COMMISSION

Sheriff’s Office OHV team began a two-year investigation to determine if the complaints of
OHV trespass were legitimate.
The investigation comprised of several components:
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trail patrol and investigation of physical evidence of OHV use on the trail;
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coordinated patrols and discussions with the USFS, BLM, and the OHMVR Division
law enforcement staff;
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stakeholder interviews and interviews of PCT hikers;
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research of historical records within the Kern County Sheriff’s Office; and
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a written survey posted along the PCT.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office OHV team began extensive patrol of the PCT in May
2014. During this time, the OHV team contacted and interviewed over 40 hikers on the
PCT. Only one hiker said they had seen a motorcycle on the trail and that occurred over
100 miles south of Kern County. From October 2014 to January 2015, the Kern County
Sheriff’s Office conducted joint patrols with partner agencies during the traditional OHV
riding season. Patrols consisted of a ground team and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office
Air Support Unit. In addition, the investigation team placed hidden trail cameras and GPS
trackable bait items in areas where the most frequent reports of OHV trespass occurred.
Kern County Sheriff’s Office deputies found some evidence of motorcycle use on a onemile
stretch of the PCT. According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Pacific Crest Trail
OHV Trespass Investigation and Hiker Survey Report:
The tracks appeared to originate from several motorized trails that intersect with
the PCT and where no trail markers exist. In most cases, the tracks could be seen
abruptly leaving the trail after passing markers identifying it as the PCT, suggesting
the operators of the motorcycles were unaware they were on the PCT when they
entered it (Kern County Sheriff’s Office 2016, 2).
On one occasion during the ground investigation, Kern County Sheriff’s Office deputies
encountered two motorcycles on the PCT. Deputies detained the motorcyclists and
investigated the incident. Trespass was determined to be unintentional due to inadequate
trail signage in the area where the motorcyclists entered the trail. Another incident report
filed in January 2015 indicated that two motorcyclists were trespassing on the PCT. During
the investigation, riders provided a date and time stamped GPS route that showed they
were not on the PCT.
The survey component of the investigation consisted of two secured survey boxes placed
on posts along the PCT in Kern County. Respondents were asked to include their name and
address, rate their hiking experience while in Kern County, and whether they encountered
2017 Program Report 167