North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains Log Cabin

There is no greater thrill than riding an ATV on the more than 40 miles of scenic mountain roads at Buck Mountain unless it is riding on the miles of incredible ATV trails scattered throughout the community.

Neither the Buck Mountain Property Owners Association, WOLF DEN Cabin or Henley Properties, LLC maintain the trails, and none assumes any liability whatsoever for injury or damage sustained due to trail riding or related activity. You operate an ATV on Buck Mountain roads and trails at your own risk.

Guests vacationing at WOLF DEN Cabin are allowed to bring up to four ‘type-approved’ ATVs for road and trail riding fun if they consent to follow the rules of the cabin and the community and buy permits from the POA ($10 per ATV).

‘Type-approved’ is best understood by what is not allowed in the Buck Mountain community by the Property Owners Association in their ATV Rules (view the complete rules).

Banned Vehicles:

The following unlicensed vehicles are not permitted to be operated on the roads, trails or the common areas of the POA:

• Two-cycle or racing sport ATVs
• Dirt Bikes
• 3-wheel ATVs

While Buck Mountain is secluded with lots of space and hills separating the cabins, there are many full-time and weekend residents who desire to enjoy as much peace and quiet as possible. Two-cycle ATVs, racing sport ATVs and Dirt Bikes are simply too noisy or too fast to be allowed on Buck Mountain and 3-wheel ATVs are simply too dangerous. Guests attempting to use them will be promptly evicted.

Now, that’s not to say that one cannot have a lot of fun on an ATV here. Almost all cabin owners on Buck Mountain have one or several and use them as primary transportation all over the mountain. Mountain ATV riding is an exhilarating thrill. We own a Polaris Ranger and it has changed our entire experience while staying at the cabin.

Ray Martin, who writes ATV related articles for Ezine@rticles, posted his thoughts on ATV etiquette:

Great Outdoor ATV Fun Should Come With Great Respect For It Too

By Ray Martin

An ATV enthusiast never runs out of places to ride – unless the trails that you’ve been to are in a bad shape because off the “abuse” it’s been put through by other ATV riders, hikers, campers and other users who do not have any sort of respect for the trails that they are in.

Being aware and respecting the environment of the use of the ATV trails or any other outdoor parks that are made available for ATV riding are very important issues. If each ATV rider makes an effort to have some respect for the nature, you can be sure that the “hotspots” for ATV riding will remain in great condition for a long time to come.

In order to keep the riding areas open, it requires a whole lot of great rapport and communication between the public land managers, privately owned land owners as well as riders, campers, hikers and just about anyone who would have access to such areas. In short, common courtesy and consideration of the interests of the other parties are necessary to ensure that everyone will be able to enjoy the area.

Check the areas first
Before you pack your things to the area that you will be riding in, it is recommended that you first learn about the area. Find out from the respective public land manager or the privately owned property owner to see if there are any special rules or regulations and most importantly, get their permission to ride there. It will be of great help to you if you could get maps of the area from them as well. Do remember to stay on the trails if they are provided – do not try to be over adventurous.

Keep the noise down
Try not to create noise pollution while you are riding – ATVs are designed to be relatively quiet and yet is able to deliver maximum performance, smooth engine torque as well as spark suppression. When you create too much noise, not only will it stress out the wildlife (if there are any), it will annoy property owners and other users to the parks or trails too.

Remember your manners
If you happen to meet other users to the same area that you are riding in, be courteous. Do not try to intimidate them with your machine. No one likes a rude and obnoxious rider, so do be polite and give way to others such as hikers on the same trail.

Follow the signs if it’s provided
If you see a sign that says “Stay Out!” while you are riding in certain areas, do what it says – stay out. There are many reasons why such signs are being put up, even though the reasons may not be obvious. Obeying trail markers and closure signs is very important – they are there to ensure that you have fun while you are riding and at the same time, you should not endanger your own life or the lives of the other users at the same area.

Don’t leave your trash behind
When you are through riding in any area, always remember to leave the place the way it was when you first arrived, or better yet, leave the place cleaner than it originally was. Bring your own plastic trash bag to keep all your garbage and do not leave the bag behind. If you are responsible for your own “trash”, you can be sure that you will be more than welcome to ride in the same area again.

It sure helps a great deal when you play your role in caring for the environment of the area that you are riding in. To share your riding experience with other ATV riders, you can do so at the forums at www.jackel.com or www.atvoutdoors.net.

I never thought we’d be able to get my 89 year old mom on the ATV Ranger, but I was wrong. She said she had a good time riding with Constance on the roads at Buck Mountain.

I like and enjoy Ray Martin’s tips and thoughts on ATV fun and safety. Here is another article he penned for Ezine@rticles about ATV safety:

Know Your ATV Safety Tips

By Ray Martin

ATVs are gaining a great popularity among youths, adults as well as children. Hence, the knowledge of ATV safety should be growing as well. While the CPSC is committed to doing its part in promoting the safety issues of an ATV, the consumers, parents, manufacturers, dealers and retailers must also work hand in hand on this issue too. Here are some ATV safety tips for you – in case you have long forgotten about them.

1. Sign up for a hands-on safety training course
A safety training course enables riders to learn how to control their ATVs in typical situations – and in most cases, most ATV drivers who have gone through such courses have a lower injury risks compared to those with no formal or proper training.

2. Wear your protective gears!
Many a time, ATV injuries are head injuries and unless you want to risk “losing your head” while you are enjoying a ride on your ATV, always make sure that you wearing your helmet. Wearing a helmet when you are riding your ATV reduces the severity of head injuries, in the event of an unforeseen accident. However, when buying the helmet, please remember to check if it is certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and/or the Snell Memorial Foundation. On top of that, we also highly recommend that you wear over-the-ankle boots, goggles, gloves, long pants and long sleeved shirts to protect yourself against unnecessary cuts and injuries from rocks, trees as well as other kinds of debris.

3. Two is a crowd on an ATV
Most ATVs are designed for one person (meaning the rider) only and this means that passengers are not allowed. ATVs drivers must be able to shift their weight freely in all directions while they are riding and it is important that the drivers are able to maintain a safe control over their ATVs, especially on varying terrains and having a passenger will make it difficult for drivers to control their ATVs.

4. ATV = off road riding
Tempting as it may be, but one should never ride an ATV on paved roads. The designs of ATVs are not made for paved road riding. Riding an ATV on paved roads could cost you your life if you collide with cars or other vehicles. There have been reports of many fatalities involving ATVs that occur on paved roads. Be smart, ride your ATV on off paved road!

5. Children should not be allowed on adult ATVs
If you want your children to ride on an ATV, get them to ride on the youth ATVs instead of an adult ATV. About one third of ATV related deaths and injuries involving children are those who were driving or riding on an adult ATV. If your child is under 16 years of age, we encourage you to forbid them from riding an adult ATV. Instead, have them ride on something that they will have better control of – the youth ATVs.

6. Never ride ATVs under the influence of alcohol or drugs
It goes without saying that if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you should never get behind any wheels – be it a car or an ATV. Alcohol and drugs messes up your reaction time and judgment – so stay off ATVs if you have consumed either one.

ATVs are not toys, and if you adhere to all the safety measures while you ride on one, you can be sure that you will be able to have fun and arrive safely. It’s all about knowledge and putting them into practice. If you want to put in your 2-cents worth about ATV safety, you can do so at the forum discussion board at www.jackel.com or www.atvoutdoors.net

Gear up and ride safely!

Well said, Ray!

Tags: Walter's Ramblings //