Wow, this is quite the thread. I'd say your trolling paid off

And ya'll know I have to chime in...

There are a lot of reasons for why I spend most my time in the forests off and away from trails that are discussed in this thread.

I don't want to see restrictions on horses, bikes, game carts, or hikers unless there is reasonable cause and for me that's a high bar to leap.

Pika's getting blasted by a biker was not his fault. Not in any sense. The biker was a jerk and should have paid dearly for his negligence.

But that doesn't mean I'd support a ban on bikes on that trail. Probably wouldn't, no more than I would a ban on cars on streets.

And I don't mind people getting out in the forests and "Yippee Yo Kiy-yaying" into the wee hours. People need a place to blow off steam. The forest is a perfect spot for that. They can howl with the coyotes all night as far as I'm concerned.

As far as erosion goes, trails cause erosion. A trail will erode after it is constructed even if it is never used. The number one cause of trail erosion is that someone built a trail. Why is that so often ignored?

I've mountain biked a lot off-trail too (before it was banned). There is almost zero impact when you're hiking or biking off trail. Measurable impact occurs with repeated use. That's what trails are made for.

So, personally, I think whining about eroded trails is pretty wimpy. If you don't like it, help fix it, or don't use it.

Even if you've worked hard to build a trail it seems pretty silly to me to complain that when it's used it is being damaged. Of course it is. It's being damaged when it's not too.

And, I agree that many NF and other public lands have been restricted in many cases to the point of making them somewhat exclusive.

Here in the Ozarks I've watched the NFS close over a hundred miles of old roads in just recent years. The areas where these roads are closed are now only accessible by hikers in many cases.

Since you really can't hike here in the warm months, this means these areas are inaccessible then. In cooler months the days are so short you cannot go very far without packing in. This again means large areas are mostly completely inaccessible.

I used to drive these old dirt roads and day hike around. There are places I, or anyone but NFS employees, will never see again unless this changes. That it the true end result.

One might argue that on the plus side, there is almost no human caused erosion anywhere on those public lands. And this is the argument the NFS uses to restrict access.

But take a wider look. Compare the total square yards of impacted area to the entire area and you find the impacted area is restricted to a very small percent of the total area.

There is also an impact on people when restrictions are implemented on public land. This again is often ignored in the decision making process.

Personally, I would be worthless without access to large areas of public land. Potentially Insane. Possibly dangerous

That is why people need a place to let off steam. I don't get drunk and hoot and holler at the moon when I'm out. But I understand why some do. It's a human thing. I've seen it everywhere I've ever been.