Castanet

Should we be expecting more of this in "our" parks Andrew
Im going out back to count the lumber in my woodpile!
It had better all be there!

Now your just trolling, we're talking about rose valley, all the stuff your linking too is on the other side of the lake.

I don't support unsanctioned ttf's in regional parks.
Nobody cares about your wood.

steve-o, check your pm

Posting here is like trying to kick water up bridge hill.

From what i see in those pictures, who ever built that crap deserves jail time.

logman wrote:From what i see in those pictures, who ever built that crap deserves jail time.

I have to say, I did see those pictures before the link was removed, and prior to seeing them I was neutral as I frankly have never seen what was being talked about. But that was ridiculous and I was shocked at what I saw in those pictures.

And I now would tend to agree with you. Talk about selfish and self-serving. To desecrate nature like that is appalling and does, IMO deserve jail time.

Hi KingCreole,

I was hoping this thread would just fade away as the trolls seem to be coming out.

To clarify those pictures you saw; that is not Rose Valley. That is an area from the other side of the lake. Building to that extent is done with permission. For example, the Myra/Bellvue Park area has an extensive trail network used by hikers, bikers and horseback riders and it was developed with the regional distract, Friends of the South Slopes (a hiking organization) and MTBco (Mtn Bikers of the central Okanagan). Also, please keep in mind, that 99.99% of mtn bikers are very conscientious of the environment and trails are built using features already existing. So a trail will be developed from say, an old dirtbike or 4x4 trail even expansion of animal trails. There is not wanton destruction of the ecosystem, chopping down of forests, diverting waterflows as some may have you believe. As with any user group, be it mtn bikers, dirt bikers etc, there will be individuals that have no respect for the environment or others and I am willing to bet that when the trolls respond to this post, that is what they will focus on. Take it with a grain of salt.

Steve-O wrote:Hi KingCreole,

I was hoping this thread would just fade away as the trolls seem to be coming out.

To clarify those pictures you saw; that is not Rose Valley. That is an area from the other side of the lake. Building to that extent is done with permission. For example, the Myra/Bellvue Park area has an extensive trail network used by hikers, bikers and horseback riders and it was developed with the regional distract, Friends of the South Slopes (a hiking organization) and MTBco (Mtn Bikers of the central Okanagan). Also, please keep in mind, that 99.99% of mtn bikers are very conscientious of the environment and trails are built using features already existing. So a trail will be developed from say, an old dirtbike or 4x4 trail even expansion of animal trails. There is not wanton destruction of the ecosystem, chopping down of forests, diverting waterflows as some may have you believe. As with any user group, be it mtn bikers, dirt bikers etc, there will be individuals that have no respect for the environment or others and I am willing to bet that when the trolls respond to this post, that is what they will focus on. Take it with a grain of salt.

Well Steve, thanks for the explanation. It is appreciated for sure.

But I will say, if that if this is public land, then whoever gave permission for those builds should be locked up, per se. Like I said, I have never seen these ramps etc. before, and what was shown, to me degrades the natural beauty. I mean I think anyone looking at those pictures that is not a mtn biker would agree that it looks plain ugly. It no longer looks like "nature".

Trails are one thing. A bridge over a stream or river. But these ramps and whatever curving all over the place?? Doesn't seem right to me.

Anyway....I wasn't meaning to re-stir the pot.

No one gave permission for that mess, or the one in the Smith Creek area. Or the Last moutain/Glen Canyon area! It is on Crown Land! The pick-ups full of bikes and construction material are no different than the illegal dumpers. Just because you ride your toys on the garbage you leave behind? Go play at the dump where your junk belongs or find some PRIVATE property,with permission of course, and ruin that.

Rose Valley is an incredible park, i have loved it for many years now. when i lived on the westside i would hike it everyday in all weather, and at all hours. i had the great fortune to see so many different species there, some i have never seen anywhere else, the rubber boa for instance, the only constrictor native to this latitude.

i have also seen the park slowly being destroyed with litter, and "improvements" since incorporation of Westside. So often i have seen people bringing their dogs in, and even worse allowing them to swim in the reservoir. it would be awful to introduce crypto to the cleanest water supply in the okanagan.

i enjoy mountain biking, but when i do in the valley i restrict my ride to the road.

about 15 years ago or more i discovered that rose valley was home to the very rare mountain beaver, a species that i believe is considered currently as "at risk".

it has dismayed me that the new "government" has not posted any warning or taken any steps to protect this precious habitat. contrarily it would seem that they are further trying to erode this critical habitat with "improvements".

i would suspect that steve-o was previously ignorant of the mountain beavers presence. after reading this that will no longer be the case.

i hope anyone using rose valley would educate themselves on the frailty of the mountain beaver's situation, and their vulnerability to disturbance. mountain biking, motorcycling, quadding, and even hiking on the hillsides can be fatal to the little guys. any deviation from established trails is a threat to their existence.

i have not been in the valley in a few years now, but while i did hike it so often in the past i saw the astonishing decline of the turtle population during the years that i did. i suspect a combination of visitors to the park and "improvements" to be the reason, the turtles' nesting site being disturbed by both.

i look forward to the day that i get to the valley again, and i hope to see turtles when i do. i will not dare look for mountain beavers though, as such exploration is just too risky for the dear creature's sake.

Intersting about the mountain beaver. Googled it and got some info about it. I'll keep an eye out for burrows and be sure to stay away. One fact I read mentioned it needs to drink up to 20% of its body weight in water per day. There is one hiking/biking loop that goes around the lake and comes close to the kind of swampy area at the west end. This is the only trail that comes close to any water source. Trails in question on this thread are all at the peak, well above the resevoir so the likelyhood of seeing these little critters is quite low. Which may or may not be too bad; one researcher said they're so ugly, they're cute. Kinda curious but I guess the photos online will have to do.

I've seen the "turtle crossing" signs along Westlake rd but have never seen one. I've been told that since the gravel pit started up, they've been harder to spot.

hey steve-o,

the only beaver i saw in the valley was unfortunately dead, by the outlet at the base of the dam.

some of the turtles i believe nest above the dam, essentially on the dam, in the gravel bank, very susceptible to disruption.

on westlake road, where there is the pond on one side and gravel pit on the other, and turtle crossing signs as well, i have seen people completely disregard the warnings and kill turtles so very often. but really a turtle tunnel or turtle tunnels should have been installed years ago. activity in the pit has likely done at least as much damage if not more.

it is so awful to see so many species being decimated, and government and people only trying harder to do worse rather than trying to aid and preserve.

for the record, in case you didn't catch it, i am on your side. those "improvements" will obviously make yourself and other bikers have to forge new trails and erode more habitat.

That gravel pit has been operating for at least 30 years. The turtles have made their way somehow. Just build some sort of illegal ramp made of garbage over the burrow. Why not?

LOL Logman. You offering to help?

Why did the link to all the pics of the wonderful ways mountain bikers preserve the environment get taken down ?
Are you no longer proud of these accomplishments?

Help what? Clean up your mess? No way. I doubt any moutainbiker is cleaning up anything. Just hauling more trash to the woods.
The link must have been removed out of pure embarrassmant.