I am the president of Run Topanga, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the support of youth, sport and fitness in the Santa Monica Mountains. Each year we stage our major fundraiser, the Jacqueline Hansen Tough Topanga 10K in Topanga State Park. This race has been an annual event since 1978. The race is a family event, which brings together the people of the Santa Monica Mountains communities and, through our outreach program, athletes from the urban areas of Los Angeles. Our race is run entirely on fire roads in Topanga State Park and we have long had a good working relationship with the Parks service.
Over the last 25 years we have seen the enormous growth of mountain biking as a recreational activity. I am not a mountain biker but for the most part the mountain bikers that I encounter when running on the fire roads are courteous, dedicated athletes. Problems definitely occur when bikers use the narrow trails more appropriate for hiking or running and public safety is endangered when bikers use trails designated for equestrian use. Opening all the trails to multi-use would seem to be an ill-advised move. There are many trails (Hondo Canyon, Ray Miller, Pt. Mugu, Will Rogers, Santa Ynez, Temescal to name but a few), which are completely inappropriate for the shared use of mountain biking with other recreational activities.
The mountains belong to all of us and there is a way for us all to share them if we acknowledge and practice a code of conduct for each activity. We must also acknowledge and protect the fragile environment, which we enjoy so much. This may mean sacrifices for us but they are worth it if our natural environment is given time to re-grow and replenish. Education and understanding must be the foundation of any plan that is implemented.
My support goes to the Low Use Alternative Plan with the following wish list. I would like to suggest that the National Park Service consider a plan which incorporates: Widespread public education as to the nature of the environments we as users of the trails system move among; our impact on those environments, whether we be runners, hikers, bird-watchers, equestrians or mountain bikers; a “Code of Conduct” for each group, which is dispersed widely to athletic organizations, bike stores, schools, etc.
Jill Palethorpe Greene
President, Run Topanga
Race Director, Tough Topanga 10K