I cannot believe what I just read!

From FOF: "How is it that Mike C. 'screens" people going to the springs and what is his reasoning in doing so?"

Duh! He does it when they drive up to his front door! If he detects something askew, he turns them away. What's so hard to understand? If the group looks like a bunch of roudys who may be more trouble than they're worth, he turns them away, the same way as YOU would if a bunch of idiots showed up at YOUR door. Do you know what an 'idiot' is? It's a person or persons who can't seem to behave themselves in public. We know they exist. Why are you pretending they don't?

Also from FOF: "The springs are on public land and everyone has the right to access them."

NO ONE has the right to cross private property without permission. Including YOU. Get it right, FOF. And whatever criteria Mike applies to 'screen' people is entirely up to him. If he thought you were ugly, for example, he COULD turn you away merely on that basis if it suited him. It's HIS property. Do you understand the concept of PRIVATE PROPERTY? Apparently not.

Another thing from FOF: "If he chooses to 'help' stranded, lost or injuried people then good for him but we do not have to thank him...".

Right. You can minimize his efforts. You can be continue to be ungrateful for his efforts. I'll bet that if you ever did break down somewhere near Mike's place, you'd walk home to avoid having to thank Mike for helping. That sure sounds reasonable and mature.

WIZARD:
I don't understand you. You have the opportunity to set the record straight regarding your alleged involvement in making a new trail, but apparently would rather play games. Do you really expect that readers here would take the time to 'research' past posts to find the answer? Your response points to an agenda other than stating the facts. That may not be accurate, but that's the perception you've left with me and perhaps others.

Someone else asks why Mike is "expected" to help people in the first place. Well, obviously he doesn't have to help anyone. But he does. He just happens to be the only one in the area familiar with the area enough to be of help. And he just happens to be the only one who's available to help.

Who are stranded people going to call for help? Obviously, they're going to call Mike. Not Gail. Not FOF. Not Wizard. Not Jobe. Not DCR. Why? Cuz you guys are not there on a consistant basis like Mike is. Mike is EXPECTED to help because he has proved to be the only one who DOES help on a consistant basis.

Mike provides a valuable service but apparently gets nothing but criticism for doing so. And I think I know why.

Wizard and others, it is my impression that each of you have had some run-in with Mike at one time or another and THAT is the reason you have a problem with Mike. When you're wrong, like when you're caught trespassing on private property, you eat the crow that you put on your own plate - you don't blame and defame the guy who caught you.