"Trails find you when you are ready"

Also, I love how the initial post seems to see no difference between someone asking for directions on the internet, and someone asking for directions in an actual conversation at the mountain.

I don't see much of a difference to be honest with you. I don't post directions in an open forum but I'll PM directions. When I started riding there was no NSMB, hell there was no internet. I found trials by word of mouth and later on when the first trail books with maps came out I started using those to help find stuff.
Times have changed, now there is the net and if people want to know where a trail is why not tell them? I'd tell them at the mountain so why not here? Yeah they might be some crazy guy in a hockey mask with a chainsaw pretending to be a biker, but I think I'm willing to take that chance.

Hey look, i can quote half sentences too !

he quoted a full sentence.

he quoted a full sentence.

Yah I know, and I quoted a half sentence

I like the mystique in"trails will find you",

Thats so true. I remember at UBC when i found those dirt jumps, i was so stoked.

I don't see much of a difference to be honest with you. I don't post directions in an open forum but I'll PM directions. When I started riding there was no NSMB, hell there was no internet. I found trials by word of mouth and later on when the first trail books with maps came out I started using those to help find stuff.
Times have changed, now there is the net and if people want to know where a trail is why not tell them? I'd tell them at the mountain so why not here? Yeah they might be some crazy guy in a hockey mask with a chainsaw pretending to be a biker, but I think I'm willing to take that chance.

Hmm. What's the difference between actual human contact and the internet? No difference I guess.

On the internet I suppose something could be passed on to 15 buddies in a matter of seconds no matter where they live. Is that different? On the internet you could give directions to a 10 year old boy without knowing you were giving directions to a 10 year old boy. Is that different? On the internet directions that were sent by pm could be posted in a forum a moment later. Any difference?

The actual code is that you don't tell anyone where certain A List trails are. You take them there and show them if you think they are up for it. That way the spread of trail info is slow and sensible rather than exponential.

If you care about the trails and continued access this is the only way to do it. Have a look at what's happening right now on Seymour if you don't get what I'm saying. It's bound to hit the fan over there because people aren't being discrete and responsible.

There are certain lines that should only be ridden occasionally and that you should always walk in (rather than skidding in hooting and hollering) but riders don't seem to give a shit anymore.

Do you give a shit?

well said Cam.

Hmm. What's the difference between actual human contact and the internet? No difference I guess.

On the internet I suppose something could be passed on to 15 buddies in a matter of seconds no matter where they live. Is that different? On the internet you could give directions to a 10 year old boy without knowing you were giving directions to a 10 year old boy. Is that different? On the internet directions that were sent by pm could be posted in a forum a moment later. Any difference?

The actual code is that you don't tell anyone where certain A List trails are. You take them there and show them if you think they are up for it. That way the spread of trail info is slow and sensible rather than exponential.

If you care about the trails and continued access this is the only way to do it. Have a look at what's happening right now on Seymour if you don't get what I'm saying. It's bound to hit the fan over there because people aren't being discrete and responsible.

There are certain lines that should only be ridden occasionally and that you should always walk in (rather than skidding in hooting and hollering) but riders don't seem to give a shit anymore.

Do you give a shit?

I agree 100%! Perfectly said. Although I can't say I get the Seymour thing, is there something bad looming over there that people should know about?

I think what Cam meant was that he hopes lots of people come out on October 1 and show respect to Seymour on the CBC trail day. He said it in a round a bout, elusive manner, but that's what I heard.

Although I don't fully agree with the rule (see the thread from a few months ago) as I think there are legit exceptions to the rule IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, I always enjoy this topic when it comes up for discussion.

People here will provide various reasons why it's bad (some of which are valid and some of which are BS), but the best reason I've ever seen provided is related to the Search feature located at the top of this page. Although there are various downsides (liability concerns, increased traffic) to passing on directions whether in person, by PM, or in a thread, only one of these methods can be searched after the fact by some other random unknown person.

Yah I know, and I quoted a half sentence

Thanks for clarifying.

Hmm. What's the difference between actual human contact and the internet? No difference I guess.

On the internet I suppose something could be passed on to 15 buddies in a matter of seconds no matter where they live. Is that different? On the internet you could give directions to a 10 year old boy without knowing you were giving directions to a 10 year old boy. Is that different? On the internet directions that were sent by pm could be posted in a forum a moment later. Any difference?

The actual code is that you don't tell anyone where certain A List trails are. You take them there and show them if you think they are up for it. That way the spread of trail info is slow and sensible rather than exponential.

If you care about the trails and continued access this is the only way to do it. Have a look at what's happening right now on Seymour if you don't get what I'm saying. It's bound to hit the fan over there because people aren't being discrete and responsible.

