Mountain Biker Stabbed by Hiker After Right of Way Dispute
The parking lot on Y Road where the hikers were interviewed. Photo: Google Maps.
A mountain biker in Bellingham was stabbed after a right of way dispute on the Stewart Mountain Trail in Bellingham.
A post on the Whatcom County Sheriff Office Facebook Page reports that deputies were called to a trailhead car park in the 3500 block of Y Road on the afternoon of March 6 after a report of a stabbing with several parties involved.
A group of hikers had been hiking down the multi-use, bi-directional trail when they encountered a mountain biker going up the trail. It appears that neither party was willing to yield and an argument broke out over who had right of way. The Sheriff's report contains two separate versions of what happened next, one from the 69-year-old hiker named Dake Traphagen and the other from the unnamed 66-year-old mountain biker.
Traphagen was interviewed at the trailhead and claims that the mountain biker attacked him with his bike after the disagreement and they fell to the ground. Traphagen then claims that during the altercation he had pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the mountain biker in self-defense to get him off.
The mountain biker was interviewed a few days later however and he stated that he had been riding uphill when he encountered the group of hikers and requested that they move aside. He indicated that he was trying to negotiate a technical section that had exposed tree roots and was clipped into his bike. A male in the group grabbed his handlebars, causing him to lose balance. He and the bike tumbled onto the hiker and became tangled up as the victim was still clipped into the bike. The hiker began hitting him and everyone was yelling for him to get off of the man. He then noticed that it wasn’t hitting, but that the hiker had a knife and was stabbing him in the arm and the leg.
The mountain biker left the scene after the altercation and 911 was called by the hikers. The mountain biker called an ambulance later that day with stab wounds and loss of blood. He was first transported to the local hospital then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle due to the severity of his injuries. The final extent of his injuries are not currently known.
After two weeks of investigation by the local Police, Mr Traphagen turned himself in to the Sheriff’s Office yesterday and was booked in the Whatcom County Jail for first-degree assault and possession of a dangerous weapon (the knife he used in the incident was a spring blade knife which is not legal to possess in this state).
We wish a quick recovery to the mountain biker involved in this horrific incident. We will update this story as more news comes in.
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If you own a TREK it is a weapon in PORTLAND because locals need something else to RIOT over and burn and destroy their city.
Good example of crying potflanders shown here.
www.theverge.com/2020/6/12/21284263/bicycle-police-brutality-protest-black-lives-matter-trek-fuji
I cannot imagine my parents behaving this way. never.
To be frank 20yr olds should know better too.
"Just stab it out girls, stab it out."
STRAVA or it didn't happen!!!
But I guess you understood what I wanted to say: that behaviour is too stupid and too embarrising to be true.
1. Younger generations now have it much better than people over 60 did when they were growing up. It isn't even close. Better health care, better housing, better entertainment, better cars, better food, and certainly better mountain bikes, at any point in the income distribution.
2. The young are driving up college costs, not the old. If colleges didn't need to compete on amenities like nice dorms and fancy gyms, and could continue to put two roommates in a 6 foot by 12 foot room, with a bathroom down in the basement, things would be a lot cheaper. College costs are high because the young are willing to borrow to spend time at a nice 4-year resort, rather than scrimp and spend 4 years in more meager living conditions. Some of the increase comes from Baumol's cost disease, which is no particular generation's fault.
Yup, willing to borrow more for the cushier experience, just not willing to pay it back.......
And for sure man...plastics, unsustainable energy practices, rampant consumerism.. I suspect we actually share a lot of the same views, but framing your point as "it's the boomers fault" is finger pointing for the sake of claiming victimhood without any proposed solution. It's sort of lazy and unhelpful. *Everyone* is using plastics, that's not an age-specific practice. My 'boomer' grandfather was an electronic repair technician.. he fixed tvs when they went out, among other things. He kept appliances out of the landfill. What happens now when a tv breaks? It goes in the bin, and people buy a new one 99% of the time. So, ya know, the door is open for a bunch more unhelpful 'tHe MiLLeNiALs...' finger pointing there I suppose.
My original comment wasn't to liberate the 'boomers' from any blame, but rather to point out that 'people over 60' is an always evolving demographic. You'll be there one day, and your generation will be the ones in the hot seat for not fixing everything for the 20 years olds who know it all..
