Thank you for the article on Ashland’s new notoriety as a mountain biking mecca.
It’s helpful to know that the sport has risen to prominence in the area only since 2017 with the arrival of a coterie of enthusiasts.
One topic not mentioned in the article is the proposal currently on the table to begin the process of sanctioning bicycle access in Lithia Park. Specifically, the Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association, the Ashland City Council, the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission and other invested parties are in the process of deciding whether to amend the city charter to allow biking in the park as a first step toward the building of two new beginner trails to go up — and downhill — across the historically hiker-only trails on the Glenview Hillside above Ashland Creek.
As further explained by proponents, these new trails, which bisect at least four hiking trails, are in the same vein as beginner ski slopes — meaning they will also be used by cyclists of all abilities to shortcut between Glenview Drive and Pioneer Street.
The Glenview hillside trail system is a rare oasis of calm and remoteness in the very heart of downtown Ashland. It is a precious resource for those desiring a quick getaway, an immersive experience in a tiny bit of wild-seeming nature. The idea of sanctioning cycling in Lithia Park should therefore be a non-starter for the following reason alone: Bikes drive hikers off trails. Hikers rarely venture onto bike-only trails. Yet bikers can and do easily make use of trails traditionally built for and used by hikers. Once bikers intrude on a hiking trail, hikers tend to go elsewhere. As a hiker I can attest that we are running out of “elsewhere” — places where we can safely assume we will not encounter cyclists.
I routinely encounter bike tread on the hiker-only Glenview trail system. The trails are already being poached by bikers who won’t accept any limits. If biking is openly allowed and encouraged in Lithia Park, it is logical to assume such behavior will only accelerate. Further, the new trails would funnel cyclists of all abilities either directly into the lower park, or down Pioneer right through Shakespeare. Ashland’s crown jewel would cease to be a place for the majority — non-biking visitors and residents — to safely enjoy. And hikers, already forced to share a majority of trails in the watershed, will once again be out of luck.
Bikers have so far found little resistance to their ever-increasing demands for access to more trails, in addition to new trails built just for them at taxpayer expense. But this is an ask too far.
Sandra Scase
Talent
