Trails's Guide: Tip #3

You've finally made it to the amazing look out!
Now you want to take a photo to remember the moment, but...

There is someone taking a nap in your photo opp. 

My tip for you, be respectful of other visitors and don't hog the choice photo locations. It's like going to Disneyland and hanging on to Mickey Mouse so the other visitors can't get their picture with the star!

-Trails

Trail Log

View from Hinkey Summit, Nevada

"Optimism is a good characteristic, but if carried to an excess, it becomes foolishness. We are prone to speak of these resources of this country as inexhaustible; this is not so." - Theodore Roosevelt

How Fun is Safe?

Panic, fear, agonizing pain…. Fun?  Most likely, not.  Goofing around and taking risks can seem fun and exciting, but especially when you’re dealing with large machines such as ATVs, it only takes a second for things to go terribly wrong. 

 

     Recently, I was out riding at the Sand Dunes.  After about an hour of riding around, I went back to the parking lot to rest and get some training course materials.  While in the parking area, another car pulled up and two people got out and started unloading their vehicles.  As an ASI Instructor, I was pleased to see the first person get out in her proper riding gear and put on gloves and a helmet before getting on her bike.  However, I was surprised to see the other walk out to his quad wearing a tee-shirt and start it up.  Thinking maybe he would put on his PPE after unloading the quad (which still is not recommended), I kept about my business.  It wasn’t until I heard the engine gun that I looked up in time to see him peel out in the parking area and roll his ATV.  It was a scary sight and for those crazy few seconds all I could think about was the need to call 911 and provide First Aid.  Luckily, the man was able to roll out of the way of his ATV and came up without any major injuries.  After checking his ATV and getting it to start again, the two rode off into the Dunes without another word.  After they left, I couldn’t help but think…. Is it worth it? 

    Risky tricks and showing off can seem fun and sometimes it can be harmless, but is it worth your health or even your life?  The man I saw was lucky.  According to ATVsafety.gov in 2009 there was an estimated total of 781 ATV related deaths and 115,000 estimated ATV related emergency-room treated injuries in 2010.  Not all of these deaths and injuries are the results of risky riding or not wearing proper safety gear, but a high percentage of them probably are. 

    ATV riding is fun and can be a great experience, especially if you don’t wind up in the emergency room.  There is tons of space to explore and many trails to ride on.  However, injury or death while riding is not a good experience and hopefully one that you never have.  Safe riding is fun. 

A Properly Outfitted Rider Having a Blast!

 

    Remember, Nevada Outdoor School offers multiple avenues to ATV safety.  For more information, check our website or call us at 775-623-5656.

story by Jive

Lace Up Your Boots: Disperse Camp

During your next outdoor adventure head to a Forest Service (FS) or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) area. These public lands are open to you for camping! For the most part that is - it’s called dispersed camping. In a tiny nutshell, this is when you drive down a FS or BLM road and find an area you want to call home for a few days and set up camp.

There is a little bit of fine print to this:

Dispersed camping in Lamoille Canyon

- Make sure you are on public lands that allow dispersed camping; I recommend getting a map of the area you plan to travel.

- Some areas within FS and BLM do not allow dispersed camping, such as day-use areas and areas with heavy use – check with the local land management offices if you are unsure.

- Some states require campfire permits to have any type of open flame, which includes a campfire, charcoal grill, propane stove and lantern, candle, etc. Nevada and California are two of these states. Also note if there are any current fire restrictions in the area you are traveling to – at the moment that’s pretty much, if not all, of the western United States.

- Be sure to plan ahead and prepare! When you disperse camp you get the benefits of quiet, solitude, and the reasonably low price of free! However, you don’t get any of the usual amenities of a developed campground, so bring your own water and bathroom supplies; plus, be sure to pack out everything you packed in.

- Camp on durable surfaces – as in chose an existing site rather than the middle of a meadow.

Leave it better than you found it,
Trails