Recent reports of off-road motorcyclists who rode roughshod from Sierra Madre Ridge Road down to the Sisquoc River, illegally trampling trails within the San Rafael Wilderness, have not included information about required penalties for trashing wilderness trails.
Motorcycles and bikes — including electric bikes — have never been allowed in official federal “wilderness zones.” What will the federal government do to prevent more of these illegal incursions? Winking at these guys is a signal to go ahead and do it again.
I recently spent time in early May along this Sierra Madre Ridge during an approved archaeological site check of renowned cultural resources in the area of the wild and scenic Sisquoc River.
While the dirt Sierra Madre Ridge Road above the federal wilderness in Los Padres National Forest does allow for bicycle usage, once you head “down” any of the trails into Sisquoc Canyon you are entering the highly protected federal wilderness area of the justly famous San Rafael: 190,000 acres of pristine chaparral and forest that must legally remain free of machines and cyclists and more civilized impedimenta like chainsaws and other motorized equipment.
Among other important prohibitions, the U.S. Forest Service forbids “operating a bicycle, motorbike, or motorcycle on a trail (in a federal “wilderness”) unless designated for this use. 36 CFR 261.16 (n).”
I’ve been hiking and backpacking in the glorious “San Rafael” since the early 1970s and I’ve never seen bikes or motorcycles on trails there since Congress officially opened the San Rafael Wilderness in 1968.
As reported by the Santa Barbara County helicopter, flying at night and following an SOS by the four motorcyclists, rescuers saw lights in the river bed about 1½ miles west of the South Fork ranger station. My excellent Bryan Conant map shows this to be about where the gnarly Sweetwater Trail (27W06) has snaked down from Sierra Madre Ridge Road.
While up on this road in early May, I noted the dilapidated Sweetwater Trail sign. This is a rarely used, very narrow backpacking trail leading into the San Rafael Wilderness from “the Cuyama side.”
The seven-mile descending trail is very tough and I feel like the motorcyclists had to see that no other bikes or wheeled vehicles ever went down this way. About a half-mile down the Sweetwater Trail the user enters the signed San Rafael Wilderness.
Once down in the rough Sisquoc River valley and at the river bed — actively flowing in early May at Heath Camp — the going was too tough for the bikes, so the foolish riders ran out of water, and they called for help.
I admire the all-volunteer Search & Rescue outfit, and they helped me out of a jam back in 2012. The website indicates that SBCSAR works under the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Did Search & Rescue report to the Sheriff’s Department that this illegal incursion into our sacred federal wilderness had occurred? Has the Sheriff’s Department reached out to the Agriculture Department, under which Los Padres National Forest remains, and notified the agency of these serious violations?
Regulations state that “violators can be cited by law enforcement personnel.” Will Chris Stubbs, the new supervisor of Los Padres National Forest, defend the sanctity of this pristine wilderness zone and press for prosecution of these lawless motorcyclists?
While the ever-kind Search & Rescue team gave the riders water and energy bars before returning to their base at Santa Ynez Airport, they also gave them “instructions on the best route to try to ride their motorcycles out of the wilderness area.” OMG! The motorcycles needed to be confiscated, and NOT allowed to continue riding along human trails in the federal wilderness.
I know the area and absolutely know these riders caused much more trail damage as they rode around trying to get out. If they rode across to Manzana Narrows and then “out” to Nira Camp, they trashed and smashed at least 15 miles of WILDERNESS area trails and landscape.
There is also a serious risk of fire dangers in these drought conditions. Hot motorcycle engines and hot mufflers crashing along a narrow hiking trail are pretty dangerous in my book.
Where was enforcement and appropriate penalties? Where is public information? Where is Chris Stubbs pressing law enforcement for action to prevent future illegal incursions like this one?
— Dan McCaslin is the author of Stone Anchors in Antiquity and has written extensively about the local backcountry. His latest book, Autobiography in the Anthropocene, is available at Lulu.com. He serves as an archaeological site steward for the U.S. Forest Service in Los Padres National Forest. He welcomes reader ideas for future Noozhawk columns, and can be reached at cazmania3@gmail.com. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
