URGENT

[bigdaddyyj]

Conway river/ Devils Ditch trail is not legal for ORV traffic. Please do not attemp to run this trail.

Please contact me with any questions,

Gregg Jackson
VA4WD
Land use coordinator.

[Chele]

I am so sad about this...it's not even funny :(

[ToBlave]

Well, it was bound to happen, SNP has an anti-OHV agenda. Systematically gating fire roads and other unpaved routes, not budgeting to maintain existing "historical" roads. Many grave yards and other historical places on SNP property are only accessible by foot now, making them practically inaccessible to the elderly and young. An article in an OHV magazine just draws attention to SNP's oversight and leads credence to adjoining private land owner claims of "wilderness" abused, hunting and fishing disturbed. The truly sad part is flipping open an old Delorme Virginia map and seeing all that routes in this area such as 662 (now Graves Mtn Trail). Now they don't even warrant "trail" status in the current Delorme map.

[Chele]

We need to get with Va4WD and find out what the deal is. We need this trail back...it's a good one.

[streetdoc]

It isn't going to happen, Conway was one of those quiet trails that some knew about and a lot didn't know about. Once that article came out in Off-Road Adventures, a whole lot more people learned about Conway. We have't legally had that trail since the mid nineties but not a lot was done about because so few people knew about it.
I'm one of the ones that did a lot of the research into this trail. Everything I did and can document, I forwarded to VA4WDA. I actually talked to both the Property Mgr for RWMA and the Park Ranger for SNP. We are not going to be able to get access to this area of SNP for vehicle use - period! As far a RWMA, there are areas that we can drive on in RWMA as long as we are using it for the approved uses which they list. If it's not on their list it's not approved, they don't spell out what you can't do, they give you a list of what you can do. What we want to do with our Jeeps are not on the can do list.

Please remember, we want to keep as much access as we can, if we are doing activities that we know that we can't do, it gives more ammo to the people that want to close us down completely! Please do not drive in areas that are closed!

[ford8n]

You are 100% correct Streetdoc. us " Locals " as we have been called, have now lost a trail that we have known about and used responsibly since before I was born. We never moved trees or large rocks just because we thought that " It should be that way " - or - " I wander where that trail may go. Let's move some trees and find out ". I don't get to go to Paragon or GWNF or any of those other nice places like everyone else. Now the places that my friends and I go on the weekdays that we may get off now and again are going to get fewer....AGAIN, Thanks to some who just can't leave well enough alone.
To them I say Thanks alot...and have a nice day.

[ToBlave]

Responsible use does not equate to legal use.

Instead of pointing fingers and casting blame take a good look to at yourselves. Can't say I haven't warned you folks on NVJA's board over the past year. Already told people to get organized and get proactive with the community service in this area... You get from an area what you put into it. If you take too much this is what happens.

Not only is Conway and Devil's Ditch marked NO VEHICLES BEYOND THIS POINT but all the side trails along Conway River RD also with the exception of two timber harvesting routes and Botton Ridge access road.

A magazine article did not cause these closures, it is people like the group of locals illegally reopening a logging route so that they wouldn't have that far to walk when they go bear hunting.
Ford8n, you know these two local Toyotas? Too bad they ruined it for the rest of the hunters.

http://www.jeeping.org/images/Truck1.JPG
http://www.jeeping.org/images/Truck2.JPG

[bigdaddyyj]

Update:

A meeting has been set with the lead rangers next week to see what can be done. I will update after that meeting, and we can get together on our next step.

Gregg Jackson
Land use coordinator
VA4WDA

[ChrisJ]

Anything ever come from that meeting?

[streetdoc]

Yes, a lot came out with the meeting. The results have been posted all over the place, and, on as many club sites as we could find. Conway River Trail has been closed forever. It hasn't been legal for years as it goes into SNP as a result of some major flooding sever years ago.

Cross reference: Conway River Trail Closed (http://www.beltwayjeepers.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=990)