Motorcyclists drive horse lovers deeper into hills

Dear editor:

While camped with our horses in an open primitive camp area, at the corner of Talley Creek & Fall Creek... I'd like to thank the young boys on their "off road racing motorcycles" for choosing to race up and down the entrance road to these camps, next to our camp.

This dirt road is an entrance, NOT your personal race track! It's a camp area! Earlier in the day as we rode our horses, we observed about 15 miles of well groomed motorcycle trails. Not counting the numerous other trail "jumps" that have been set up. We avoided these trails and stayed on the old logging roads.

If you thought you were impressing us, you did! What a shame that you weren't taught better manners. Or at least gone to some sort of "etiquette" class for manners in the mountains, around camps and horses.

Since I have a horse who is afraid Of "screaming motorcycles," I had to get off and lead the horse the last 1/4 mile to my camp. When you come up behind/next to me, did you slow down? NO! You revved your engine and went faster! Once again, did you impress me? Yesireeee, you gave motorcyclists quite a name!

Now before all you motorcycle people jump down my throat. Let me explain. As horse people we have learned years ago that we have to share trails and be courteous to each other. About 20 years ago we come to this camp area, along with other family and horse people, established a few more camps in the deer camps, opened some trails.

As the years wore on, it was obvious that the horse people needed to move on. So be it. But every few years, on an "off weekend," we like to come to our "home camp" and enjoy our old trails.

We've now learned our lesson. No more quiet camps and pristine trails. So don't worry, we'll never be back to listen to screaming motorcycles, eat dirt that pours into camp, nor see the mountainsides and dry creek beds being tore up. It's all yours.

The days of quiet camping are long gone. But as we all know, this is "progress" and us old folks got to move on.