Certainly there are wwii, greatest generation people who survive a world world and repaired and fixed everything because that life experience molded them that way. Boomers would be baby boomers right after that who engineered that repair ability and heightened consumerism during their leadership tenure of the 80’s , 90’s to today. So your point makes sense but sort of proves mine. Anyway, we all suck and are by far the worst creatures on the planet. Ticks are heroes by comparison to our planet trashing, environment melting ways
I bet that a lot of people disagree with this analysis and downvoted your reply specifically for that (and not your first point, that life now is better than in the 80's).
Interesting response. I thought that one was more obvious. People in their 60s have kids who are now mostly in their 30s and 40s. A small fraction of people have kids after they turn 42 (which would mean the kid is choosing colleges as the parent turns 60). How could people in their 60s be driving up college costs?
which explains a lot about why I reduced my contact with them. No need to play knifey/bikey with them.
Just try and be nice to each other. Please. It's not hard. And if you can't do that, just take a deep breath and walk away.
www.bicycling.com/news/a20030974/trail-runner-assaults-mountain-biker-in-colorado/#:~:text=A%20trail%20runner%20brutally%20assaulted,hasn't%20yet%20been%20found.
I can see how inexperienced hikers (and lunatics) view the speed at which we travel as being threatening and may view our bike as a "weapon" (much like a car can be a weapon if wielded irresponsibly). The truth is that an out of control mountain biker can certainly do more damage than a hiker who can't stay on their feet (assuming intent or weapons aren't involved).
I'm sure not everyone will agree, but we shouldn't be thinking about who's entitled to right of way, but we should rather be thinking of ourselves as stewards of the trail and ambassadors to the sport. Hikers and bikers coexisting is good for us all.
Unless it’s in your hand open while riding (not recommended) it’s not going to be that useful against a mountain lion pouncing on your back either. And if I had the time to prepare against a mountain lion I’d probably rather grab a long stick and throw some rocks (or better yet bearspray) to keep it at a distance rather than trying to take it on mano-a-mano with one knife when it has a mouth full of them.
We are watching the break down or de-evolution of our society happen before our eyes and I think its all part of much bigger plan. You know why things are the way they are? Because someone wants it that way.
Everyone needs to turn the TV off and get back to being humane humans.
In a way my point was that no, not all knives are great tools, regardless of the user. A spring knife is only "great" for the one thing that it was designed for. I mean, yes, of course I could prep a campfire with one if I really had to, just like I could with no tools at all. But it's by no means ideal and by design it's not even a tool in the first place; it's a weapon.
As I said, I think fundamentally we are in agreement because someone who thinks that's the best thing to have on a leisurely hike is likely the kind of "tool" you're talking about.
In a fight with a black bear or grizzly you’d be better off just using the knife on yourself and calling it a day. Unlikely you’d be able to even penetrate their fur and skin and fat unless you have a two handed broadsword.
To be clear - I carried a small fixed blade knife when I lived in coastal BC area to give me +1 damage versus the +5000 damage of a cougars jaws and claws.
Now that I ride in bear country (black and griz) it’s bear spray in my water bottle cage. If the bear wants to eat me no spray or knife is likely gonna help much.
I was purely talking about the design's daily usefulness. And I admit, from the article, the first thing that came to my mind wasn't a spring-assisted folding knife, but rather an automatic dagger.
Now that you mention it though, I re-read and according to the article, the specific knife used here was indeed illegal in that specific place. And at the end of the day it was used for stabbing instead of sharpening sticks to roast marshmallows. So idk, maybe if it looks like a duck, blah blah blah...
"Hikers" are usually psychotic, territorial boot stompers hell bent on booby trapping the length of the trail.
Someone did it on Kitsuma earlier this week in Pisgah. They moved shoe box size rocks from some place off trail in 3 places and put them dead center in the middle of blind S turns. It wasn't a kid flipping up a rock. It was some dude carrying big ass rocks and dropping them in trail on a fast descent 2 miles in on a mountain no one hikes all the way down the backside of.
There was a really fun drop that some local kids built (and built well might I add) but someone from the fun police rolled some big ass boulder right on the landing. Wasnt even natural to the area looked like a garden decoration someone hauled in. Had to block it off so no one would get hurt. Absolutely ridiculous.
So violent and so entitled.
It backfired only once. We were shuttling a trail & mountain biking was still fairly new. He was super nice, chatted us up about the bikes & then from the exact point we met to the top of the trail, he flipped every rock, stick & log he could drag into the trail.
We never saw him on that next run. We weren't mad. It actually scared us thinking if he'd come back and get more radical.
It's tight rhodo right there and about 50 feet apart were these 2 HUGE rocks just sitting dead center in the path. Real bad spot. People are nuts.
