8/27 9.5m Burmies

[mike loeser]

Rode for a few hours out at Burms. I have noticed the afternoon thermals going off and thought I'd check things out. First time out there this year. The ground is perfect. Softer than I expected, but not sandy like it was last year. Problem now is access. As I was heading out, I got talked to by someone from Union Pacific. He said I was trespassing. I explained that the area is BLM land as far as I know. His point was that to get to that spot requires you to cross the railroad tracks, which is trespassing. I left it at that. He did say that further west there is access to cross the tracks. Don't know what they would do if you just pulled off the freeway a few miles before the Grantsville exit and rode down. Wouldn't really matter anyway because it is good all along there. Looks like the GSL is lower also and you might be able to ride north of Kenny's ponds. They are doing some work in that area and when it is done and no one is around they might not care anymore. At least that is what I am hoping. We will see next spring.
Mike L.

[Mark Johnson]

I thought of going out there but was wondering about access. I think there is a spot further east that has a dirt road that goes under the tracks. I think I will check this out soon when it cools off a bit.
Thanks for the report.

[btjsfca]

I noticed that they were doing more work around Burmester station, and I thought it was a bad omen. Sure enough, they seem to be ploicing now. I wonder what flew up their asses?

Anyhow, I'vechecked out a bit further west, and the access is bad. Can't get to the lake shore unless you go through the Morton's complex, which I believe is prohibited, but I never really bothered to try.

When I got a talking to out there, it was by a cop, and he was really pretty cool. Gave me a bit of the background on the lake shore and access and whatnot. There is, in fact, a law that says that no private entity can block access to public land unless there are alternative access points. Apparently, the lake shore has been in the courts already (I think this is where the nudists come into the story), and as the cop told me, the extremely lame (but predictable) response of the Utah court system is that you could always hop a dinghy at the marina.

I'm on a BOAT mother f---ers!

Like I said. Lame. But, the cop thought it was pretty dumb, too, I'd say, because he suggested the access to the east. It's an underpass beneath the tracks. I asked if that was alright, and he seemed to think that there was no problem crossing there since you bypass the tracks that way. The access is north of the salt ponds, just before the highway bends a bit to the north. Slow down and get right when you approach the salt ponds and keep an eye out. It's hard to miss. There's an elevated strip of dirt road going out under there. I haven't checked it myself since the wind's been poor, and I've been doing more downhill mountainboarding this year. Gravity always works, I guess.

If the fall season is starting up, I'd be willing. Drop a PM if you want an afternoon session some time.

-Justin