Ditching the off-roading hobby.......

[R_jeep]

dont flame, but in the end, when all the legal places close down, the ones "left" will have to "illegally wheel". honestly, if we lose all the legal places i will be a renagade wheeler. i skated for years and i been riding bmx bikes on trails and street for the last 15 years. im all for keeping a good image for the offroad community. when there is nowhere else to go i wont give up. ive been a part of building world class bmx trails on the east coast and it is almost always illegal, when you live your life doing what you love without regrets, thats just the way it is. aetna wont close down. get on the lease. im gonna. anybody wanna buy some land.   ssshhhh, keep it like a secret!              stirring up the conversation.         ask yourself a question,  will YOU really stop offroading?

[BigJerm]

Ok Chris... you got me. I have actually thought the same way some lately. Only thing that holds me back right now is if I trade as is I lose my ass on the Jeep and I am not much of one to roll a negative into a new loan. BUT it does suck to feel like I can’t go anywhere. Not sure bout yall but gas is $3.75 a gallon here and I am getting somewhere around 11.5 mpg mixed driving, around 15 mpg straight highway driving 70 at best the OD on. Most of the places we go take me half a tank to get there, half back, a little on the trail. Factor in park fees, food, camping fees and that’s one costly trip!

More than likely ill keep the Jeep for now. I got 25k on the clock but it will slow down a lot now living 3 miles from work vs 25 and no more 130 mile one way trips to Columbus. When it is time to replace the tires I might take it back to 32" for many factors and just ride it out and let the amount I owe catch up with trade value. Not sure what I would get, I love the Jeep so I dont know if I could go back to a car. I might would go for a Truck. Yeah mpg still would suck but depending on what truck it is better than the current... only time will tell on the decision of keeping or trading.

As far as the Parks go, not sure about River Rock but Morris Mountain gets a lot of heat for their park due to run off and that creek that goes through part of it. It will only get worse when (not if) Aetna and Tellico get shut down. Every time I get on 4x4 forums there is a new post "we need your help...." because another system of trails or park are ready to be closed. No matter the support given, the end result is always the same.

[urdaddyjeep]

When i give up my Jeep for something else it will be that I am told old to drive it. Moving back to the mainland I have been looking at buying a house with some land attached to it. The thing is that most of the places I have looked at at above $250,000 and I only wish I had that kinda money,. But as long as God makes it rain and there are Fed/State parks I will wheel. Now if someone wants to give me the other $80,000 I will buy the house next to the lake that has like 60acres on it and turn 50 of it into a offroad park. so any takers on that 80K?   


Mike

[ballzy]

I believe the future of this sport is in the private parks.  New ones are opening while the public lands are closing.  All of the public ones are too far away from me anyway.  At least for the type of wheeling I can do with the Jeep I have.

The only thing that has made it hard for me lately is the price of gas and the fact that my kids aren't as into it and I always have to find someone to watch them if my wife has to work.  My little one really opened up on the last trip I took her on though, and has been bugging me ever since to go again.  So I'm looking forward to Wheelin for Warriors this weekend.

[Metro]

I believe we are witnessing the end of wheeling as we have known it.  Soon there will just be memories and stories to tell.  I agree with Ballzy.  I think the future of the sport is in the private parks.  I think that is a shame though, and we should try to live it up while we still can.  I doubt there will ever be a private park to match the likes of Tellico.   I got into Jeeping late but I am glad I got to expereince it before the greenies have it all but exterminated. 

I wonder how long the Rubicon and Moab have left?  I would like to wheel there before they get shut down.

I think about selling my jeep sometimes... like every time I go to the gas pump.  My WS6 and my Corvette got better than 20MPG pretty easily.  Been thinking about an e36 M3.

[Krawler00]

Wheeling is going to be a private land issue. No more public places like Tellico left that are not feeling the Fire. I am all for saving mother earth and all but it has alot to do with the morons and unappreciative necks that trash places. Tellico is that way. Just look at all the crap thrown or lost overboard that is along the trails. Makes me angry! Unfortunitely I will probably never make it up slick rock since it is closed now and probably forever. All that will be left is youtube videos and stories. I will not stop wheelin though. I ride the MTB to work and save for the rides when I can. Looking forward to Tellico in June!

[BigJerm]

you know I have given this a lot of thought. I probably would not trade the Jeep. If it got bad enough to where I could only go once every few months then I would change the Jeep up some. I would go with probably 32 or 33 A/T tires, lose the stinger, finally get the Aussie in the front and get a hard top.

Figure ill see a little better mpg with the smaller tires and the hard top will be nice to have for the more daily use the Jeep gets. I love this off road thing to much now. I use to be all into imports but not like this. I dont think I could go back

[DOUG]

Guys, I feel ya, but rather than harp on the bad possibilities, let's get involved as a  group and use our combined efforts/resources to make a difference.  Let's put our time and money where our interests are and protect what we can.  I sure don't want to wish I had done more later when it's too late. 

When is the next "Clean up Tellico" or "Save Tellico" that we can participate in, or the next "GA Trail Riders Fund Raiser" to help the cause of protecting the trails at Tellico and the likes? 

