Hey blackfly,
your nickname reminds me of a song by Alanis Morrisette, called "ironic" in which she sings about a blackfly in a glass of Chardonnay - you look forward to a nice glass and all you see is a blackfly, a tiny insectr when compared to the glass as a whole. But it still can ruin thirst or appetite.
I am an outsidert looking in, quite literally since I do not live in Vancouver or BC, but I have been following the boards for quite some time, know some folks personally and have ridden on a few trails there.
And I would like to ask you a few questions if you do not mind, because simply put, I do not understand your issue. I know where you are coming from - but I still do not understand your issue.
You wax poetic but you are not looking 10 or 20 years ahead. All paved trails? No rough hardcore? No Mountain in the very bike you ride? Human evolution has taught me everything. We all tend to easy, safe and unchallenged. That is the human condition. Don't blame me. I cannot hold back Human Nature. And I was never rich. If I were, I wouldn't be making such a point knowing I could go elsewhere. That is the philosophy of the rich.
I assume that you know why there is (as you perceive it) no longer the amount of rough hardcore on your favorite mountain rides, right?
You are aware of the conflicts that took place, the change of the situation on the Shore as a whole, the increase in traffic (both from new local riders to tourists), the ongoing erosion of trails to a point when these same trails were literally creekbeds?!
I could go on, but I think you get my point.
Where is the difficulty in understanding that change (a change in trail design, for VARIOUS reasons already stated by other) was (and is) needed?
There are quite some well-thought out posts in the thread you started - did you even bother to read them?
But some might like the drop to flat. Are we going to close the trail to exclude them simply because we cannot do what they do? Personally I love Pink Starfish. I love the rockface at the end, and with the exception with a couple of features, I love Pink Starfish. But this is my point. Am I exclusionary or solitary? If I am the latter, then then we have trouble.
Did you read that you were asked why you do not step up and may restore Pink Starfish to its former, as you see it, glory?
Where is the issue in starting some maintenance yourself? Since you are quite "old", I could imagine that you know a few folks who know a thing or two about maintenance/repair?!
The other day I saw a video of two riders (one male, the other female) riding on single-crown bikes on Cypress - to be honest, it did not look like there was no gnar in there. Maybe not Monster T gnar, but that fork was overbuilt, even if it was cool - a necessary step in the evolution of riding full-suspension bikes.
And why should there be trouble if you were the ONLY rider on the Shore as a whole who misses such trails and such blown-out trails?
I honestly do not understand your apparent refusal.
Since I am an outsider, I have to agree to the opinion of some that the riding community on the Shore is incredible. What the community as a whole has managed to achive is quite a feat. Personally, I would be more than happy if the riders in my area had such a motivation, drive, determination and vision to keep the trails open, find a solution and a way for a dialogue between residents, bikers AND the local authorities. Maybe you should watch Kranked II and III again. And finish the evening with the last three of Digger's films. I have to agree, Danger's The Flying Circus was impressive, it still gives me the creeps if I see him and Super T ride it. But then, trails like that are hard to maintain - and keep open. The situation as a whole has changed.
As far as I understand it, there are no more chainsaw massacres, but an ongoing dialogue to keep the trails open for the riding community. I could be wrong, since the board is no longer as open-minded as it once was. Maybe there are official workers who still dismantle woodwork or trails. I have to admit I do not know. Still, the situation is as it is.
And trust me, you have no idea how different and difficult it can be in other places.
"You don't learn from experience. You learn from reflecting on the experience."
- Kristen Ulmer