Ossipee Mountain Trails closed

[Lakegeezer]

A disturbing article in the Laconia Citizen today
http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090829/FRONTPAGE/908290349

And from the State Bureau of Trails
http://www.nhtrails.org/trail-news-and-conditions/news.aspx

Due to vandalism, pehaps by a "trail bandit" from Henniker, the mountain area has been closed to the public. This includes the peaks of Mt. Shaw and Black Snout. The articles are not clear about the Lakes Region property and the trails on it, such as Bald Peak, but if this situation is not corrected, the snowmobiling will be impacted this winter.

[hazelnut]

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!?! Who is this guy? This "Trail Bandit?" Throw him in jail.... What a bleeping bleep bleep. One guy is going to ruin the snowmobiling for an entire region. Nothing pisses me off more when I am out on the sled and I see people have blatantly disregarded the signage and blazed their own trail. IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY!!!! People just don't get it. The whole system of trails is fragile at best and people still do whatever they want with little regard for the landowners and their generosity. :fire:

Sorry for the rant it just touches a nerve.

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Here is a link to his website > http://www.trailbandit.org/ < The URL is registered in his name.

His name and address are available on the site. There is nothing on the site today about the Mt. Shaw trails. I will refrain from saying what I think about him, this is a family oriented forum. :(

[wifi]

The accusations, by themselves sound pretty devastating and IF TB was directly responsible for this, then he should be hung, but I have reason to pause and reflect.

I had been in contact with TB in the very early Spring in reference to his treks thru my land up there. He left nary a bread crumb (well... maybe he did and the mice got it, but nothing was disturbed :) ) Did he do what was claimed, or did someone else? Innocent until proven guilty? Producing maps, well, what is the difference with the town publishing, on the internet, your house plans (and those of our schools), allegedly for tax purposes, claiming they are public information?

Now, lets consider the accusers. This is a family forum, so I can't say what is on my mind, suffice it to say I spent a small fortune defending, for almost a decade, my land against legal attacks from these very people. They attacked specifically to drive me out. Since I was in the total right, I won in the end, but the off the wall accusations of me and my family in court were mind boggling. All misleading total lies to shock the court.

So, did TB do this? Did the owners invent some of the evidence to close (privatize) their land? Before jumping on the word "privatize", this land is under current use, meaning they get a substantial tax break in exchange for the public being able to hike (fish, etc) the land. (NO, not cut trees, but we don't know really who did this, do we?).

So, my question is, now that the land is off limits to the public, and the public is abating the land owner for giving the public access to the land, will their taxes change back to the full amount? Lemme take a guess, an army of lawyers will descend......

As was said before, there are two sides to every story and the truth lies somewhere in between. I'll wait the final verdict on this, if there is anything more than just accusations thrown about, my mind will be as open as possible.

[trfour]

B. Madoff took everyone for a ride, let us put this trail bandit in federal prison as an understudy of his for 150 years or so!

[fatlazyless]

Just saw this thread and am sorry to hear that someone sprayed a new "snowmobile trail" with herbicide in an effort to create a new snowmo trail on Mt Shaw in the Ossipee Mtns.

Slightly off topic, but can someone explain what's the fun of a snowmobile as opposed to hiking on snowshoes or old wood cross country skis?

Snomobiling needs a snowmo, a trailer, a tow car, gasoline, insurance, registration, helmet, & specialized warm clothing. If it is a two-stroke snowmo, then you end up smell'n like two stroke oil.

Winter trail walking needs aluminum snowshoes or an old pair of wood cross country skis available for maybe ten bucks at a yard sale, some ski poles, and some decent boots.

With all the equipment needed for snowmobiling, and the lack of exercise as compared to snowshoe & xc ski touring, it is two different winter activities sharing the same winter terrain, side by side, and very very different.

Like why bother with all that snowmo $tuff when ski touring on the hills is so cheap and easy to do? duh? :rolleye1:

[hazelnut]

Just saw this thread and am sorry to hear that someone sprayed a new "snowmobile trail" with herbicide in an effort to create a new snowmo trail on Mt Shaw in the Ossipee Mtns.

Slightly off topic, but can someone explain what's the fun of a snowmobile as opposed to hiking on snowshoes or old wood cross country skis?

Snomobiling needs a snowmo, a trailer, a tow car, gasoline, insurance, registration, helmet, & specialized warm clothing. If it is a two-stroke snowmo, then you end up smell'n like two stroke oil.

Winter trail walking needs aluminum snowshoes or an old pair of wood cross country skis available for maybe ten bucks at a yard sale, some ski poles, and some decent boots.

With all the equipment needed for snowmobiling, and the lack of exercise as compared to snowshoe & xc ski touring, it is two different winter activities sharing the same winter terrain, side by side, and very very different.

Like why bother with all that snowmo $tuff when ski touring on the hills is so cheap and easy to do? duh? :rolleye1:

To save bandwith and nip this in the bud. FLL there is absolutely no way whatsoever to explain this to you so you could possibly appreciate it so lets just leave it at "to each his own."

[SIKSUKR]

To save bandwith and nip this in the bud. FLL there is absolutely no way whatsoever to explain this to you so you could possibly appreciate it so lets just leave it at "to each his own."

Oh,I can explain it to him with an exact analogy.Why does FLL choose to use one his many motorized boats versus his saiboat or kayak?Why bother with all that boating $tuff when paddling around the lake is so cheap and easy to do?Duh?:rolleye1:

[Lakegeezer]

During the winter, I'm able to get up to Mt. Shaw and back by sled in about 90 minutes. This is a nice work break that would not be possible on skis or snowshoes. With a snomobile, I get up in those mountains about 5 times each winter. If I had to hike it, it might be once every 10 years - if at all.

If you feel the need for an energetic hike up there, you can snomo up a bit and hike the many trails that have already been closed since the Lakes Region Conservation Trust took over. The hike over to Bald Peak is especially nice. There was talk last year about closing the trail to Mt. Shaw to snowmobiles, which is the best big vista left on open trails up there. Indeed, there may be much more to this story than has already been told.

[hazelnut]

Oh,I can explain it to him with an exact analogy.Why does FLL choose to use one his many motorized boats versus his saiboat or kayak?Why bother with all that boating $tuff when paddling around the lake is so cheap and easy to do?Duh?:rolleye1:

Or,
why use your car FLL when you could easily bike or walk to the store. A car needs gasoline, insurance, registration and don't get me started on the lack of exercise.... :laugh::laugh:

[trfour]

Or,
why use your car FLL when you could easily bike or walk to the store. A car needs gasoline, insurance, registration and don't get me started on the lack of exercise.... :laugh::laugh:

As a child, he hovered high above and got a little oxygen deficient! :D

[fatlazyless]

Here's news of a brand new federal program simililar to the recent 'cash for clunkers' program designed to make it easy to trade your snowmobile for a pair of aluminum snowshoes.

www.clunker-snowmos for snowshoes.gov


Wow...what a deal....time to trade in that 8000-dollar snowmobile for a big $4.50 discount toward a pair of forty dollar, made in China, Wal-Mart aluminum snowshoes equipped with crampon style creepers. :D!

[dpg]

You asked for that FLL. :laugh::laugh: