Way back in June of 2003, the Rubicon was alleged to have been the subject of a GPS survey. Allegedly, the purpose of that survey was to align the present trail Right-of-Way with the actual historic county road. Well guess what, boys & girls, here it is 5 years later and the results of that survey are still a closely guarded secret.
In and of itself, the secrecy surrounding the survey results would be relatively inconsequential. However, given the recent USFS imposition of the 25 foot rule, the results of that survey become an important tool for us users of the trail . . . Especially since the USFS is now issuing citations for violations of the rule. The burning question now becomes - "Exactly where is the trail?"
Apparently, citations have been issued based on the issuing official's judgment or opinion. This is not good enough. If I am to be issued a citation for being "out of bounds" then someone better legally define "out of bounds" in real numbers. Further, the maps I have seen are of absolutely no help to users trying to find the centerline of the trail. As an example, one map I saw was drawn to a scale of 1:96,000. At that scale, the total 50 foot easement would show as a line that is only a little over 6 thousandths of an inch wide. That's less than the thickness of 2 sheets of typing paper. There are other issues involved with the secret survey but they open another can of worms that cannot be resolved until it (the survey) is placed in the public domain.
The bottom line is that enforcement officials have been given carte blanche to issue revenue generating citations with zero regard to the legal definition of the Wentworth Springs-McKinney Road. We, the users, are at their mercy and are generally left without recourse. This, ladies and gentlemen, will end up biting us on the butt.
SO, EXACTLY WHERE IS THE TRAIL?