED open, then it is to be considered closed. No sign is the same as a closed sign."
Meaning if a trail does not have a sign like the ones out at TSF, then it's closed.
I'm just passing it along.

Alot of areas in Oregon are getting "Wilderness Area" designation here soon as well. That makes them an environmentally protected area and no motorized vehicles are allowed travel on. There's like 30,000 or so acres in the Mt. Hood forest that is getting it this year alone.
And just because it's Federal land does not mean we automatically have the right to wheel it. (The Goat area is state and BLM)
The white house lawn is federal land. We can't make trails there. (extreme example, but makes the point)
And public land does not mean we are allowed to wheel it either.

I talked to a guy that wheels and keeps up on the tree huggers for the sake of fighting them to keep trails open. He was saying that the average Environmentalist puts in more time and research to getting places closed and stopping us from wheeling than the average one of us puts into working on our rigs to go wheeling.

All that means is we gotta get orginized and fight for our trails, or we will be stuck in the few ORV parks around.

The good thing is that there are several projects going on right now to open legal trails in the estacada area. Like I said in another post. The La Dee Flats area is going to have class 2 (thats us) trails built there. But until they give the OK and print out the maps. it's a no no.

And they may just chase ya out. They may just give you a talking to and a warning. Or it may be the max punishment. Depends on the ranger.
And really how often do you see them up there anyway?
Not much.
Though I have seen the Forest Law Enforcment running around a few times I was out that way. And they did slow down and stare me down hard. Good thing I was just on a road.
I.
Don't think I'm gonna take the chance anymore.
For all we know the new law will be an excuse for more patrols and quick cash.

Can we see about finding more information??

[Grumpy]

Sucks instantly I'm surprised ANYONE is building new CII trails...PM me where you got this so I can follow it.

[Grumpy]

Okay, got myself up to speed a bit. This is the "Travel Plan" that's being worked on by the USFS. PNW and others have been working to get trails on the maps, but there have been some issues as to whether some of our trails have made it or not. Trails do not have to be marked, but they have to be on the maps, which aren't out yet. So, we will have to have maps when we're in the woods to keep track of where we are. FS won't take ignorance of the area as an excuse. If we're on a trail not on the travel map, we get nicked. I suggest we all try to go on the FS site to get familiar with what's going on. Each forest can be linked to look at maps. The PNW site will have this info as well. Best hope somebody didn't miss a favorite trail.