If a writer for FourWheeler reads the BBS, I hope they can offer comment to the article in the October Issue?

My Questions (sent to the editor) ...
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I would have preferred that the editors of the article "Low Rage, One man's rant" by Ted Reese, would have asked for a little research into the issues regarding vehicle use in Surprise Canyon. I would have appreciated it if the magazine had cross-checked and confirmed the information reported, backing up Mr. Robert Novak's reported claims in the article placing blame for habitat impacts on vehicle users in Surprise Canyon. I have little opposition to the closing point of the article, that vehicle enthusiasts have to cleanup and be responsible, but the author's acceptance of the article content quoted (without question) has me questioning the magazine credibility?

Does Four Wheeler know if Mr. Novak is a credible source for facts? I believe Four Wheeler Magazine could have called to ask for Mr. Novak's opinion (for a first hand opinion, regarding hikers and four wheelers) but to report any claim as fact the editors should attempt a little more research. I also believe a call to the BLM is in order, for a record of conflict in the canyon, to gain a better understanding of where opinion and fact originate?

The Novak family has lived at Chris Wicht's camp, at the mouth of Surprise Canyon, for many years (Chris Wicht was a bartender in Ballarat who chose the mouth of Surprise Canyon for his residence). Robert Novak claims to be neutral in respect to visitors of Surprise Canyon. The truth is, he may be neutral and just as happy if vehicles and hikers were banned from the canyon, and the close proximity to the Chris Wicht camp. Unfortunately the surrounding area and alternate road network, potential roads with less encroachment to Chris Wicht camp, were designated Wilderness in the Desert Protection Act of 1994. Combine this with the geography of a narrow canyon, and you may conclude that no alternate route exists for entry to Surprise Canyon Road that will lesson the impact to residents at the Chris Wicht camp location.

Robert Novak is no apparent friend to any visitor, a feeling common to many desert rats and squatters living in the remote reaches of public lands. He is not "in the middle," between "Jeepers and the Sierra Club" as he claims: he drives his own agenda and desire for exclusion. Rumor on the trail reports Mr. Novak would not be unhappy if the BLM allowed all visitors to canyon to be shot on site. This rumor is not intended to be derogatory to Mr. Novak, his feelings are shared by many desert dwellers, but I believe his report's exclusive targeting of "Jeepers" as reprinted in this article needs to be questioned?

OK (enough history,) how about the claims that were not cross-checked with facts? Is it the "Jeepers" that are to blame for the unsanitary conditions reported by Mr. Novak?

Mr. Novak makes reference to "lots of people" visiting Surprise Canyon. I do not doubt "lots of people" do visit the canyon, although someone seems to have overlooked that not all visitors are "Jeepers." What is hard for me to believe (and a point ignored by Four Wheeler Magazine) is the claim that only the "Jeepers" are to blame for the conditions reported by Mr. Novak. Hiking up the canyon presents as much opportunity (or more opportunity) to spoil the environment in the fashion reported by Mr. Novak as driving and winching up the canyon. I read no mention of how hikers and wildlife deal with the waste of life's existence; however, I read lots of blame targeting "Jeepers."

The only scientific water quality study of Surprise Canyon Creek was held during the Panamint Valley Days a few years back, with the cooperation of the BLM and the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs (the event sponsor). This water quality study was held before, during, and after the event. Samples of water were even tested while vehicles were traveling on Surprise Canyon Road (the road that shares space with the canyon bottom creek, with wet tires in the creek).

Does this report back up Mr. Novak's claims? No!

The water study reflected no reduction in water quality from the vehicle usage, even during the highest density of vehicle usage encountered that year (and the most vehicle users).

A major point seems to have been missed in the article with the mention of the road being in an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)." This mention makes it seem there is something unique to Surprise Canyon with the ACEC status. Where the author fails, is understanding and communicating if roads legally exist in ACEC's?

Surprise Canyon (identified as Route P71 on BLM documents) is an established historic road that shares the canyon bottom with a creek for a fair part of the six-mile run from the Chris Wicht camp to Panamint City. This road is as primitive as any road can be, as primitive as any unimproved road subject to major seasonal flash flood events. The route is rough and challenging (a 60-foot motorized road access corridor established by Congress through the Surprise Canyon Wilderness area) with a mix of sand, talus (rough loose rock from the hillsides), and bedrock. Hikers share travel on Surprise Canyon Road with motorized vehicles, just like most Backcountry roads. It is a road, it has been since 1874, and Surprise Canyon needs to be considered as a road when discussing the impact it has on the surroundings (including people who chose to live adjacent to the road).

