I respect closed trails. Poachers and abusers give the rest of us a bad reputation! Where I ride there are hundreds of miles of trails. I don’t know why someone would need to ride the illegal trails. I have heard that the fine for getting caught on an illegal trail can be pretty high. I have also heard of BLM rangers who confiscate the rider’s front wheel.

A few weeks ago I was riding alone and I had a minor mechanical problem (a bad bottom bracket). The bike was rideable, but I wanted to take the most direct route back to my car. The trail was marked “open” for hikers, but “closed” for bikes and horses. It was only about a half mile long, so I walked my bike. As I walked along, 2 sets of 2 guys passed me (riding).