FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BACKPACKING LIGHT SEEKS PARTNERSHIP WITH OHV/ORV COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE MULTI-USE HARMONY IN AMERICAN WILDERNESS

Thanks BPL, was howling on this one.

Loved the part with Ryan throwing the biker kid trail runners and a energy bar, still chuckling.

I'm planning on doing the PCT with a 3 pound base weight, including my gameboy and a dozen games, one of which is Donkey Kong. Just wondering if BPL will be offering lessons during future Wilderness Trekking courses.

Awesome job.

Since it's now April 2, I can communicate about this issue more seriously.

1. I have owned, and ridden, dirt bikes in a previous life, and thought it was really fun. I still have dreams of tearing down the trail on a dirt bike, but now, I think I have an appreciation for the bigger picture. Responsible dirt bikers don't bother me too much, and I do appreciate their willingness to work with and listen to hikers. They are out there, but it's not the norm of the dirt biking community, who seems to have a reputation for feeling offending by hiker's desire for silent experiences. To that end, I think the BRC has made significant contributions on behalf of the ORV community and has improved their reputation. I do prefer to hike in areas without dirt bikes, and I generally advocate for the reduction of opportunities for ORVs on non-wilderness backcountry singletrack. But we have cool areas near Bozeman where I like to hike, and people like to bike. The fact that there are bikers there doesn't keep me from hiking there. I just take different trails.

And on less serious notes:

2. The photo is of a BPL staff member on a dirt bike, and he's proud of it, and he still rides. It's not me, and I'm not telling who it is. And no, we're not going to fire him. Of course, he ain't gettin' any bonus pay either (sic).

3. I really did win the El Dorado Donkey Kong tournament in Reno.

RJ

Well, a response to an April Fool's post might be as good a time as any to make my first post…;-)

I just joined this online community. I have been VERY impressed with the quality of the writing, the depth of the technical articles, the wealth of practical advice, the civility of the discussion, and the general spirit of sharing and collaboration. For example, I think it's very cool to see Gossamer Gear making a Henry Shires tarptent design…to see accessories for the TrailDesigns Caldera Cone on AntiGravity Gear's website, and so on. Grant at Gossamer Gear and Rand at Trail Designs have been incredibly patient and helpful, answering my newbie questions. As with other pursuits, working together advances the cause, and is just plain nicer. Certainly lowers blood pressure.

My own work (as a green architect since 1992 – http://www.harrisonarchitects.com/ – depends on and benefits from exactly this integrated, collaborative approach.

Knowing before I clicked that the BRC/BPL partnership was an April Fool's joke, I cringed. You see, I ride a dual sport motorcycle, and occasionally find myself ostracized for my eco-freak views in some fora there. I was hoping I wasn't going to find myself equally marginalized here. I was glad to read that both Ryan and Doug have ridden bikes, and to see there are other riders on this board (Hey Jared). I heartily agree with Doug's post.

I started riding motorcycles ten years ago, after an over-use injury prevented me from riding my bicycle, which had been my only form of transportation. In the continuum of transportation choices that starts with walking and ends with jet airplanes, the modern 4-stroke motorcycle is a lot closer to the walking end, in terms of carbon footprint, noise and emissions. I've finally got the ankle sorted, and (through reading Ray Jardine's Beyond Backpacking) realized that by reducing my pack weight, I might actually be able to get back into the backpacking I used to do before the injury. And well, reducing "pack weight" is also beneficial when riding a motorcycle off-pavement. :-)

Rob in Seattle