A Memorial Day ride in southwest Montana turned ugly after a single strand of barbed wire was reportedly stretched across a trail in the Pipestone Recreation Area east of Butte. The Bureau of Land Management is investigating the incident, which reportedly involved a child on a dirt bike. No serious injury has been reported.
Still, the incident is exactly the kind of trail hazard that can turn dangerous fast.
What Happened
Kale Hellwinkel said his 11-year-old daughter was riding dirt bikes with friends on Memorial Day when the group came across the wire.
Hellwinkel said the boy riding ahead of his daughter hit the wire first. He said the rider was moving slowly and wasn’t injured.
The wire was reportedly stretched tight across a trail near the Four Corners campground off Delmoe Lake Road. Hellwinkel said it was roughly 4 feet off the ground.
That height makes the report so much more alarming.
“For those that don’t understand what this is, livestock is contained typically by 3 or 4 wires with driven post. A single wire across a well traveled singletrack trail has a very different purpose. If you see one of these, cut immediately, if not able to cut, mark [with branches], gloves, whatever, and tell someone immediately to take care of it. These are LETHAL,” Hellwinkel wrote in a Facebook post.
BLM Says the Incident Is Under Investigation
The BLM said the incident remained under investigation as of May 26. “If a wire had been pulled across a trail where it shouldn’t be, it could be a very dangerous situation for a rider,” Lindsey Babcock with the BLM Butte Office said.
BLM has not announced a suspect, motive, or enforcement action. Hellwinkel said there are sometimes conflicts between motorized and nonmotorized users in the area, and he’s concerned the incident could be connected to that tension. For now, the agency is asking anyone with information to contact BLM law enforcement.
Pipestone Gets Heavy Use
Pipestone isn’t some forgotten two-track with light use. The Pipestone Off-Highway Vehicle Area is a 30,000-acre travel management area about 15 miles east of Butte and north of I-90. It’s popular with motorcycle and ATV riders, and mountain bikers also use the trails. The area includes about 75 miles of developed riding trails.
In other words, this is exactly the kind of place where a hidden wire across a trail could seriously hurt someone.
What Riders Should Do Now
Anyone riding Pipestone or similar trail systems should keep their head up and report suspicious hazards immediately. If there’s an emergency, call 911 or the local sheriff’s office. The BLM also lists its law enforcement dispatch number as 800-637-9152 for reporting natural resource crimes on public lands.
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