1) Please, haul out whatever you take in. The trails are becoming depressingly riddled with litter. If you had room in your rig to take it onto the trails, there is plenty of room to haul it out. In fact, an empty beverage can takes up less room that a full one. crush it and toss it in a bag you designate for your trash. It's so sad to get out into our beautiful back country, breathe the fresh air, watch the wild life, witness the breathtaking views of waterfalls and surrounding mountains, and find the beer cans, cigarette butts,food wrappers, and even baby diapers - yes DIAPERS - as you walk back to your vehicle. It's utterly disgusting, people. For one thing, use you ashtray. It's not only crapping up our trails, it's an easy way to start a fire out there. Another thing, our forests are not a landfill. It is not only illegal to dump your matresses, junked cars, appliances, and other unwanted items, it's going to get those areas closed off to the responsible users. And keep in mind, there are people out there that WILL take pictures of you dumping, entering areas looking like you are intending on dumping, take down license #'s and report you. People have been fined heavily in this way. This is a very sore subject for me, sorry if I'm starting to sound agitated. I am. Last note on this subject: If you are on the trail and see a bunch of garbage, make at least a small effort to pick some of it up. If we all did this we would have much cleaner trails. 'Nuff said.
2) Wheel on trails that are within your scope of ability, or at least somewhat close to it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to preach to you that you shouldn't try more difficult trails and expand your abilities. But if you are going on a trail that is new to you, ask around first. Ask some people that know a little about your experience level what they think. Is this a trail that you can feasably do? This brings up a whole myriad of debates, but the main point being please do not tear up a trail that is too difficult for you. If you find yourself unable to make an obstacle, winch it or get pulled over it. Whatever you do, DO NOT make yourself a bypass around it. This is also going to get our trails closed off. Did you know that just about all of the easy bypasses around obstacles that are already there are illegal bypasses? These are bypasses that someone made because they couldn't make it over the obstacle, then following wheelers see the new option to go around, figure "well, the bypass is already there, must be part of the trail" and further erode the hillside. Wrong, people. These bypasses are causing additional erosion out there which will ultimately get the trails closed down. And you know what, this also goes for creating new, more difficult bypasses. If it's chewing into dirt and roots, it's causing erosion. 'Nuff said about that one too.
3) Unless you have some real experience under your belt, know what the hell you are doing and have the right equipment and spare parts, DO NOT go out there alone. Just recently I was out at Reiter with some friends after installing my rear locker, and our group spent over an hour and a half extracting a poor soul out there who had inadvertantly driven off of the trail and had gotten himself into a very precarious spot. He was out there with his girl in the passenger seat, no other vehicle with him, a winch on the front of his jeep that was much too small for his vehicle, and he had absolutely no clue how to use it. It was pouring down rain, there weren't very many people out there that day, and his jeep could have easily gone over the edge. He could have gotten seriously hurt, hurt his girlfriend, and he took precious wheeling time away from the people who decided to turn back down the trail to go help him out. It ended up taking 4 people, 2 winches, 1 tow strap, 2 jeeps and 1 toyota to get this fool out, mind you in the freezing cold pouring down rain for an hour and a half. Now there are people out there that will help a fellow wheeler out, but please don't just invite disaster. This takes away from other people's fun wheeling experience, and quite honestly, in my opinion is just plain selfish. Take precautions to prevent these predicaments.
My biggest overall suggestion, people, is get involved with a club or organization of some kind. It's a great way to meet an enormous amount of great people with the same interests as you. It's also a great way to learn new skills, refine the skills you already have and also find new trails out there you never had a clue existed.
And finally, my quote for the year: "There's no crying in wheelin'!"
