Does this punishment fit the crime? 3 cyclists jailed for going thru Grand Canyon

[Lifesgreat]

Yes, the punishment is hefty, but I can also see the feds wanting to send a STRONG message to those who may be "inspired" by these three. I cannot even imagine going on those trails on a bike, with the steep drops and switchbacks. . .

[sarahkonamojo]

Tha rangers in GCNP don't fool around. Most stories I know regard river trips through the Grand Canyon, but they are just as amazing. Try to catch up with your party after lauch - jail time. Misdemeanor drug possession - entire trip cancelled, etc. Not that the perpetrators don't deserve some sort of punishment, but often the punishent affects people who are not guilty or involved in the crime.

If the US government put this kind of effort and attention into any number of national problems, we might actually move forward on an issue or two. How about corporate crime....

sarah

[emily_in_nc]

As a hiker who did the Grand Canyon rim-to-river and back hike last May, I am glad their punishment was not just a hand slap (though I do agree that it was probably overly harsh -- jail time was not really necessary to make a point). I also ride mountain bikes, but riding peds-only trails and breaking rules in national parks is something that makes all cyclists look bad. Yes, Bikes Belong, but not in the Grand Canyon.

Emily

[lizbids]

So these boys perhaps could have hurt themselves. Ok, they should have been fined but jail time? Come on!!! There are way worse crimes that go unpunished every day...

[KnottedYet]

Backcountry rescues are pretty dang expensive. I do definitely agree with the fine they had to pay to search and rescue.

Any of you EMT trained folks relish the thought of packing a biker/hiker collision victim (or a plain ol' bike vs. gravity victim) on a backboard to an accessible point in Grand Canyon?

Yowza!

(and if anyone's never been there, you've gotta go! You wouldn't believe how intense and vertical-crazy it is, or how incredibly crowded it is year round! And beautiful! Photos and videos can never do it justice.)

[bmccasland]

Have been an EMT worked SAR, would NOT, repeat NOT want to drag someone out of The Canyon, the desert of Arizona was fun enough. Only place I know where the litter picker-uppers need climbing skills. There is a reason there are still parts of crashed planes in the canyon - too hard and expensive to get them out of there.

[Pedal Wench]

Like others, I've hiked quite a lot in the Canyon, doing rim-to-rim-to-rims about once a year (heading there again in May!), I would not want to encounter a bike on some of those sections. I believe the Arizona Trail uses the South Kaibab trail, which isn't particularly narrow, but there are sections with dropoffs, and it is used daily by mule trains. What those animals would do if they encountered bikes is completely unknown, and I doubt good. I think the punishment does fit the crime, mainly, as most of our punishments, to prevent others from following suite.

[bmccasland]

Having hiked the Canyon, and worked in the Canyon, 48 hrs in jail and a lovely donation to the SAR fund, plus the posting on the internet the punishment seems fair. There is NO place on the trails for hikers and bikers in the canyon, and in most places if you take much more than a light tumble, you're dead. They were probably told when they entered the Park the rules and they chose to break them. The two wider, and heavily used trails also have the mule trains. Mules, hikers, bikes, not a good mix. And the mules have the right-of-way.