Many roads in ACEC's are paved highways, with much more lasting environmental impact than Surprise Canyon Road, and ACEC inclusion should not change the status of the road for suitability for motorized use. If it does, and if motorized enthusiasts allow them to, then maybe we should consider the closure of Surprise Canyon Road as a precedent and use it to close down all Interstate Highways that cross ACEC's (what do you think Four Wheeler Magazine, can we learn something from this effort)?

Four Wheeler Magazine failed to inquire about valid water quality studies in Surprise Canyon, why? Do they know the phone number for Cal4Wheel; the only event sponsor for past-organized vehicle runs (the target for Mr. Novak's scorn)? Did they think to contact the Bakersfield Trailblazers, the BLM recognized Adopt-A-Trail club that traditionally lead vehicle runs up the canyon road (with members who are very intimate with issues regarding Surprise Canyon Road)? Did they even attempt to confer with the BLM, who manages the area?

Motorized enthusiasts complain quite a bit when we read extreme environmental media report bias against off-road vehicle and motorized vehicle recreation. To read a national motorized enthusiast publication reprint opinion targeting vehicle users as abusers, as fact, reveals the problem of separating fact from fiction is not just with the extreme environmental radicals. The Editor must be held accountable for approving this misleading article for publication (as no disclaimer is included.) Does responsible journalism still require validations of reported conditions, before releasing the article to the pressmen, and demand the integrity to avoid reprinting unconfirmed opinion as fact (even when referenced in an opinion piece)? Is Four Wheeler Magazine honorable enough to print an in-depth article with valid research into the issues of Surprise Canyon Road (I hope so)?

Happy Trails!
Ed A. Stevens

I've run across Novak. My heart doesn't bleed for that guy. He was also cited by the BLM for smearing grease on the rock pitches to prevent vehicle access.

Shame on FW

Nice article Ed!

While I had nowhere near your knowledge of the area and history, when I read it, I did immediately wonder what the "human waste in the wilderness" contribution differences were between all the hikers in North America vs all the "Jeepers".

I will be sending a letter to FW. I'd like to suggest that we send them a sh!tload.

Well written Ed! I still haven't read that issue but I will be sure to respond in kind after I do. It just goes to show you how distorted the facts can become when you only reference one (biased) source.

Ed, nice write-up and thanks. I’ll be writing a letter to the Editor(?) of FW also.

Way to go Ed. I haven't read a print 4by mag in years, their lead time is months as opposed to minutes on the web, so I haven't seen that. I'll be sure to go to Safeway and read it, and then comment appropriately. But, in no way will it be as eloquent a response as yours!:D

When an enthusiast magazine prints this kind article, blaming four-wheelers for damage, people believe what they say is the truth. "Is a 4x4 mag gonna tell me lies about off-roaders?"

Distortion and fabrication are the greatest tools of the non-motorized opposition, and they hit a home run (IMO) with Four Wheeler reprinting unconfirmed claims as fact. Yes, someone sent the author an article with the claims, and it was repeated out of context without confirmation, where the real damage begins. Yes, with print media leadtime, you would think they could take the time to confirm the sources for reported "facts?"

The following quote is the kind of response that made me seek out and read the article (a response turning down my request for help with letters preserving motorized access on Surprise Canyon Road):

"There's an article in this months FOUR WHEELER about Surprise Canyon. Take a look at it. I'm afraid that I must agree with the writer. If the stuff that he says is really happening then, yes, close it. Unfortunately there are alot of ORV users who care only about themselves and nothing else. These people, in my opinion, are more of a threat to our trails than any enviro group"

The problem with perception is that even if the reader has doubts to the authenticity of the article content, it makes the reader less inclined to defend other off-roaders in land access-battles somewhere else in the nation. The result is divide and instill apathy (because why should I defend some bastard who don't give a damn to clean up his own trails). Is this the attitude Four Wheeler is advocating?

