Dear WiP,
Did the mountain bikers build trails in Kaiser Woods illegally? They certainly do everywhere else in the world that has been infected by that extreme sport. Will the park remain attractive to people and wildlife after being turned into a race track? I doubt it! Will hikers and runners enjoy sharing narrow trails with mountain bikes? It’s hard to believe. How will the wetlands and neighboring homes survive the inevitable runoff from soil-shredding knobby tires? Why wasn’t the question even raised? Is promoting an extreme sport like mountain biking really worth destroying more wildlife habitat? Haven’t we destroyed far too much already? One look at Capital Mall would suggest “yes!”
Don’t mountain bikers already have plenty of places to wreck? Why should we promote a sport that continually results in horrific injuries and even deaths? What do kids learn about nature by racing through it at high speed? That it is acceptable to trash it, as long as you are having fun? Are mountain bikers incapable of WALKING? These are the questions you SHOULD be asking. I can’t think of a single good reason to allow bicycles on any unpaved trail.
Mike Vandeman, Ph.D.
Formerly of Olympia
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