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Motor Bikes at Vantage


goatboy

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Today, I enjoyed a glorious spring day climbing at Vantage.

 

The only low point of the day was seeing 3 guys on motor bikes doing laps around the valley floor, in what I understand to be a protected wildlife area. Seeing them tear across the desert floor in a cloud of dust and create new trails in the cryto-biotic soil out there was hard to believe.

 

In speaking with some local climbers, apparently this group has been out there every weekend as of late.

 

I tried to look up the land use agency for Frenchman's Coulee to verify the local rules regarding motorized vehicles, but was unable to get definitive info online. If anyone here can speak to the actual land use policy re. motor bikes in the coulee, please do. I am fairly sure that they're verboten.

 

What I did find: WCC LINK

 

I intend to contact the local land use agency and make them aware of the motorized vehicle traffic in the coulee. If you were there today climbing and were unhappy about it -- or if you are simply concerned about it in principle -- please join me in making a simple call to the local land use manager.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Steve

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Any motorized vehicle going off-road is indeed illegal there. Signs used to be posted, and it was obvious just from that. Don't mess around and call the Grant County Sheriff dispatch office directly at 509-762-1160 or 1-888-431-9911 during the weekend so they can get caught while they're out there.

 

The Sheriff is based out of both Moses Lake and Ephrata, and it might take a little time for him to get to you and then deal with the situation. But be persistent, and let the sheriff do the work he's paid to.

 

WA Fish and Wildlife, who is the land manager, I think answers their phone (at least the one listed at the above-linked WCC site) only during weekday business hours.

 

Good luck and get em! Let us know the outcome.

 

Edited to add: WA F&W, as the land manager, will still want to know what's going on out there. The WA Guard used to exercise all over around there, but that was banned years ago. Indeed pictures may well be needed.

Edited by pindude
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I would encourage folks who are planning to go to Vantage to put these numbers in their cell phones:

 

509-762-1160 or 1-888-431-9911 - Grant County Sheriff

 

509 765-6641 - Wildlife Area Manager

 

If you see or hear motorized vehicles in the Coulee, it's illegal. Please report!

 

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We were out there this weekend, and saw bikes both days. Yesterday (sunday) we say three bikes pretty close to the base of sunshine wall. Saturday, they were across the coulee, at what looks like a sand pit (pretty white from a distance.) I was annoyed, but didn't realize that the were prohibited. I'll give a call.

 

 

Speaking of annoyed, I'm sure this has been thought of before, but why aren't their real outhouses out there? Also, when you buy a pass, it expires at the end of march no matter which month you buy it in, even though you have to pay a full year's price. :mad:

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Steve, that sucks to hear. we did not see them last week. hope you guys had a good weekend despite.

are you still planning on smith the last week? we are heading out to bishop on the 22nd--27th. if you wanted the option of a night or two in bend let me know and we could leave you a key for the condo. pm me.

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Um, if I'm not mistaken the valley bottoms are all private land. They were going to build a resort near Frenchman Falls at one point, but I'm not sure if that fell through or not. I could be mistaken though. I've seen bikes and sand rails scooting around there for the 10+ years I've been climbing there. You should be afraid when you hear the machine gun fire at night, or get buzzed by an apache while on Air Guitar :crazy:

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I did call the Land Manager last year about motor bikes. He said that the land on the otherside of Echo Basin is private land. I think that if you saw them on the Sunshine Wall side of the basin they were in Wildlife Refuge land and were operating illegally.

 

I urge you to call him. He'll talk to you.

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thanks for the info.

 

To clarify what I saw, they were in the basin immediately below the Sunshine Wall -- could have maybe hit them with a well thrown frisbee.

 

If anyone else saw this happening, please let the wildlife manager know.

 

Thanks!

 

Dave -- PM on the way!

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We also heard and saw the bikers out beneath sunshine wall this weekend... and discussed the likely illegality among my little climbing party. It was a glorious spring day out there otherwise, apparently less crowded than the weekend before according to friends.

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Hey Brian!

Glad to see you made it to Laguna Beach in one piece.

I've already been to Joshua Tree twice and been out sailing in Newport Harbor in a tee shirt. It would be nice if it didn't get any hotter, but I am afraid it will. Soon it will be time to move climbing up to Taquitz and Suicide.
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