Maxcustody

Exactly......I did not realize how bad it looked until looking back at pics and changing them out yesterday. I have the AT stuff plus the trailer, should be great now.

Mark Doiron

Utah Obscura, Pt 3 now online. One more part to go!

https://youtu.be/vxGeKOmTtAs

Clark Collins

Mark: Your videos are awesome and are in inspiration to us all.

I do feel the need to point out an issue with your referencing some of the areas you visit as "Wilderness areas." Being that you are from Oklahoma you may not be aware of the threat of congressional Wilderness designation for many of our off-highway recreation areas in the West. In Utah particularly, Wilderness advocates have been pushing the Red Rock Wilderness Act that would prohibit all vehicular access to many of the areas we visit in Utah. Do a Google search on "Red Rock Wilderness legislation" and you should be able to see what areas are threatened. OHV enthusiasts referring to areas we visit as "Wilderness" can lead to a miss-understanding of the threat of congressional Wilderness designation. I would suggest that you use the term "Backcountry areas" in the future to refer to the areas you visit.

I founded the BlueRibbon Coalition in 1987 to deal with the fact that well funded Wilderness advocacy groups were running rough shod over OHV enthusiasts (dirt bikers, 4x4 enthusiasts, ATV riders and snowmobilers) and our interests were under represented on a national level. Do a Google search on "BlueRibbon Coalition" or go to the website Home | BlueRibbon Coalition for information on BRC. I retired as Executive Director of BRC in 2006 and was inducted into the ORMV Hall of Fame that year. I was also inducted into the American Motorcyclist Hall of Fame in 2010. These honors were in recognition of my advocacy work in defending OHV access on a national level while most of the other inductees are there because of their racing skills. BRC is under new leadership now and needs the support of more OHV enthusiasts as the Wilderness advocates are extremely well funded and capitalize on a general misunderstanding of what Wilderness designation really means.

Just wanted to point out that it's important for OHV enthusiasts to understand that Wilderness designation is a threat to our access.

Mark Doiron

Thanks, Clark. I was aware of the attempts to designate wilderness areas, but was using the word in its more generic sense. But I see your point, and will keep that in mind in the future.

MB_Pathfinder

I use and really like the ViewRanger app (ViewRanger GPS (USA) - Topo Maps, Trail Navigation and Route Tracker for Hiking, Skiing & Cycling by Augmentra
https://appsto.re/us/7rnpA.i). There's a free version but if you want topo data you'll need to go for $14.99 version (or you can buy it as an in-app purchase in the free one). I like this one because you go into their website and make custom routes that you can either sync to your iPad or email to other people. Plus, you can download sections of the maps so you can have the topo data without having a cell or wifi connection.

Jeep du Boy Swanny

I found a cheap app called You Need a Map. It is a 2 Gig hard down load map. It does not do gps route advice. It is a full US Topo that will breadcrumb your routes. I use it for SAR. What I like is I can kill all phone signals and still have a good Topo map of my area.

spicoli

As always Mark, your videos make we anxious to get out on my next trip.

Mark Doiron

BTW, Clark, was curious how the NPS treats the word "wilderness".

MB_Pathfinder

Thanks, I hadn't seen that one before. Another one I've heard good things about Gaia GPS (Gaia GPS - Offline Topo Maps and Hiking Trails by TrailBehind https://appsto.re/us/bwHNt.i) but I haven't had a chance to do a side by side comparison. I'll take a look at the You Need a Map app and try to do a true comparison between the three next weekend.

Clark Collins

As you can see the NPS uses the term loosely, but the issue is not with how the agencies use the word. The issue is that even some OHV enthusiasts don't realize that Wilderness designation absolutely prohibits vehicular access and may unwittingly support additional Wilderness designations. The Wilderness advocates sometimes deliberately cloud the issue so people who just want our public lands left "as is" will support their agenda. Many of the areas threatened with Wilderness designation in the West are heavily used for OHV recreation, but are still technically "Roadless" because the routes are not maintained by mechanical equipment.

At other times, particularly in Utah, they use the "threat of OHV damage" to convince people in Urban areas that these areas need protection FROM us. They raise millions from well meaning people who just want to show their concern for the environment by contributing to the Sierra Club - Wilderness Society et all. OHV advocacy groups, many of whom are actively involved in real on the ground conservation and public land stewardship, must rely solely on financial support from OHV enthusiasts. And unfortunately the majority of OHVers aren't joiners. It's a real lopsided battle and it is never ending.

Every subscriber to this forum should be members of as many OHV advocacy groups as they can afford. Support your local club, your statewide association and the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) on the national level. For the price of a tank of gas you can help even the odds.