$1000 tickets

bustingbladder · Since 12 Jul 2006 387 Posts Seattle Obsessed

Melo, your integrity and sanity is quite stable and in place. For, I too personally witnessed two people getting ticketed at Lyle on Sunday. Although they didnt look like kiters ( more touristy look I thought) they were all prune faced out while he was writing the info on his ticket book. So, even though the thread might be saturated with the stench of urine, Laughing

it is true that they were ticketing on Sunday. The cops i.e.( Staters in a white unmarked SUV ) parked right there by the opening where the saftey access road was and then warned people that were just wandering down there like sheep after the rest of the herd. Absolutely unknowing that they were about to get slammed. After breaking out my climbing gear with full cam set up, I managed to scale my way under the train bridge and gain access to yet another stellar Lyle sess'. Rolling Eyes

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

windobsessed · Since 07 Aug 2008 120 Posts Vancouver Stoked

I was there on Saturday most of the day, this is what I heard/saw happen. The railroad cops came down twice to the sand spit and talked to kiters. They asked if you crossed the railroad tracks. If you said yes then they gave you a warning, if you said you came under the bridge they left you alone. I did not see or hear anyone getting a ticket? (not saying it did not happen) One of the guys asked the officer if it was ok to park at the top of the trail and he said he didn’t care about that he only cares about people crossing the tracks. I still don’t think it is a good idea to park there because it attracts attention! When asked what it would take to make it legal he said a cement crossing. When asked about a light he said just a cement crossing and a sign. Maybe we should just go to Home Depot and get some cement Wink

The kiters were pretty discrete crossing the tracks making sure no one saw them but I did see several fisherman walking along the tracks and then a couple set up some lawn chairs at that perch right next to the tracks and watched the kiteboarding. I left around 5:30, I think, so maybe they came back a third time and handed out tickets?

forrest · Wed May 27, 09 4:58 pm

Hmm, what is a cement crossing?

Maybe someone with some skillz can make a little draw bridge under the RR bridge?

pdxmonkeyboy · Wed May 27, 09 5:10 pm

Sounds like we can just pour a punch of cement over the track, stick a sign in there and call it good. Well shit man, that's easy!!

Thumb's Up

I'm telling you, dredge up 100k and we can design a bridge over the tracks for you. A bridge that leads to a beach that the owners don't mange for beach access...LMFAO.

I'm not so sure traveling under the tracks is the best idea either. Seems like by air or by water is going to be the way to do it.

groundclown · Since 12 May 2007 135 Posts Hood River Stoked

I just got a 3hp outboard yesterday. Anyone got a lil' dingy to put it on, or sell me. I'll dedicate it to kite running. I should be back in Lyle on Sunday, and you can be damn sure, that if it's blowing, I'll be out there. Legally of course.

I thought some local hill-billy would bomb the tracks by now. Wha' ya mean, I cain't git drunk 'n fsh on the tracks. I'm sure they would be charged as a terrorist though. The railroad is the criminal here. Sad, we are too stupid to cross a set of tracks safely. gotta protect us from ourselves. They should take those fines and build a crossing. (no offense to you other hill-billies out there)

Launch by the dirt bike tracks and kite upwind. That’s what I do. Probably breaking some other law!?
Jonathon

BTW-
Anyone need a room mate? Lyle, Bingen....

Jonathon

wylieflyote · Wed May 27, 09 6:44 pm

Someone mentioned how CGWA made the RR crossing a reality at Doug's? Well Doug's is also a Wa. St Park, which is a bit different than the Lyle situation.
When this came up as threatened last year we here in the Puget Sound area had many discussions and one concept was to bring along a cheap Sevlor inflatable kayak like we do at Jetty Island and just row across. Looks like legal county roads to the river?:

hip in white salmon · Since 11 Jul 2007 149 Posts Stoked

How about that bridge that goes under the tracks just to the east? Right now it looks kinda hairy.

Anyone interested in helping design some sort of support we can walk on under that bridge?... I can weld it up if we can put together something workable. The native americans seem to engineer some pretty wild looking supports to net salmon, maybe we can build something that will solve the problem? Anybody interested PM me.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

thats so awesome - how about a zip line - or tight rope with a cheater to keep you honest - always wanted to figure out the slack line - My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools...

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Scribble · Since 18 Nov 2005 636 Posts NoPo Addicted

If you used that boat ramp how hard would it be to paddle back up there?

Andy

jackZ · Since 13 Apr 2008 355 Posts Devon Alberta ca. Obsessed

Wow ,
Thats a pretty steep fine for being stupid , or is it ?
I started my life in europe and learned at an early age not to mess with the trains . The rail police are not very nice but for good reason . Trains are dangerous .
My uncle when he was about five ( he's not the only one ) thought it was cool to put little stones on the freight track and when the train went over them you had this colorful powder left . One of the many things besides pennies that can be flattened , cool eh ? Well once he did this and got his foot caught under a trestle and the train could not stop , due to the massive amount of weight and momentum . So the only thing he could do was lay back and hope for the best . He did not get killed but from just below the knee no more leg .
many dogs try to run the tracks and get killed some people too thinking that they can beat the train .
Do you think that the engineer wants to have it on his conscience that he flattened someone to death . Can you imagine having to clean the remains and what it must be like as a family viewing the remains at a funeral .
If you could paint that picture in your mind you will never mess with train tracks again . Unless proper crossings are available you can never be too careful . Think about our sport , sometimes just one forgetful moment or slight mistake can be very painful or much worse in the blink of an eye .
Thats why the fine is so expensive , to try to deter anyone from being in a very bad situation .
Please be dam careful and for sure don't make a train try to stop , they just cant that easily . It's easier to wait from a proper distance .
Just my two cents of experience .
I read this forum a lot and want to continue to hear from all of you , it would be sad for me hearing something worse than a fine happened with a dam train .
You guys are smarter than that .

Scribble · Since 18 Nov 2005 636 Posts NoPo Addicted

I don't know man. I feel like I can look both directions and if there's not train anywhere to be seen, I can walk over the tracks without dying. Maybe some people cannot do that, but I can. I'll sign a waiver, just gimme that shit to sign. I agree, the train is not to be messed with, but I'm just saying I can walk over it without dying.

Cars kill people too, every day. I honestly feel safer walking across that train track than driving around Portland.

Tommy · Thu May 28, 09 11:05 am

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu May 28, 09 11:27 am **Re: under the bridge?**

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Scribble · Since 18 Nov 2005 636 Posts NoPo Addicted

Well I guess there could be a silver lining to this whole thing after all. Fewer kooks.