Firstly, I would like to know what happens to the bushwalkers who were walking through a closed-off section of State Conservation Area. As far as I am aware there is a heavy penalty for bushwalking in that section of the mountain.

Secondly, the trail that was found is the only trail in the conservation area on the mountain. It is called ‘Kangaroo Run’ and is clearly marked on popular trail maps and apps, like Trailforks.

The trail head has been clearly visible from Mount Canobolas Road for around the past five years, with many riders frequenting it.

It concerns me that only an illegal bushwalker could find this trail after it was destroyed in the fires. The Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange could have found this previously, as it really isn’t a difficult trail to find.

Thirdly, as far as we know the trail builders responsible for the construction of the trail originally have left Orange.

The trail has been maintained by small groups of riders as needs be – by removing dead fall, fixing erosion and improving drainage – and was in OK condition until the fires, which rendered it un-rideable and unsafe for more work until the area had regenerated.

We have been asking other riders to stay away from this trail since the fires, and so far not many riders have been riding it, as we all respect the area and wish for it to regenerate nicely.

There are no other (bike-only) trails on the mountain that pass through the conservation area. A series of trails run through the adjacent Glenwood State Forest, and one other trail does come off of Kangaroo Run, however it only runs through the native part of Glenwood.

If ECCO had any idea what was going on, they would have located this trail much earlier, and not just by a group of bushwalkers finding it.

We, as mountain bike riders in Orange, respect the beautiful area that is Mount Canobolas and ask riders to stay away from the Kangaroo Run trail and the conservation area.

I hope this clears up the situation from a non-club rider’s perspective.