Watchung

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stilluf

stilluf

Well-Known Member
Thanks for posting this. October 20 at 7pm, Trailside Center, Watchung Reservation.

Those of us who have been advocating with the Union County freeholders have been pushing two consistent themes: Transparency and Access. Transparency and inclusion in the decision-making process, and an Access plan that features a multi-use trail plan for the entire park. These are the themes we will continue to push, both at the October 20 meeting, and until fair MTB access has been gained at Watchung and elsewhere in Union County.

Hope to see everyone there!!
 
hikeronly

hikeronly

Member
stilluf said:
Thanks for posting this. October 20 at 7pm, Trailside Center, Watchung Reservation.

Those of us who have been advocating with the Union County freeholders have been pushing two consistent themes: Transparency and Access. Transparency and inclusion in the decision-making process, and an Access plan that features a multi-use trail plan for the entire park. These are the themes we will continue to push, both at the October 20 meeting, and until fair MTB access has been gained at Watchung and elsewhere in Union County.

Hope to see everyone there!!
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Those of you who have been advocating with the Union County freeholders have been pushy, period. The decision-making process is not yours. And you will not get the entire park. Your sense of entitlement is outrageous and inappropriate as is the behavior of several bikers. If the county gives you anything at all, you are all expected to abide by their decision and be thankful for what you get. If you get no trails, you are expected to abide by that as well and not continue to break the law as some are still doing.
 
Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
It should be fair is all. MTBers yield to hikers and horses. Hikers yield to horses. It can all be shared like in so many other state and county parks throughout the nation. A biker be rude to a horse rider is no different than a trail runner being rude by take up the whole trail to anyone coming from behind by wearing headphones at full blast. I am an avid hiker and biker and just completed the Monmouth country trail maintenance class on saturday. I always show etiquette to other trail users and most of my fellow mtbers fo as well.
 
pooriggy

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
hikeronly said:
Those of you who have been advocating with the Union County freeholders have been pushy, period.
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Hikeronly, your posts have been nothing but antagonistic. I understand that you are against mountain bikes in the Reservation, however not everyone shares your view. As I respect your opinion, please respect ours and let the Freeholders determine the fate of this issue.
I ask both sides of this issue to refrain from engaging in back and forth nonsense. Let's stick to the issue and discuss it when the forum arises.
Thanks,
Chris Brawley
 
Xler8

Xler8

Well-Known Member
hikeronly said:
A cause that will help the whole community? You mean would help the mountain biking community only while rest of us are run over roughshod.
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Yes this mtbnj.com (aka Mountain Bike New Jersey) so it would be a help for the mtn bike community.

Your dislike for anyone on a bicycle in the woods is very apparent. One thing you may fail to realize is that most people who ride bicycles in the woods also hike as well so we experience things from both sides of the spectrum. Just like everything in life, you will always get a bad apple in the bunch, however that does not imply all people on a bicycle fit the same mold. Just like not all hikers fit one mold.

It's very likely that with over 2,000 acres of land, there's enough for everyone... Sharing is caring. :)
 
hikeronly

hikeronly

Member
Xler8 said:
Yes this mtbnj.com (aka Mountain Bike New Jersey) so it would be a help for the mtn bike community.

Your dislike for anyone on a bicycle in the woods is very apparent. One thing you may fail to realize is that most people who ride bicycles in the woods also hike as well so we experience things from both sides of the spectrum. Just like everything in life, you will always get a bad apple in the bunch, however that does not imply all people on a bicycle fit the same mold. Just like not all hikers fit one mold.

It's very likely that with over 2,000 acres of land, there's enough for everyone... Sharing is caring. :)
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Your ignorance is what is apparent. I do not dislike bikers. I dislike lawbreaking, which is what many bikers are still doing in Watchung Reservation, this despite the new signs expressly forbidding biking on any and all trails.
 
Juggernaut

Juggernaut

Master of the Metaphor
It's inevitable that in a State as populated as ours, at some point, the activity (or habitat status) that you love will be in jeopardy of being eliminated by "the powers that be".

I would think that alienating potential allies would be...counterproductive.

