Excerpts from Field Notes on
Illegal Off-Road Vehicle Use
Today I checked FR 73 (commonly known as the Old Stage Road) for all-terrain vehicle and four-wheel-drive incursions off the road into the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The last time I checked this road was September 5 and 6, 2002. Today I did not go farther west than the end of the maintained portion of the road.
This road is commonly believed to be open to ATVs, on the basis of claims that it is a town road and the Readsboro selectmen permit ATV use. Whether or not that is true, incursions into the GMNF from the road show that ATVers do not stay on trails they believe have been designated for them.
The weather report was misleading. It said there had been an inch or so of snow on the higher peaks of the Adirondacks, but only rain elsewhere. However, there was snow on the ground in Manchester and Bennington, and snow covering all of Searsburg, Readsboro, Stamford and Woodford. The predicted high temperature was 45 degrees, but the temperature never rose above freezing. This made spotting ATV tracks more challenging than I had expected.
Nevertheless, it is clear that ATVs, dirt bikes and four-wheel-drive vehicles continue to make extensive use of the large area of the GMNF south of FR 73. I chose to walk FR 73 rather than drive. Though traction seemed good, I was wary of ice sheets covered by a thin coating of snow, which occur too often for comfort in the fall. So I parked at a wide spot in the road about 0.3 miles from the highway. Probably because I walked, and leaves were off the trees, I spotted two ATV trails leading south into the woods that I had not seen last year. However, these might well have been new ATV incursions.
At 0.10 mile from the start of FR 73, Corridor 9 East snowmobile trail leaves the road bearing magnetic north. The trail continues to be used by ATVs.
ATV tracks bear approximately 335 degrees magnetic away from FR 73 on a portion of old road that parallels FR 73. This joins FR 73 at N 42 degrees 49.998, W 73 degrees 00.761 (29 feet limit of GPS accuracy). This years vegetation is crushed, so the ATV tracks indicate use last summer.
At N 42 degrees 50.217, W 73 degrees 01.237 (22 feet) ATV tracks lead south from the road. These tracks either did not exist in 2002, or I did not spot them.
At N 42 degrees 50.270, W 73 degrees 01.721 (18 feet) there is some ATV use of a skid trail bearing approximately 295 degrees, diagonally up a slope on the south side of the road. These tracks also did not exist last year, or I did not spot them.
ATV tracks leave the road on the south side at N 42 degrees 50.284, W 73 degrees 01.843 (27 feet), on a course bearing approximately 115 degrees magnetic. ATV tracks were also evident here in 2002.
At N 42 degrees 50.252, W 73 degrees 02.335 (29 feet), ATV and dirt bike tracks head south toward Mud Pond on what I have called Mud Pond Road. Though covered with about an inch of snow, the sharpness of ruts indicates that the road was used by vehicles this summer or fall. There was extensive ATV and 4WD use of this road in 2002.
Photo Identifications:
506: ATV tracks bear approximately 335 degrees magnetic away from FR 73 on a portion of old road that parallels FR 73. This years vegetation is crushed, indicating that the tracks were used this year. Knapsack provides scale. Location N 42 degrees 49.998, W 73 degrees 00.761 (29 feet limit of accuracy).
507: ATV tracks lead south from FR 73. Location N 42 degrees 50.217, W 73 degrees 01.237 (22 feet).
508: ATV ruts on a skid trail bearing approximately 295 degrees magnetic, diagonally up a slope on the south side of FR 73. Location N 42 degrees 50.270, W 73 degrees 01.721 (18 feet).
509: ATV tracks leave FR 73 on the south side bearing approximately 115 degrees magnetic. Location: N 42 degrees 50.284, W 73 degrees 01.843 (27 feet).
510: Dirt bike rut on Mud Pond Road. Location N 42 degrees 50.252, W 73 degrees 02.335 (29 feet).
511: Mudhole with ATV ruts on Mud Pond Road, south of FR 73.
512: ATV ruts on Mud Pond Road, south of FR 73. Location N 42 degrees 49.962, W 73 degrees 02.358 (21 feet).
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