4 South Tahoe men cited for illegal snowmobiling
While on patrol the night of March 2 officers found fresh snowmobile tracks directly underneath closure signs. One rider fled the scene, abandoning his snowmobile, which was towed and impounded, according the Forest Service officials.
The four snowmobilers, ages 23, 23, 45 and 52, are residents of South Lake Tahoe. They were issued notices to appear before the federal magistrate in Sacramento. Their names have not been released.
If found guilty, each could have to pay a $5,000 fine and be behind bars for six months.
“Respecting closures helps protect natural resources and reduces conflicts between snowmobilers and other winter users,” Cheva Heck, USFS spokeswoman, said in a press release. “Enforcement of closed areas plays a critical role in the Forest Service winter recreation program in the Lake Tahoe Basin.”
This is the second weekend in a row snowmobilers have been cited for riding in a restricted area.
Free maps explaining snowmobiling opportunities in the Lake Tahoe Basin are available from the Forest Supervisor’s Office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe or by by calling (530) 543.2694, or on the LTBMU’s website.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Those folks think they can go just about any place they want. No consideration of country or people.
Hope none of them have friends in high places to escape fines and jail.
How many USFS Employees are riding their tax payer snowmobiles in these areas? Allot….
Soon they will have us staying in our house and not being able to enjoy the great outdoors. I’ve been riding Snowmobiles for over 30 yr. now we are so restricted in were we can go that it is sad, the cross country skiers can go anywhere but they do no harm!! might as well sell your Snowmobiles because you will not have a place to ride very soon.
I wonder if the two people who passed away were out of bounds in Hope Valley? Does anyone know?
The gentleman who passed away was at Louie Canyon, which is in bounds.
What harm do snowmobiles do to the snow? No more than cross country skiers. Yes, we’re louder but we don’t damage things and we don’t pollute more than cars. Even this is becoming less of an issue with the strict regulations put in place over the last 5 years.
I bet you’ll be hearing a lot more about this because the boundaries are becoming too tight and there’s not enough area for snowmobilers to use. The boundaries often appear arbitrary and are in areas well out of the way of cross country skiers or other recreationalists. Snowmobilers are being disrespected, and it is not surprising that they/we, in turn, are not wanting to be very respectful of the rules or people trying to restrict us.
It actually swings the other way, in other states like Wyoming, and Montana. The Snowmobiles have priority, because that’s what most people want to do there, and as a snowshoer/cross country skier you will yield to them, so I guess it depends on where you live, and what the majority wants to do…
It is too bad Tahoe doesnt welcome the snowmobile community like say Jacksonhole Wyoming. My family attends the snowmobile hill climb event every year in Jackson. What a great time and the town loves to see us all come. We fly in via Delta airlines straight from reno. We stay in the local resorts and eat at the restaurants and bars 3 times a day. I was talking to gentleman there from the chamber of commerce. He explained this was thier biggest economic weekend of the year. They figure it is a 25 million dollar weekend for the town. Once agian I think our near sighted visions block out our options. Maybe i better find some land in montana or Wyoming so i can do the things i enjoy.
I wouldn’t say the community doesn’t welcome snowmobilers, Fireman however there are places which are out of bounds. I would welcome an area though where snowmobilers could congregate during a long weekend. Maybe you could attend the next City Council meeting to tell us all about your trip to Wyoming. Maybe give the town some ideas of just where this event could take place in our area to bring in the overnighters. Maybe your vision could open up the options.
The problem lies in the amount of area around the lake that is closed to snowmobiling. We have areas of wilderness, areas that are “roadless areas”, Areas that are proposed wilderness and are treated as wilderness. If you ever get the chance to see a winter travel map take a look at it. if we had the number of people show up in south lake that show up in Jackson there would not even be close to enough parking anywhere around to accomodate. I have thought and looked over the last ten years how we could do this and i see no way. Although a hill climb race on the face of Heavenly would be incredible. I would hate to see the permitting and agency involvement. Maybe now that Vail owns Kirkwood this might be an option. At least if it was in Kirkwood there would be no Tahoe agency objections. We still just dont have the open riding areas that would accomadate them. Fact being that for the south shore we only have the Blue Lakes snow park and Spooner summit. There are more options on North shore.
ban motorized vehicles from wilderness areas.
they are banned from wilderness areas. This includes mountain bikes
If they would open areas snowmobilers would go ride. They dont want to ride so close to cross country skiers. Reducing the riding area make it so the two clash and have to share space. Let the riders go ride 40 miles in and leave the closer areas for the skiers, just give a way for the two to pass each other calmly and safely.