Editor:

The Coaster mountain bike race has now been running for three years. Before that it was the Rat Race and that ran for eight years. There are many months of prep work that go into organizing a race that now brings over 400 racers and their families to the Coast. Some come for the day and some for the weekend.

As Mount Elphinstone area is a working forest, we have always worked with the logging companies to re-establish trails that have been logged and they have always been very helpful. This year was the first year we had to re-route the cross country course — but not due to logging — because Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) decided to block the loggers three days before the race from cleaning up the trails on the race route.

There was an attempt to explain the consequences of their actions by both the loggers and by the race organizers, but they were not concerned. Consequently we had to re-route the race. I feel that ELF only values their own interest and no one else’s. Support from us will never be there.

Rod Camposano

Roberts Creek