Off Road Vehicle Restrictions Including Okanagan

[sulchie]

No its the same, both environmental factors.

[Queen K]

Lol. The ultimate oxymoron. 'smoking hikers'.

So I'm out at Twin Falls, Yoho National park, an eight km hike in and what do I see? Cig butts. I mean, every single hiking trail I've been on has cig butts.

[tsayta]

Lol. The ultimate oxymoron. 'smoking hikers'.

So I'm out at Twin Falls, Yoho National park, an eight km hike in and what do I see? Cig butts. I mean, every single hiking trail I've been on has cig butts.

What's next? Vegetarian crack - heads?

[Queen K]

Vegan Meth-heads too. I know right?

Not sure what the controversy for closing the back country even is these days: reduce risk, put oneself into different areas of life until the drying out of BC is complete or over, "find something else to do" during BC's worst fire season on record. We have a large fire fighting bill on hand, thousands are still evacuated with more coming and a stretched out resource/cash reserve.

[TylerM4]

No its the same, both environmental factors.

No, it's not the same at all. Yes, weather was a contributing factor to the cause, which led to the effect. But the actual closing of access is enacted for very different reasons and the cause involves more than just 1 contributing factor. In this case managing risk vs practicality/cost savings.

By your logic anything weather related is "the same thing". Flooding, homes ruined by tornados, firebans, off road vehicle restrictions, landslides, etc.

[maryjane48]

im not sure why anyone is complaining . oh wait yes i do , same folks sitting boats in the way of water bombers or choppers trying load up

[Opeeved]

Not sure if this distinction has been made. First page was about wording of what constitutes off road.

Just wanted to point out imo the failure of authorities regarding this- any gov't maintained road is classified as a highway.

[CEB]

Don't know how dale mck got "me me me" out of what i said, but the idiots are the "me me me" and they will continue to do what they want ban or no ban. As Sparki 55 says now there are less eyes watching for said morons.
Spoke with a CO yesterday, there has never been a wildfire incident known to be caused by an ATV, dirt bike or off-roader. Can you say that about smokers ? People break the rules all around us, they run red lights, they don't use there signals, they continue to use there phones while driving etc etc. and as we've seen they have fires during a ban ? I just don't see any solid merit to a ban other than to appease some city dwellers. Again if you want to impose a ban, make it across the board. Get everyone off the lake, off there mountain bikes and hang up there hiking boots. People think its ok to impose a ban for one user group, then it should be fine to impose a ban on all user groups.

The CO was misunderstood or thought you meant locally as there, unfortunately, have been fires attributed to ATV use in Canada. I know this because, as a Dirt Biker helping to build the Bear Creek OHV Area, I did some research into myself a few years ago. It could be that what the CO meant was if you look in the National Database you won't see ATV/OHV caused fires as they would all be grouped under "Human Caused". Alberta is an area that has looked at it more closely as they have boggy conditions and so found that dirty vehicles were the higher risk as the boggy material stuck to an OHV could heat up on header pipes and become a cinder and then eventually drop off with a potential to cause fire. Therefore, yes you can reduce risk by things like keeping/checking to make sure you have a clean bike/OHV, staying on better surfaces (wide Forest roads would be that- if you're properly insured), have a spark arrestor, well maintained bike/vehicle, etc.. Is the risk super high from ATV/OHVrs who are careful? I'd make an opinion that it's definitely not as high as campfires, tossed cigarettes, Industry, etc but still a risk and because they move away fast and wouldn't even know they had caused a fire and be able to stop it.

The biggest risk is when risk is not recognized. It's the old do you really have to touch the red hot stove element to know it can burn you? Smart thing is to keep hot surfaces/vehicles away from flammable (trail like) surfaces at times of extreme risk like this.

I think I've only ever seen one other local OHV backcountry shutdown in 20 years and that was during the Terrace Mountain Fire so really, not much time been taken away from anyone so just be thankful. My friends in Oregon are shut down EVERY August out of their riding area.

[62silverado]

Good points CEB but the information from the CO would have been here for BC. I don't think to many people listen or get it on here ? The word most commonly used is RISK. People hiking, mountain biking (yes they smoke). People while boating will beach have a cigarette and yes even a campfire. If you believe 100% there is no RISK of that happening, then you are wrong. What if the boat that crashed into the trees on the shore line Wednesday had caught fire ? Is that not fathomable. Not a risk ?

[cuhen]

God just ban smoking in the province except in your on home
i am sure most human caused fire are started by someones smoke being flicked out the window or tossed on the ground
how man fires are started on the side of the road.
atv's have spark aresters

[Woodenhead]

ATVers flick their smokes too, seen it often enough

[Queen K]

God just ban smoking in the province except in your on home
i am sure most human caused fire are started by someones smoke being flicked out the window or tossed on the ground
how man fires are started on the side of the road.
atv's have spark aresters

I don't know. Lots of mattress and sofa fires start in their own home. Just ban smoking.

[Woodenhead]

If only we could somehow ban stupidity...

[Queen K]

It may be a flight of fantasy type of stupidity, but if you worked with the damaged people I do from their smoking habit, you'd fantasize too. And I know Big Tobacco will never get banned, it's a fantasy statement. I'd still bring you pizza Woodenhead, we never said we'd agree on everything

[sulchie]

It wont be long now till we can go out again, more rain coming and i have really bad PMS (parked motorbike syndrome).