And yes, Kitsuma used to be simplistic, super rooty tech the full length of it. I thin strip of singletrack you had to weave between rhodos. Then the Assault on Mt. Mitchell every year started coming through and doing trail work which was never drainage, just widening the rhodo tunnels.
Then that stupid guy that used work for Forest Service got his first contract with all that government grant money and instead of drying it out, just put a blade to ground, dug ditches and on spines that I've never seen water on, he slammed that trail dozer blade in and ripped it all up.
Then in the last few years, someone else got in there with more dozers and tools and fixed his ditches, but didn't stop there. They widened and smoothed and cut out more roots and rhodos.
Now, after the last work party on Kitsuma, someone built a left hand catch berm on the last spine section through the pine trees so they could rail it at high speed. It wasn't a drainage issue. It's becoming too much of a "track".
Kickers and built berms belong in bike parks, not on shared use scenic spine trails.
"out for a hike" guy says this is fun. hi there.
"hiker" says this isn't a game you pissy little whipper snapper. I'll pummel you with my hand whittled shank.
Just broad generalizations for comedy.
That soumds lika a 100% successful way to anger people and even start arguments or fights.
Hikers will most of the time move aside if I just smile, say Hi, and just shows signs of slowing down and moving aside.
www.mtbbell.com/store/p1/TIMBER_Quick-Release_Model_.html
Any trail user hears me coming from far, and it prevents hunters from thinking l'm a wild pig.
But seriously, be nice. Take a moment to say hi, and try and make a friend, not an enemy.
I'm going with "Bellinghoomers"; friends that live up there can confirm this subgroup.
I say almost always. A fair few hikers just smile and wave me on. I still like to stop and let then get by though -- build up some good will and show them we're not all lunatics trying to hammer a trail at warp speed.
It can be intimidating when those kind of riders blast past, even for other bikers.
I ride all over Hong Kong and I haven seen a bear yet!
Alerts other trail users too, so long as they aren't wearing headphones.
"Mountainbiker" and "hiker" is misleading because this is not the only thing that defines the sad angry involved adult morons.
This could happen on road, in Walmart, in bank... - wherever.
First thing that defines them is being a Moron and it should be used that way....
Huge douche mountain biker runs into an equally huge douche on trail. There's your real headline.
Typically bikers yield for hikers, but that really comes from the more general rule that the more maneuverable user yields to the less maneuverable. That is why downhill traffic yields to uphill traffic of the same kind, and everyone yields to horses.
Now I don't think it's actually true that bikers are more maneuverable than hikers, they're just faster. But since it's pointless and counterproductive to get into a debate every time I meet a hiker I just yield. But since the vast majority of trail users are friendly and courteous, hikers nearly *always* step off the trail when its clearly more convenient for them than it is for me, for which I always thank them.
That's the way it should be. Courtesy and common sense should trump rules, but if there's any uncertainty you should follow the rules cheerfully, even if they don't really make sense.
www.pinkbike.com/news/video-get-your-friends-into-mountain-biking-without-killing-them.html
That, and every gen z high schooler that uses the term 'boomer'
Lotta inbred tribalism floating around these days.
www.traphagenguitars.com
None of us were there so we're not qualified to make excessive value judgements and dox people without all the facts. Don't be a-holes piling on.
Related philosophical question: Is doxing someone ever the thing to do anyway?
Seems to be on the right side of this one to me.
"Dox"? His name was made public by Whatcom County Sherriff Office, not by PB commenters. Anyone can copy and paste that name into Google and find the guy's website and social media accounts, with or without the links posted above.
No one here has "doxed" him. No one has posted any details that are not publicly available.
Maybe his name wouldn't get associated with stabbing people if he didn't stab people?
- @stokedrightnow
"search for and publish private or identifying information about (a particular individual) on the internet, typically with malicious intent."
If you're going to take it upon yourself to further punish someone by possibly irrevocably ruining aspects of their life (whether or not they're guilty of any crime) you're inflicting harm without due process and all the facts. What's publicly available and doxing are two different things. And even leaving a bunch of douchey comments on his so-meds is done so without the whole story.
And I was just asking the question. Do I think stabbing someone while on a hike is a reasonable response to anything except someone else with a knife? Absolutely not. I get @lifeofloon, totally a button pusher as a mountain biker. I'm just saying getting some perspective and all the facts isn't a bad thing to do before putting the nail in the ruination of someone's life.
"If you're going to take it upon yourself to further punish someone by possibly irrevocably ruining aspects of their life"
Projection. Please prove that anyone in this comment section attempted or even suggested anything that would fit this description if you're going to throw around serious accusations like that.