There are certain lines that should only be ridden occasionally and that you should always walk in (rather than skidding in hooting and hollering) but riders don't seem to give a shit anymore.

Do you give a shit?

Thanks for making pretty much my exact reply for me.

Hmm. What's the difference between actual human contact and the internet? No difference I guess.

On the internet I suppose something could be passed on to 15 buddies in a matter of seconds no matter where they live. Is that different? On the internet you could give directions to a 10 year old boy without knowing you were giving directions to a 10 year old boy. Is that different? On the internet directions that were sent by pm could be posted in a forum a moment later. Any difference?

The actual code is that you don't tell anyone where certain A List trails are. You take them there and show them if you think they are up for it. That way the spread of trail info is slow and sensible rather than exponential.

If you care about the trails and continued access this is the only way to do it. Have a look at what's happening right now on Seymour if you don't get what I'm saying. It's bound to hit the fan over there because people aren't being discrete and responsible.

There are certain lines that should only be ridden occasionally and that you should always walk in (rather than skidding in hooting and hollering) but riders don't seem to give a shit anymore.

Do you give a shit?

You make a few really good points. You are right that directions I give could be to a 10 year old boy and could be passed on to 15 people. Funny thing is, I've heard this arguement b4. But last time I heard it, people were arguing about whether or not there should be any trail maps or trail books.

All these arguments that are coming up now are the same ones I heard about Ladies Only 15 years back. Now they are about GMG (or insert cool trail of the day name here) instead. I've been thru this b4, only last time your site didn't exist.

People have different opinions and I guess mine differs from yours. When someone asks me directions I usually tell them. When I asked for directions people told me. I've talked people out of riding trails who I thought weren't up for it, but if someone insists on walking down a hard trail and looking at it instead of riding it who am I to say otherwise? Even if I don't tell them here, someone or some site will. Hasn't anyone heard of Gutsploder b4?

I don't understand what you are getting at about Seymour. IMO the problems with Seymour are

1.) It can be shuttled
2.) The trails are way to easy.

Considering there is a map of Seymour I don't see how your site can be a problem. Even if no one told anyone where CBC was, I'm sure people would find it due to the map. Maybe if it wasn't paved and insanely easy there would be less traffic on it. Last time I rode there I encountered a bunch of people on CBC but no one on Boogieman. How about make CBC as hard as Boogieman and that might discourage the masses.

So to answer all your questions, yes I have done trail maintenance b4. I've probably done more than most. Do I give a shit? By your definition I guess I don't.

^^

I think the point sort of was, when people ask on the internet you don t know who you're getting. Maybe biker, maybe kid, maybe someone that just wants to destroy a spot for bikers to ride. Maybe these people are very stupid and even know about the maps you can buy. These people are NOT very good at 'Letting the trail find them' which is why you started this thread.

If you asked me, CBC is an incredible trail built to handle a beating but you maybe also right that a more difficult trail would spread the usage. But holy hell, i don t see a new trail popping up there anytime soon.

moral of the story, just telling random people where a trail is may just not benefit anyone in the future.

you have a 2 minutes conversation with them in which you gauge by themselves (and their bicycles) if they can throw down…and after that two minutes you either point them in the direction of the good stuff or the almost as good stuff.

i still don't believe no one on here skids when they ride.

I don't understand what you are getting at about Seymour.

on all the mountains there are trails that are not on the map, call them secret trails for lack of a better description. these trails cannot sustain high levels of traffic and stay in primo shape. the small group of people that know about them would like to keep them in great shape. most of these people stay off these trails in the wet and don't ride the crap out of them. because of this, they stay nice and loamy and don't turn into rutted out messes like ned's or end up completley paved like cbc or UOC.

by keeping the knowledge to people who respect the trails these "secret" or lesser know trails stay in nice shape. as they knowledge spreads though, and the idiots start riding the lesser know trails they start getting chewed to crap. (*edited trailname) HANKYPOO is a great example as over the past couple of years it's taken a fair amount of abuse and it's showing.

by posting directions here the whole world knows. by pm'ing directions to someone you don't personally know you are also effectively letting the whole world know. by only showing people you know and trust you go a long way to helping the trail(s) stay in great shape.

call it elitist, being an asshole or whatever you want, but the fact is that the less people that know about a trail the better shape it stays in. if people learned to ride properly and respect the trails it might not be so much of an issue.

ps - i would hazard a guess that most newer riders (anyone who's stated up within the last 4 years or so) do not know what proper riding technique and respect for the trails are unless they happen to ride with people that have been around for a while.