What are the other groups doing?  Pirate, Jeep Forum, SFWDA, Southern Jeeps, United Four Wheel Drive Associations?  Does anyone in our group keep up with what's going on, and keep the thread up to date?  Who should we partner with that is already active in the right ways?

[Jimmy]

I'm in, Doug. I'd rather do something and lose than cry about it and lose.  First, we need t-shirts. ;D

[Krawler00]

I'm in, Doug. I'd rather do something and lose than cry about it and lose.  First, we need t-shirts. ;D

x3

[BigJerm]

the man to talk to for clean up is TellicoRob

As far as the forums:

Pirate: Tellico online rally was it and you can talk with Rob for clean up dates
SFWDA: Supported Tellico rally and you can talk with Rob for clean up dates
Southern Jeeps: Supported rally
UFWDA: Supported the rally

I am sure there are things going on behind closed doors but a lot of events are at a stand still right now. Not sure if that is a bad sign of things to come. I mean the Tellico Rally couldn’t even break a 1000 post and it was on every major and most minor forums on the East coast and a lot out west... Kinda hard to fight the fight when a few are fighting the rest dont give a shit and keep doing the same stupid crap driving off trails and trashing the parks.

[DOUG]

I'm interested to find and know more about efforts like these below by the UFWDA.  I see that they did work in TN and NC recently, but none in GA.  We have to have lawyers and lobbyist (like our opposition does) and the only we can afford those is cumulatively.  We all need to support one group that can fight for us legislatively and judicially.  I'm sure the fight is on, and maybe we can jump in a little too!

http://www.ufwda.org/landuse.htm
Legislative Advocate / Land Use
Your Membership Dollars at Work Through Your Attorney – Carla Boucher
United retains the services of a full time attorney, Carla Boucher. Carla represents United on the Board of Directors of The Action Program which provides financial grants for land access issues in addition to providing legal advice to member associations and clubs on land use issues impacting recreation access. You can contact Carla at LegisAdvoc@UFWDA.ORG.

HIGHLIGHTS OF UNITED’S LEADERSHIP ROLE ON SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL ISSUES

States in which your United attorney worked on specific issues in 2005. Effecting all 50 states were 12 issues of national significance addressed by your United attorney on your behalf.

Adopt-a-Road Project: Created project including standardized agreement form with US Forest Service (USFS), listing of all USFS districts in US, project formation kit, press kit. Goal is to adopt 1 road in every district in every national forest and accumulate 100,000 volunteer hours nationally each year. Secondary goal is to adopt as many roads as possible to ensure inclusion into OHV route designation.

BLM Route Designation Project: Worked with 9 other organizations by drafting one of five pillar documents for submission to Kathleen Clarke for the Bureau of Land Management Director’s National Recreation Forum.

Compiled Recreation Statutes by State: Compiled recreation statutes in hard copy form and electronically saved information for each state. This is a catalogue of statutes pertaining to liability of land owners when property used for recreation.

Recreation Trails Program (RTP) funding letters and alert: The RTP program is a federally funded state managed grant program for recreation. The federal program was voted upon for reauthorization by Congress in May and June of 2005. The Senate version maintained the prior 5-year funding levels while the House version increased the funding. Wrote letter to House and Senate Committee members urging them to reconcile the two bills using the House-version of funding. Also created alert and form letter for membership requesting their Senators push for House funding level.

The Wilderness Society (TWS) BLM Project: This in an on-going response to the BLM regarding route inventory and designation in response to a position paper created by TWS regarding OHV use on BLM-managed lands. My goal is to be the principal author of a similar paper from recreation organizations and to gain full support of our request from all national recreation groups. US Legislation: Provided House Resources committee with alternative language to proposed Fee Program legislation. The final legislation included some of our recommendations.

US Forest Service OHV Route designation rulemaking: This rulemaking, not yet finalized as of July 2005, proposes to create a process by which all districts or forests will designate an OHV route system. Once the system is designated no use off of forest service roads and trails will be allowed. Each designation system will also evaluate whether to allow cross-country travel in certain areas. This is the single-largest OHV rule to affect our sport in the last century.

HIGHLIGHTS OF UNITED’S LEADERSHIP ROLE ON SIGNIFICANT STATE ISSUES

    * Submitted written comments to the Coconino National Forest pertaining to its notice of intent to prepare an Outfitter-Guide Management Plan for the Red Rock Ranger District in Arizona.

    * Fought bumper height legislation introduced to prohibit any vehicle suspension alterations above manufacturer’s standards.

    * Wrote legal opinion letter for member association concerning effect of state recreation statute on private land owners opening land for 4x4 use and obtained a favorable opinion letter by state attorney general regarding same.

    * Fighting closures to OHV use in park unit by participating and seeking leadership role in National Park Service’s Negotiated Rulemaking.

    * Advised multiple member clubs about their specific Special Use Requirements for club rides on both state and federally managed lands.

    * Advised numerous clubs on process for incorporation and liability protection for club officers.

    * Advised several member clubs about sufficiency of liability waivers for 4x4 events.

    * Advised member association on writing Freedom of Information Request for public information pertaining to US Forest Service closures to overturn such closures or prepare for future litigation.

    * Provided legal advice and formal comments pertaining to numerous forest plan revisions to protect 4x4 access, preserve record on appeal, and maintain standing to sue in federal court.