If you get anything out of this terrible lapse in journalistic integrity, as an enthusiast, I hope you think about how you report and confirm damage attributed to off-roaders. If what you write is not true, or is hearsay and blown out of proportion to the actual-event-on-the-ground, be aware that it can work against all off-roaders. All it takes is an anti-motorized group to run a chopped photo of an infraction to turn it into a major propaganda tool against your favored recreation choice. If it discourages one enthusiast of writing a letter of support for a trail, then the opposition has a victory. Is this what you want?

When molding the identity of four wheeling as a responsible sport, we need to be aware that education of what "proper conduct is" is as important as crucifying those who choose improper conduct.

The boys in the choir can tell the difference between a comic book and the Bible (fun on the trail and true habitat damage). When we are discussing the Acts (of damage attributed to motorized off-road recreation) the public does not know if you intended to be preaching to the choir (who should know better) or everyone including the ignorant.

Think about it, before you start posting and e-mailing incriminating reports of off-roaders in action.

This is not directed to anyone responding to this thread, but to the rise in "environment damage report" threads that are becoming more and more common in various forums.

Happy Trails!

Some very good points Ed... lots to digest...

Ed, its up in the op-ed section of ORC at:
http://www.off-road.com/land/four_wheeler_surprise_canyon.html

Thanks...

Nice article Ed!

While I had nowhere near your knowledge of the area and history, when I read it, I did immediately wonder what the "human waste in the wilderness" contribution differences were between all the hikers in North America vs all the "Jeepers".

I agree, good job Ed. I believe that hikers and wheelers would both learn something about human waste by reading: How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art
Kathleen Meyer

I'm sitting here tring to figure out how we could make Ed a proffessional lobbiest on our behalf! I wish we had more people in our sport that could have the time to support our land issues full time. I know that there are a lot of orginizations that help support land issues but I always feel like we are the Yugo vs the freight train, sometimes we skate by and sometimes we ge smashed.

My club does an annual clean up at Disney. This year we are trying to have some local media coverage, news paper and local TV, showing us performing a communitee service and showing that as a whole we are a resposible group.

I get tired of being blamed for litter on our playground we do our best to make up for those who aren't resposible but the biggest violators are those that don't care and don't wheel.

I don't want to get another rant started but I was very disappointed after prorock there was no clean up we went wheeling 2 weeks afterwards and there was still caution tape up on rocks and trees, and trash every where, I was I'll. We also need to force the promoters of events to be responsible. I have made my disgust known with this petticular promoter.

Together we are a force so support everyones attempts at keeping land available for us to use. We will not be refused!

ed well put.

i was in complete disbelife when i read that artical. it is unbelivable to me that a mag would publish such a irresponsibale artical showing our sport in such a bad light and agreeing with a desert recluse.

Think about it, before you start posting and e-mailing incriminating reports of off-roaders in action.

This is not directed to anyone responding to this thread, but to the rise in "environment damage report" threads that are becoming more and more common in various forums.

This is HUGE !! HUGE

I've been trying desperately to think of a way to properly assemble my thoughts as I read in complete and utter disbelief the explosion of wheeler vs wheeler threads.

Yes, it's always a good idea to try and educate ou own...but it is NEVER a good idea to blab all about it on the 'net", IMHO. The opposition must be just eating it up (and collecting and saving it all - I know I would if I was the opposition)

We face now an all but impossible battle, and they are making complete fools of us. Someone once said "we lost the battle the day we agreed to stay on "existing trails only". If that's not true, we're certainly losing now that they have us beating each other up and worrying more about our image than enjoying our sport. They have us seriously believing that we have to make a Ms manners out of every person behind a wheel or we are doomed, and we're so worried we're chewing each other up. Of course, you can never get rid of every a- hole in any "group"...so instead of focusing on real and achievable progress, they have us chasing our tails in a destructive, impossible quest.

I dunno if it was on purpose or by accident, but from an "information warfare" point of view it's pretty brilliant.

I wonder if we will ever be able to recover, and educate the masses that, like any group, we can't control or eliminate the lunaticfringe, but that they don;t represent us either.

The only simile I can think of right now is this. It's as if, after the Rodney King and some other police corruption cases the public had been convinced that all cops must be corrupt and dangerous and we should therefore get rid of policing altogether.