We covered respect in part 1, now in part 2 we will cover some rules of the trail. Some should be common sense, others may not be so obvious. If everyone followed the common rules of the trail it would provide a much safer and enjoyable time for everyone out in the back country.
Right of Way – Hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders always have the right of way. Always yield to these groups. When coming up to a group of horseback riders it is a good idea to stop and shut your vehicle off. Most horses out on the trails are usually accustomed to different vehicles and scenarios but you should never assume that. The best thing to do is turn off your rig and talk to the riders, this will help identify yourself to the horses as a person who is non-threatening and will allow the owner or rider to let you know if the horses are OK with you driving past or if they would prefer you to wait until they pass by.
Always yield to uphill traffic. As a general rule of thumb traffic coming uphill has momentum built up and it is much harder for them to stop and get rolling again than it is for downhill traffic. There have been some instances where I have been driving uphill and have seen a big group coming down and have been in a safe area to pull over and allow them by even though I’ve had the right of way, it was just safer and made better sense for me at that time to be the one to yield.
Marked Trails – Stay on marked trails. I’ll say it again for the people in the back… STAY. ON. MARKED. TRAILS. This isn’t hard. Cutting your own trail doesn’t make you a badass. It doesn’t make you more of a man. It makes you come off like an infantile egomaniac trying to compensate for something.
If you are in an area that is designated as “Open Riding” such as a lot of dune areas and rock crawling areas then there won’t be any marked trails, but it would be common courtesy to try and stick to places the majority of people are using as riding areas.
Gates – If you open them, close them. It’s simple. Out west we are blessed with a lot of large public land areas which are multi use areas. It’s not uncommon to ride a trail that crosses through range land. The great thing is you’re allowed to enter/exit through the gates as long as you close them behind you. If you don’t, you’re essentially letting someone’s livelihood escape and that’s the same as stealing. Don’t be rude.
Stopping – Don’t stop in the middle of the trail. If you need to stop for any reason, find a safe spot to pull over and move as far off the trail as you can. You wouldn’t just stop your car in the middle of the interstate, why do it on the trail?
Wildlife – Don’t harass wildlife. That’s their home, not yours. Don’t chase them, pester them, bother them, or do anything that could be harmful or dangerous. Give ALL wildlife a wide berth. No selfies with the bears and don’t pet the fluffy cows.
Leave No Trace – Take only pictures, leave only footprints (or tire tracks). Simple: if you pack it in, pack it out. I’m sure you didn’t drive 100 miles into the back country to trip over an empty Miller Light bottle. I guarantee you nobody else did either.