Emily GF

NOT the story I was expecting to share…but I learned an incredible lesson this weekend.

A few months ago I connected with the Idaho Backcountry Horsemen Association trying to get some trail maintenance done on a stretch of the Boise National Forest I often ride.

With schedules and other trail projects already planned, we planned this project for end of season.

I continued to go back and ride the same trails I’ve been riding for the last six years, until it was finally time to bring the group up with me.

We arrived to the trailhead and I immediately noticed something was majorly different, even just from 3 weeks ago when I’d last visited. The old abandoned logging road that usually marked the beginning of the route was wider and very much no longer abandoned…

Long story short, even though the project had been cleared by the Forest Service and a Fish and Game Officer was joining in on the trek, a logging right had been claimed. And between shuffling things around between agencies, no one knew.

The quiet single-track trail I had fallen in love with over these years was gone. The path I knew like the back of my hand now looks completely different and is unrecognizable.

But here’s the thing….yes, I am frustrated that old roads now marked for trail use can get lost in the shuffle and be granted logging or other access when they’re not supposed to….but I also understand, this land, our access, these experiences, are a gift. They are not guaranteed and they should not be thought of as “safe” from being taken away.

I am grateful to have found other riding opportunities after further scouting in the area, and I’m also grateful to have had the right connections on the ride to try and advocate for doing better…but the lesson will absolutely sit with me moving forward.

Love the land around you, and stay vigilant in protecting public spaces. 🌲🌲

—> side note, this post is not intended as a diss on logging. Managed logging is a forced necessity to keep forests healthy as a result of humans needing to suppress natural thinning from forest fires. HOWEVER, logging should be coordinated and communicated to the public who accesses public lands………..