This cuts both ways, in case that didn't come through clearly enough.

Sadly, the written word is not my specialty.
 
S

Shorepoints

Well-Known Member
hikeronly said:
Your ignorance is what is apparent. I do not dislike bikers. I dislike lawbreaking, which is what many bikers are still doing in Watchung Reservation, this despite the new signs expressly forbidding biking on any and all trails.
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Hikeronly, I dispute your assertion that "many bikers are still lawbreaking in the Watchung Reservation". I hike there at least once a week, and just yesterday gave JORBA President Seebeck a hiking tour of the trails. We did not see a single bike track, nor have I seen one in the last month. Will there be one or two "law-breakers" riding in the reservation occasionally? Probably. We can't control everyone who has a bike. But without question, since the signs went back up, we have made substantial efforts to keep bikers out, and I would say these efforts have been largely successful.

Look forward to seeing everyone on October 20 at Trailside Nature Center.
 
hikeronly

hikeronly

Member
Shorepoints said:
Hikeronly, I dispute your assertion that "many bikers are still lawbreaking in the Watchung Reservation". I hike there at least once a week, and just yesterday gave JORBA President Seebeck a hiking tour of the trails. We did not see a single bike track, nor have I seen one in the last month. Will there be one or two "law-breakers" riding in the reservation occasionally? Probably. We can't control everyone who has a bike. But without question, since the signs went back up, we have made substantial efforts to keep bikers out, and I would say these efforts have been largely successful.

Look forward to seeing everyone on October 20 at Trailside Nature Center.
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Jamie,

I hike there way more often and stand by my accurate statement based on my own numerous observations. It is many but I agree that it is far less than it was before.
 
hikeronly

hikeronly

Member
Shorepoints said:
Thanks for the acknowledgment, Hikeronly. I believe we will all be fast friends in no time.
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Not so fast there. You posted in a now-closed thread that you "rode" on August 8, 2016, with full knowledge that is was and is illegal. This destroys your credibility and leads me to suspect that you also rode last week. You can delete that post but it's already been printed out.
 
S

Shorepoints

Well-Known Member
hikeronly said:
Not so fast there. You posted in a now-closed thread that you "rode" on August 8, 2016, with full knowledge that is was and is illegal. This destroys your credibility and leads me to suspect that you also rode last week. You can delete that post but it's already been printed out.
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Actually, you are incorrect. The signs were installed on/about August 11. Your post informing everyone of these new signs was on August 12. When I rode on the 8th, the signs were still down. Haven't ridden there since, but have hiked plenty.
 
hikeronly

hikeronly

Member
Shorepoints said:
Actually, you are incorrect. The signs were installed on/about August 11. Your post informing everyone of these new signs was on August 12. When I rode on the 8th, the signs were still down. Haven't ridden there since, but have hiked plenty.
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Not buying it. You're slippery. A review of the thread shows that you were aware of the ban but have been part of the prevailing mob mentality that rode there anyway. And that same mob mentality continues to this day as you think, speak, and act as if your future access - as per the county master plan - is set in stone, which it is not.
 
S

Shorepoints

Well-Known Member
Met with the County yesterday and all in the room acknowledged that riding when the signs were down was understandable and actually constructive as a "beta test" of sorts. I rode only when the signs were down and the assumption during that time was that riding was no longer banned. I have always tried to take the high road in this effort and I hope you can do the same.
 
hikeronly

hikeronly

Member
Shorepoints said:
Met with the County yesterday and all in the room acknowledged that riding when the signs were down was understandable and actually constructive as a "beta test" of sorts. I rode only when the signs were down and the assumption during that time was that riding was no longer banned. I have always tried to take the high road in this effort and I hope you can do the same.
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You are a decent person unlike some of the local high profile advocates for your cause. I could cite numerous examples. All I can say at this time is please respect the ban at all times - and this includes after dark. We know that bikers are still there at all hours.
 
S

Shorepoints

Well-Known Member
I have and will continue to respect the ban until it is lifted, and I have encouraged all I know to do the same. More important now is working toward a safe and smart integration of the Master Trail Plan.
 
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