Fw: [at-l] links to my recent NH and PA pics

[spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Weary wrote:
>I can only report on what we in Maine do. And what Myron Avery and the 
>folks he
>recruited to build the trail in the 30s did. The trail never would have 
>gotten
>built had they stopped to dig away the organic matter.
>
>When Maine relocated 170 miles of the trail during the decade of the 80s. 
>We were a little more modern. We cleared trees and brush to a four-foot 
>width. But very little, if any of the organic layer was removed.

Well, since organic matter doesn't compact well, then it's no wonder the 
Maine trail might be having "erosion" problems in the steep places.  What 
Avery did was a "quick and dirty " solution to an immediate problem.  What's 
done long-term should be better - not "the same just because Avery did it 
that way."

For your edification -
   - Remove leaf litter, duff and humus down to the mineral soil.  (From the 
USFS Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook)

   - Duffing is teh preparation of the trail tread for foot traffic, and 
involves scraping away any organic materials like leaves, needles, roots and 
bark; decomposing vegetation; and any organic soil.  (From: The AMC Complete 
Guide to Trail Building and Maintenance)

   - Remember that you cannot build the treadway on a foundation of organic 
soil or humus.  You want a substrate of mineral soil, preferably an adequate 
mix of gravel, sand and silt.  (From: the ATC Appalachian Trail Design, 
Construction and Maintenance)

I have more quotes if you really want them.

>As for Jim's contention that "it doesn't matter what boots you wear on the
>trail. You'll do exactly the same kind of damage." Read carefully.  He is
>technically right. The same "kind of" damage results. It's just that some 
>boots
>produce more of that "kind of damage."

No - on dry soil, it makes no difference at all. The damage is not done by 
the boot itself, but by the weight of the hiker and the action between the 
foot and the soil.  Lug sole boots are no worse than sandals or soft-soled 
work boots or smooth-soled boots.  What does make a difference is if you're 
stream walking - for example, walking on a trail that's ankle deep in 
running water as Walt Daniels suggested.  In that case, every disturbance, 
whether boot, Leki or rubber crutch tip (or bare foot) causes some soil 
loss.  But the hiking poles (of any sort)  cause a lot less than would be 
caused by a single slip of a foot.

The solution to all this is obvious - stay off the trails (and out of the 
woods).   But that still wouldn't stop erosion, would it?

Some solutions are acceptable - some aren't.

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