The dust-up over California's off-road beach

[TexasTowelie]

Dave Congalton always turns right at the beach.

The local radio host, who has lived near Oceano Dunes for 33 years, leads an informal group of hikers and beach walkers. His pack usually heads north, away from the tumult of off-road vehicles that descend on the state park.

One morning a few years ago, Congalton and his group paused at their usual starting place and decided to take a chance: They turned left.

“We lasted 10 minutes,” Congalton said. “We turned around and left. It was noisy and congested and the smell was overwhelming. We called it Bizarro Beach.”

In March, the cacophony at Oceano Dunes was put on mute when twin orders spurred by the coronavirus pandemic and protection of rare nesting shorebirds closed the state park to off-roaders for seven months.

Read more: https://www.hcn.org/articles/recreation-the-dust-up-over-californias-off-road-beach
(High Country News)

[3Hotdogs]

1. Those off-road assholes are also tearing up the Pine Barrens.

The barrens are topped with soft sand and the wheels leave ridges in the sand that are three to four feet high. Their bikes are illegal but freedumb is more important to these knuckle draggers.