THE CORP STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

Posts: 594

We have lost another riding area in Missouri! The Cooper creek Off-road area, aka.DEEPWATER, has been closed to buggies,and buggy riders,6wheelers,8wheelers,4x4's dune buggies,and any other vehicle that exceeds a 50 inch width!!!! Mad

According to the nice parkranger from the CORPS of ENGINEERS. and I quote" If you can't straddle it,or if it does not have handle-bars you are NOT welcome here! "

This makes the 3rd riding area I've been kicked out of,because I don't own a BLANKIN 4 WHEELER. I ain't happy folks Evil or Very Mad

The first place was FINGER-LAKES in Columbia Mo. The second was PERRY Lake ATV area in Perry KS. And now DEEPWATER. I don't know about the rest of you people but I can't afford to drive to Utah,or Kentucky,or any other place that we can ride in every weekend! And I'm not sure how much more abuse my yard can take.

I guess I'm just going to have go buy my own land and I won't let any four wheelers or dirt bikes in!!!! Twisted Evil

take that you BLANKETY-BLANKIN,BLANKERS!!!!!!! Razz

. Ok I feel alittle better now. No I don't, I'm freekin mad Evil or Very Mad

I'm starting to regret my decision to buy this vehicle. I mean what good is it to own it,if you can't ride it? Brick wall

I just had to get that off my chest,and to pass on a warning to anyone in Mo.,or Ks. or anyone else who might be thinking of heading to there.....DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME,or your money to get there! I am also going to send a letter to the city of Clinton Mo. to inform them that I will not be back to there town and spend any more of my hard-earned cash in their fair city Razz

. Tanks for the memories you blankin pukes.

Ok I done, happy riding folks. Till next time when I climb out from under my rock. Mike/W.E.T.S.U.

Posts: 529

Some of the trails out here in California follow the same rule. Anything over 50" in width are not allowed. Luckily my Twister is 49.75" wide. It will go through the barriers.

If you're mad about losing your riding areas move to California it will make your head explode.

Call the Corps of Engineers and ask why? Next call your local representative and talk to them. Next get a petition going to open the land to all OHV's. Get in contact with as many off-road clubs as possible and inform them.

Enough people get involved they will reverse their decision.

SP

Posts: 1093

Man that sucks. It makes me happy that I have access to tons of private land to ride on. I don't understand the whole "straddling" thing. I can understand the width restriction to a point but IMO it should be greater than 50". But the straddle rule makes no sense, I mean what's the thought process behind it? I wish the people that made these rules would use there head's once in a while. I mean I personally would feel better about having the buggies around because they're safer IMO. Plus most of them don't have the power to rip up trails like your typical quad does. I also think it's more tempting to leave the trail on a quad because of the fact that they ARE narrower and will fit more places. Oh well maybe someday someone with some common sense will be in charge of this stuff.

Phil, is your Twister a single seater? Just wondering why it's so narrow.

Jamie

Posts: 1162

Perhaps they are trying to prohibit access to the handicaped, hint hint. A guy w/ no legs or paraylized from the waist down couldn't straddle a quad, but a buggy could be adapted. It wouldn't hurt to point out the limited speed/safety aspects either. I know that they keep accident statistics on quads. I wonder if anyone is compiling them on buggys. Wouldn't it be funny if 10 years from now quads were banned as dangerous, much like the 3 wheelers were?

Posts: 529

Mine is a double seater. The limit out here in California might be 60" not sure exactly. I do know I can slip between the barriers they erect on the trails. They don't want jeeps or other 4x4's on these smaller connecting trails. I have a feeling it's some type of compromise with the Forest Service and local OHV organization.

I'd rather have some types of OHV limited then no OHV at all. It's come down to this in todays world Sad

SP

Posts: 125 · Gold Member Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 125 Pictures: 0

Man, that does suck. I'm getting ready to buy a buggy and go to both finger lakes & deepwater. Two more places to scratch off that list.
Hey Wetsu-you ever been to Chadwick, Mo.? Beautiful place to ride. If so do you know whether they allow buggies there???

Posts: 594

N0 I haven't been to chadwick,but I know guys that have and do go there,and sooooooo far they let all types of ORV'S in there. At least thats the laast I heard.

As far as having a meeting...the town of deepwater had a meeting and included several 4wheeler groups and they are the ones ( with the help from the neighbors ) got this thing to pass. I am going to send a letter,to my representitive and to the local corps office.

As far as safety.....the new pamphlet says for these riders to " THINK" you are 10 miles from medical help. B ack when I had my 6wheeler we were there and my friend ROGER acctually hauled an injured rider(4wheeler) out to the ambulance. And on another ride we had another 6wheeler ride took a girl out who had flipped her 4wheeler....she didn't go to the hospital,but was pretty shook up. And in april of this year,when I was down riding with my old gang of AATV riders we had to wait for lifeflight to haul out and old guy who rolled his 4wheeler. Obviosly none of these people did think,and yet they still get to ride there. ( GO FIGURE) d'oh!

When I tried to find out from the park cop why they passed this he couldn't or wouldn't give me a straight answer.... He merely said that they classify ATV's as having handle bars and a seat that you can straddle. When I asked him about the either Polaris,or Grizzly I can't remember which.....that was supposed to have a 50.9 in. width then what? And he said .....well we'll probably look the other way Shame on you

because it falls under the ATV design. That is according to some bean counting, pencilnecked, dweeb.

I will tell you all that I'm not giving up on this and when I do finnally get to the bottom of this I'll let you know.

Mike / W.E.T.S.U.

Posts: 195

Mike - I live just south of KC (Louisburg) and was going to go check out deepwater this weekend - thanks for saving me a trip.

As a Kansas resident, not sure how much my opinion counts in MO, but if there is anything I can do to help any kind of appeal you might be planning, please let me know.

For those that are curious, here's exactly what the new regs are:

http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/harryst/off_road.htm

Oh I just remebered I came across this place, "Kansas Rocks Recreation Area" - it doest not allow atvs or bikes - wonder what they would think of our buggies? Mike or anyone else been there?

http://www.ksrockspark.com/index.html

Posts: 2248

Good thing i chose to make my buggy I'm building right now out of a sportsman 500 it will be about 48-50" no more. It is also going to be 4x4 Twisted Evil

I just need to sell the sunl first for money.

Posts: 594

Newbuggier, that won't help you if it doesn't have handle-bars or a seat you have to straddle. Down in this neck of the world any way.

Johnnyfazor, we are persona-non-grata at chadwick also Shame on you

.However TUTTLE CREEK ORV area up by Manhattan Ks. says come on in and ride weary traveler. We have 310 acres for your pleasure. It's about 138 miles from K.C. If you live in LOUISBURG surely there are places down there to ride.... pasture,farmers field,bull creek. They need to open something at hillsdale. As far T.C.O.A. I'm going to plan on an overnighter there after I get back from Utah, if I'm able to.