When I was walking around my hood yesterday, I noticed that an ATV had crossed the widely spaced small boulders at the 12th St. trailhead, north of Peoria, cutting donuts into the area behind the brown on white “Phoenix Mountains Preserve / no vehicles” sign. 😠
Today, I went up the same way, following the ATV tracks north up the trail towards the small ridge. Charles M. Christiansen Trail #100 crosses the top of the ridge. At the last parallel trail on the ridge’s south slope, just below the crest, I continued to follow the ATV tracks as they headed east. I lost the tracks where Trail #100 joins the wide old jeep trail between the two small east-west ridges. (See attached GPS file, below, for the location of the damage.) 😤
I’m certain it was ATV tracks as there were parallel tracks, not a single or twisted line like a motorcycle. Also, the ATV tracks were much wider than the many mountain bike tracks in the trail. Mountain bikes are allowed, as are people and horses. ATVs and motorcycles are illegal. 🤚
Later on, I saw a barrel cactus, surrounded by 💩 that had been savaged by javelina. At least it was natural damage, a critter getting a meal, rather than tearing shit up for the antisocial hell of it.
Then, by the backside of the Pointe Tapatio resort’s driving range, I saw many tracks leaving their vehicle yard heading into park land, yes, past another brown on white “Phoenix Mountains Preserve / no vehicles” sign. 😡
GPS File: Trail_Damage
ATV Damage Video
Javelina Damage Video
There was a video here, but YouTube deleted my account: I’m now on Vimeo.
