# Three Property Owners to Bar Mountain Bikers from Using their Land in Kingdom Trails



## thetrailboss (Dec 16, 2019)

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/darli...Z0s3vgHlwYgYUMU7Ks6IW_Jk1Q06t9eyirwPsO5rcqF7o

I know that there are some folks here who frequent KT.  Sounds like the three owners, on Darling Hill, have had too many bad experiences with bikers in the last few years.  Hopefully this does not become a trend.


----------



## Edd (Dec 16, 2019)

I forwarded this to friends of mine that go there and they are not happy at all. I didn’t realize I was sending such bad news. I’m unfamiliar with KT. 


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


----------



## thetrailboss (Dec 16, 2019)

Edd said:


> I forwarded this to friends of mine that go there and they are not happy at all. I didn’t realize I was sending such bad news. I’m unfamiliar with KT.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone



Sounds like the cumulative impact of a few bad apples.  In this case, with so much traffic, it ends up being a lot of people who are bad apples unfortunately.


----------



## WoodCore (Dec 16, 2019)

Disappointing but not the end of the world. As a member of the board that oversees a large trail MTB network here in Southern NE, I've come accustomed to losing access to trail sections for various reason. Do I like it, hell no but it's just a fact of life. Best not to focus on what was but rather redirect attention in other directions, to what could be.   

In the case of the Kingdom Trails, my humble opinion is that they are reaching a tipping point. The trails are super popular and do generate tremendous economic benefit to area but what if you are that landowner who reaps no economic benefit, has no "skin in the game" and basically donates their land for 25 years to only see their asset (property) overused and overrun for no benefit to them. I'd personally be looking from some payback and this may very well have been done to leverage that payback. Remember the campaign a few years ago to "Save Sidewinder" ? 

Life is not "Rainbows and Unicorns" all the time and sometimes you have face the music. The Kingdom Trails will survive and improve, but negotiations and conversations need to happen to keep all the landowners happy and make sure the economic balance is equalized.


----------



## skiMEbike (Feb 18, 2020)

It's unfortunate as the loss of land access literally splits the trail network in half with no way easy connection between the northern trails and southern trails on Darling Hill.    As WoodCore states it sounds like it reached a tipping point that built up over the years.   I read on another forum that the "final straw" was when the KTA forbid the landowners access on groomed MTB trails.


----------



## thetrailboss (Feb 18, 2020)

skiMEbike said:


> It's unfortunate as the loss of land access literally splits the trail network in half with no way easy connection between the northern trails and southern trails on Darling Hill.    As WoodCore states it sounds like it reached a tipping point that built up over the years.   I read on another forum that the "final straw" was when the KTA forbid the landowners access on groomed MTB trails.



I don't know about that event.  I do know that the major driver was that at least one owner had horses and KTA riders frequently scared the horses or slapped the horses as they biked by.

And FWIW VT Digger reported that KTA has a $1 million bid on one of the properties.


----------



## skiMEbike (Feb 19, 2020)

thetrailboss said:


> I don't know about that event.  I do know that the major driver was that at least one owner had horses and KTA riders frequently scared the horses or slapped the horses as they biked by.
> 
> And FWIW VT Digger reported that KTA has a $1 million bid on one of the properties.



I heard the land that KTA is pursuing is the old home of our dear friend from Jay Peak, Ariel Quiros....I am not sure if it is one of the 3 land owners that decided to ban the bikes on their properties.


----------



## thetrailboss (Feb 19, 2020)

skiMEbike said:


> I heard the land that KTA is pursuing is the old home of our dear friend from Jay Peak, Ariel Quiros....I am not sure if it is one of the 3 land owners that decided to ban the bikes on their properties.



You are correct.  The home and property formerly belonged to the owners of the Wildflower Inn.  For whatever reason, Q bought this house and a few others for the land.  It is now in the control of the receiver.  

https://vtdigger.org/2020/02/10/kin...e-works-to-purchase-240-acre-quiros-property/


----------



## thetrailboss (Feb 20, 2020)

And now some guy is complaining that Kingdom Trails needs an Act 250 permit....

http://www.northstarmonthly.com/fea...v4uj52JDZMGlBjrC0oP1DNa02cdr--ieh9LFyv2sbriXk

Looks like a guy from out of the area who likes to stir up trouble.


----------

