Bicyclists pausing to rest on private property near an Open Space trail last week discovered a startling strip of leather lined with rusty nails and staked to the floor of a deer trail, prompting conversations about “impediment tactics” and respect on county trails. The apparent booby trap was found near the White Hill Open Space Preserve; to reach it, the cyclists would have passed by several “no trespassing” signs, said Open Space’s acting chief park ranger, Craig Solin. (Desi de Lenea, a San Rafael resident and one of two cyclists who found the strip, declined an interview with the Light.) The Marin County Sheriff’s Department said the property owner attested that he was unaware of the existence of the strip, which appeared to be several years old. “Was it nefarious and a really bad idea? Absolutely,” Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Larson said. “But the fact that it has gone this long undetected tells me it was an area that no one uses.” Open Space has asked trail-goers who uncover impediments to contact the Sheriff’s Office. Marin County Bicycle Coalition’s off-road and events director, Tom Boss, said the strip was set close to a site where Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts often camp during the summer. Property owners abutting Open Space, he said, should be diligent about knowing what’s on their land. If maliciously intentioned, the strip would represent an intensification of impediment tactics that Mr. Boss has regularly seen on trails, such as what he calls “uni-logging,” or dragging logs and branches across trails to deter users. Though the coalition informs its members as to which trails are officially open for cycling, old trail maps still being sold mark some unsanctioned trails as bike-friendly, causing confusion. He added that the incident should serve as a wake-up call for all trail-goers to share the county’s Open Space lands. “We all have a right to be out there,” he said. “But that comes with a responsibility to be respectful to each other.”
Bicyclists encounter trap on private-property trail
