# Forest service issues around snowbasin



## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

This morning was a first for me. 
I was at the maples mtn bike trail head at 4:30 this morning trying to get a morning turkey hunt.
I was parked In my Jeep when the snowbasin security pulled up and told me I could not park at the trailhead. I could not hike in on the trail until day light and they are cracking down because they think hunters are leaving large messes around the trails. 

The guard also said there is no camping on the forest service land and you can only access the area during the day light. 

Now ok if the parking area is owned by snow basin then ok I’ll go park some where else. No big deal. Except the guard was insisting that this was for hunters and they have a problem with hunters. 

So I went to another spot. But then I started to think about it. No hiking on forest service trails until day light. That sounds strange. 
So when they opened I call the Ogden ranger district and asked about this. 
I was told you are not allowed to hike on a forest service trail until day light. 
Now I know this can’t be true but who is directing the person that answers the phone at the ranger district to tell people this. 

Has anyone else had a similar incident?
I would like to hear from you if you have. 
I’ve got emails and calls into the forest supervisor, congressmen, senator.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Never had anyone with the forest service make such an unusual claim. I would definitely escalate the conversation to someone with greater authority in the USFS. A good ranger district will post any such order, especially one that unique, on their website and at each trailhead affected.

Best of luck. That definitely smells fishy.


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## Hill Hunter (Dec 1, 2017)

It is also worth noting that unless it is in the Forest Services land management plan that hunters can't hike in the dark (which is not the case) that security guy probably committed a criminal offence. 

23-20-29.5. Interference with hunters or hunting activity -- Prosecution under criminal code.
A person who intentionally interferes with a person who is licensed and taking wildlife legally under the provision of Title 23, Chapter 19, Licenses, Permits, and Tags, or disrupts an activity involving a legal hunt, trapping, falconry, or predator control may be charged with a violation under Section 76-9-102 if that interference or disruption constitutes a violation under Section 76-9-102.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

I’ve filed a harassment complaint with the forest service. I’ve got some case number and they said a case manager will get back to me. 
We’ll see if anything happens. 
Must happen a lot there is a harassment hotline number for the forest service. 

I’m not as bothered by the snowbasin employee as much as I am with the forest service employee that is hiking out false information.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You need to file the hunter harassment with the DWR also.

While it is a state law the FS may let it slide some. A case in point would be the 14 day camping rule enforcement 

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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Sounds like you are taking the rights steps.

I would be cautious citing the above code. The details are here:



https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title23/Chapter20/23-20-S29.5.html



It further cites the "disorderly conduct" code to define what constitutes a violation relating to interference and/or disturbance. Your situation doesn't seem to match the code requirements here:






Utah Code Section 76-9-102







le.utah.gov





While it doesn't seem to meet those rather narrow parameters the forest service should not mislead the public to limit behavior that's not actually problematic or restricted. If they did so, ie mislead, than whoever was involved should be punished appropriately. I hope the investigation is done in a satisfactory way for you.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Head up again and if he stops you bust him in the chops! I mean, sneaking up on a jumpy guy in the dark is stupid! He could swing from being startled. 

I had a friend that thought it was funny doing that to me.... He changed his mind and never did it again after finding himself with a couple busted teeth.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

It could also have something to do with Snow Basin's special use permit. Or the Ogden Ranger District trying to clamp down on over night camping in non designated areas. Keep us posted.


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

If it's public land they can be told about where to take their directives and place them relative to their rectums.


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## Hellbent (May 8, 2021)

They have all the trails off old snowbasin road closed due to trail maintenance. It's the mountain bikers who are destroying the trails and riding on them when wet.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Hellbent said:


> They have all the trails off old snowbasin road closed due to trail maintenance. It's the mountain bikers who are destroying the trails and riding on them when wet.


Damnnn Sprocket Heads!  Wish they'd crash and brake their bikes all to he!!.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

_stinking flat brimmer's.......they do leave quite a mark with the trails. But not nearly as bad as the ATV people that think they can go off road anywhere they want. They really pi$$ me off. 

I have to be careful what I say is my problem. 
I have 3 grandsons that are serious mountain bikers. They travel all over the state to races. 

My middle one gave up high school baseball to do the mountain biking. 
right now he is doing the downhill stuff. _


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## Brettski7 (May 11, 2020)

There were plenty of vehicles parked at the Art Nord trailhead yesterday morning before daybreak. 


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

2full said:


> _stinking flat brimmer's.......they do leave quite a mark with the trails. But not nearly as bad as the ATV people that think they can go off road anywhere they want. They really pi$$ me off.
> 
> I have to be careful what I say is my problem.
> I have 3 grandsons that are serious mountain bikers. They travel all over the state to races.
> ...


I rode bikes up to the time I turned 12, when I purchased a Honda trail 90 with the money I made from trapping. Rebuilt my first 350 at the age of 14 (with some help) and it was literally off to the races after that. Man, I got the motorhead bug infection real bad once I found out the thrill and excitement of what a motor/engine could give me. 

The peddle bikers have their place and IMO its not three wide pumping up a narrow canyon road, or speeding down a single track horse, cow, hiking trail in the woods and leaving the gates open so the cows run into the areas they're not suppose to be. The gate thing is why I cringe when I see them. It seemed every weekend we were chasing cows back to where they should be because of the Mt. Bikers leaving gates open.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The problem with the gates can be traced back to everyone. 

I have always left the gate as I have found it. One day a rancher jumped all over my rear when I didn't close a gate that was open when I came up to it. I asked him just how is it that I am suppose to know that it should be closed when it is already open after he calmed down a bit. He cursed some other folks and we both went on our way.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Critter said:


> The problem with the gates can be traced back to everyone.
> 
> I have always left the gate as I have found it. One day a rancher jumped all over my rear when I didn't close a gate that was open when I came up to it. I asked him just how is it that I am suppose to know that it should be closed when it is already open after he calmed down a bit. He cursed some other folks and we both went on our way.



I agree, anyone can be the gate issue. It wasn't a problem until the Mt. Bikes became popular though. 

Your words are so true when you say "leave the gate the way you found it"!! Best advice ever.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

taxidermist said:


> Damnnn Sprocket Heads!  Wish they'd crash and brake their bikes all to he!!.


Wow.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

While I don't care for those on their bikes riding along and don't wish them any back luck. This is a prime example of one of the biggest reasons people don't like them.


Also on that note, years ago where I was working a bike rider got clipped by a truck while he was riding on the side of a very busy road. They asked him why he wasn't using the bike path that ran just off of the road, his explanation was that riders went too slow on the bike path. Someone should of said that he wasn't going fast enough to be on the road.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I saw a biker clip a kid in a school cross walk... the biker never stopped, even though the flag person yelled at him. All the automobiles were stopped. There's a stop sign about a quarter mile before that school... I've never in my life seen a single bike stop there... ever.

-DallanC


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

RandomElk16 said:


> Wow.


Ya, I don't like them. I've had nothing but bad experiences with them. I guess its the same with some hunters? Not all are A-Holes, just the few that give you the idea they all are bad.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Can we use that word on the forum!?!? 😳😳


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

I don't know how we got from mountain biking to spandex wearing rode bikers lol..

I am glad taxidermist called out hunters though too. Most people don't like other people on "their" mountain, their paths, their whatever. Hunters do plenty of stuff for folks to hate, so do UTV/ATV riders, and bikers, and paddle boarders, and boaters (fishing and non).

This is just a weird place to see such generalizations for folks recreating since we are a group of people who are often negatively, and wrongly, generalized.


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