Spion Kop

[Geem750]

Im wondering what the general view people have of Spinecop and motorists up there. i own an ATV and i like to 4x4 up there in my truck. Im often finding logs pulled over the trails and its quite irritating and i believe could be dangerous if anyone came around the corner on a bike or quad and were to run into it. I know i met one individual walking his dog at night and pulled logs over the road after a friend and i cleared the road so we could pass through. i realize a lot of deadfall lands on the roads and i clear it when im there, but people pulling logs over the road to stop people driving through is really annoying!

[RVThereYet]

Just FYI - the name of the mountain is spelled Spion Kop.

We live within listening range of it and find the constant sound of dirt bikes winding up their engines and running up the trails quite annoying from basically early Spring to late Fall. Trying to enjoy a quiet moment on ones deck is often interrupted by the sound of dirt bikes etc. racing up the mountain, especially on weekends While I don't think pulling logs across the trails is the answer (and potentially quite dangerous for a bike rider), something has to give. The amount of erosion and other environmental damage done by the bikes and quads etc. is substantial, never mind the noise pollution everyone living within a certain distance has to put up with. My vote would be for no motorized traffic allowed on Spion Kop mountain.

[LANDM]

Almost all of it is private property.....do you have permission to be there?

[KL3-Something]

Almost all of it is private property.....do you have permission to be there?

I'm not sure that it is since there has been talk of turning it into a regional park.

[Relentless]

http://www.okanaganway.ca/blog/wp-conte ... st2013.pdf

The beautiful Spion Kop recreation
area, currently Crown Land, is over
350 hectares (880 acres) and is bound
completely by private property, some
well delineated, some not well marked

[LANDM]

http://www.okanaganway.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Spion_KopMapBroAugust2013.pdf

The beautiful Spion Kop recreation
area, currently Crown Land, is over
350 hectares (880 acres) and is bound
completely by private property, some
well delineated, some not well marked

Take a look at the Spion Kop map and the entire ridge. I'm not talking about the "beautiful Spion Kop recreation area"....I'm talking about Spion Kop....the whole thing. There are many many sections of land all along the ridge and almost none of it is Crown Land. 880 acres is not even 1 1/2 sections.....a tiny part of the whole thing.
What people are using is mostly private land.

[TylerM4]

I used to ride in that area when I was a kid. 4x4'd there as a teenager.

Having said that - it's getting too small with too many people going there. The lands are constantly being encroached on via development, etc.

I understand that the majority of property up there is private property and I would agree that it's no longer a suitable location for motorized recreation.

[Rwede]

How weird that people would build a house beside a 4x4ing and dirtbiking area and then complain about 4x4ing and dirtbiking.

[lrupp]

I live at The Lakes, and personally I love the sound of dirtbikes and atvs. To me its the sound of spring and summer. If people don't like that sound or don't want to be near dirtbikes etc, they shouldn't buy at the lakes. :) That being said, I am disgusted people would put logs across trails, HOW DANGEROUS AND STUPID!!!

[RVThereYet]

How weird that people would build a house beside a 4x4ing and dirtbiking area and then complain about 4x4ing and dirtbiking.

I don't live anywhere near The Lakes or even that close to Spion Kop... but, sound travels far, even farther depending which way the wind is blowing, and it also can echo off other surrounding hills/structures. For the most part its not too bad, but there are days when it definitely disturbs the peace. For those of us that don't equate loud motorbike engines with the "sounds of summer", it can get a bit much when it lasts all day long. Just saying.

[Deeoars]

What alot of people would like is a place to hike with or without a dog that is dirt bike free.Just a rough area to wander around and enjoy the peace and quiet.It not that easy to find any more dirt bikes are everywhere.With all this land you would think we could have a few areas for both.

[Relentless]

What alot of people would like is a place to hike with or without a dog that is dirt bike free.Just a rough area to wander around and enjoy the peace and quiet.It not that easy to find any more dirt bikes are everywhere.With all this land you would think we could have a few areas for both.

You can have Little White Mountain. The tree huggers got a closure of the Little White FSR and now everyone can go and hike there until there shoes wear out, or their dogs tongues are hanging on the ground! What more do you want? They spent $30,000 de-commissioning the old Little White FSR specially for people like you, now go and use the hiking trails up there.

Okay, joking aside, I am an ATV rider and can't stand dirt bikes in the bush, most are driven by out of control nutcases that only care about how much gravel or dirt they can fling!

Sharing land on Spion Kop will soon be a thing of the past, when they move to make it a Park, and therefore no offroad vehicles will be allowed.

They should just outlaw them darn dirt bikes once and for all!

[burner]

OMG!! What a croc! as an ATV rider you should know that the quads out number the dirt bikes by about 50:1 and let me tell you that the rednecks packing beer and no brains are probably about half of that, if you go up into Postill or into the Greystokes and of course Peachland you will see the damage done by quads so don't think you are in a special group of angels.
Irresponsible riders on both machines can do a lot of damage however a trail or path can be ridden by a dirt biker and remain intact but once quads go thru it and use their chainsaws to open it up , it becomes a road which can be much more offensive to the community. After riding in the Okanagan for the last 43 years I have personally seen the changes from good single track trails and how they have morphed into roads with trees either cut or flattened to plow thru.
If you truly want to help and do something positive for the Off Road community join a club and work together to solve the issue of irresponsible riding so we can all enjoy our sport without pointing fingers and blaming the other group!! because believe me both sides bear responsibility.

[Rwede]

If you truly want to help and do something positive for the Off Road community join a club and work together to solve the issue of irresponsible riding so we can all enjoy our sport without pointing fingers and blaming the other group!! because believe me both sides bear responsibility.

Good advice. The various clubs for all outdoor activities do a lot of work on everyone's behalf to ensure our rights to access remain. They need everyone's support.

Remember, politicians who make decisions about where we recreate simply add up the potential votes from the number of club members advocating for access (or conversely, the number of granola munchers in their club advocating to shut you down). Be counted in decisions by joining a club.

[Relentless]

OMG!! What a croc! as an ATV rider you should know that the quads out number the dirt bikes by about 50:1 and let me tell you that the rednecks packing beer and no brains are probably about half of that, if you go up into Postill or into the Greystokes and of course Peachland you will see the damage done by quads so don't think you are in a special group of angels. Yesterday when we went out to clean up after some of those "Rednecks", it was a 50/50 Quad to dirt bike ratio, and the rednecks were on dirtbikes roosting up the lands and roads. Dirt biking has increased immensely over the last few years.
Irresponsible riders on both machines can do a lot of damage however a trail or path can be ridden by a dirt biker and remain intact but once quads go thru it and use their chainsaws to open it up , it becomes a road which can be much more offensive to the community. After riding in the Okanagan for the last 43 years I have personally seen the changes from good single track trails and how they have morphed into roads with trees either cut or flattened to plow thru. Yes, single width trails have been made to double width since the popularity of atvs has grown, and your exactly right, many irresponsible rednecks are wrecking it for everyone!
If you truly want to help and do something positive for the Off Road community join a club and work together to solve the issue of irresponsible riding so we can all enjoy our sport without pointing fingers and blaming the other group!! because believe me both sides bear responsibility.

I also agree that the Okanagan needs an Offroad group that works together to resolve problems and keep backroad riding alive. I have suggested that the ATV and motorcycle stores should be the ones with some clout to start it.