"What's publicly available and doxing are two different things."
That is exactly what I pointed out. No doxing happened in this thread.
"And I was just asking the question."
This is dishonest backtracking and you know it. Your comment did not only consist of a question, but also included strong judgement and an unfounded assumption that doxing had occurred in this thread. Even said question was about doxing. Now that we have established that doxing did not take place, I'm sure you see the question was as irrelevant as it was loaded.
"Judas!"
My intent was to ask people to think before doxing as there's a lot of harm that can come from it, after I interpreted a comment as a question. I'm sorry that didn't come through for you.
You just need 3 rows.
1. Don't be a dick
2. Be nice
3. Remember not to be a dick
Essentially, classic boomers.
Do it like the sand people, walk single file to hide your numbers and so farmer boys on speeders can safely pass.
If people have poor trail etiquette I may say something nicely in hopes of helping them learn but there’s those who just can’t do without confrontation. When a hiker or rider doesn’t yield to a horse I’d hope the horseback rider wouldn’t try to have their horse kick the person as a reminder!
I am a forester/wild land firefighter. I will always have a knife on me in the woods. It is used regularly, as a tool. Again, CIVILITY is the key concept here.
They also tend to repeat themselves, and have zero self awareness.
Lastly...*you're.
One can always go back and do the section of trail again, we are after all not racing but riding the trail, surly we can show how to behave graciously in these situations and build good will from one and all?.
*Serious
*Threats
*Angry
*Boomers
Requesting the right of way is never a good idea , especially if you encounter a hot head.
The best course of action is to yield to everyone , bikers , hikers , horses , children , the elderly ( what ever that is ) and bears , especially bears .
A Timber bell or cow bell is another great option. Most of the time people will already be looking for you and getting out of your way by the time you're anywhere near them, and you can just give them a quick thanks as you pass.
I also like to let them know how many more riders there are in my group coming up behind me or tell them if I'm the last or only one.
I avoid all the local trail systems with multi-use/bi-directional trails. I stick to dirt jumps and bike parks. It means I usually have to drive 1.5 to 2.5 hours away for fun..but it's worth it to me.
www.mountainbikingbc.ca/trail-etiquette/#:~:text=If%20a%20biker%20is%20working,should%20educate%20the%20hiker%20nicely.&text=Bikers%20vs%20Bikers%20%E2%80%93%20uphill%20traffic,on%20a%20two%2Dway%20trail.
Land of the freedumb and liburteee.
Anyone up north want to adopt a 46 year old American who is embarrassed on a daily basis by his country?
"What are you gonna to do? Stab me?"
sites.google.com/site/accusedcriminalhiker/_/rsrc/1279593627380/home/wantedvand.JPG
So violent and so entitled. Haha
E-Bike: " I would have stabbed the rude Cali douchebag too"
~ Fat Tony.
An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.
Robert A. Heinlein
Then we would be taking about a dead biker and someone claiming self defense as an armed gunman approached. But on the upside he could probably get nine more bikers before the cops got to him.
Is that the response you are trolling for?
So somehow during this track-stand/argument one of the hikers has decided to stand directly beside the mountain biker for no apparent reason. He still didn’t give up on the track stand though. Then when he finally loses his balance, this rider who is skilled enough to track stand for 30 seconds on a technical trail while having an intense argument and so serious about his craft that he cannot bear to pause it for 15 seconds CANNOT UNCLIP?!?!? And he’s writing around on the ground trapped to his bike for an extended period of time? Something’s not adding up. Unclipping is an automatic reflex for anyone at this point on the skill curve.
And of course there’s the whole not going to the police after being stabbed thing. Kinda seems like a step you wouldn’t forget if you were just an innocent victim.
But Jesus Christ. There were at least four people in the hiking group based on the story. They can’t handle the idiot attacking someone with a bike without resorting to deadly force? And who carries an illegal switchblade as a hiking knife?
All around idiocy, but at least there’s a chance the hikers are telling the truth. The mountain biker on the other hand is definitely hoping none of the cops check his story with any cyclists.
I'm betting biker turned into a rage monster, though likely did not require the use of potentially deadly force to "stop the aggression".
And man, biker was legally in the wrong regardless. Yea, it's nice when hikers or even other bikers have a clue and let the grunting climber have the right of way. But I never feel entitled to it and if someone doesn't yield I'd be a maniac to get offended.
Lol
f*cking stabbing due to a crossing in a trail?
I would gladlly blow the head off of anyone who shows a knife with intend to stab me. Would thank him and then execute him
As opposed to say , a Murdering Millennial ?