But, he said, there need to be areas for off-road riding, especially for individuals who ride because they want to spend time in the mountains rather than to speed around a track. The motocross facility needs to be expanded as well. Furomoto estimated that 600 riders own dirt bikes on Maui, but says the track can accommodate only 60 a day. He said that Maui needs a motocross park like the one that serves riders on Oahu, with both a track and a network of trails in the Kahuku hills. Building a facility for mountain and cross-country riders would help curb trespassing.
Hikers are another group locked out of mountains and looking for alternatives to trespassing.
Longtime kamaaina outdoorswoman Mary Evanson recalled hiking Maui as a girl, a time when gates were left unlocked, and it was common courtesy to close them behind you when walking through. It's just too bad we don't have more trails. But while some hikers choose to climb over gates or through fences, Evanson says there are legal ways to access many mountain places on private lands, especially when landowners are willing to cooperate with recognized hiking groups such as Mauna Ala and the Sierra Club. Landowners such as East Maui Irrigation and Haleakala Ranch will authorize group hikes scheduled by those organizations because the company knows that participants have signed waivers and that the group will be led by a capable guide. On Maui you have to plan ahead.