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Re: [AT-L] Re: [AT-L] mountain biking & the trails (& horses)
Tom -
How about if I answer that question indirectly?
Have you ever hiked the South Kaibab/Bright Angel loop of
the Grand Canyon? We did it in April. They run pack stock
there . And they have a crew of 24 FULL TIME trail
maintenance people. That's a lot of people to take care of
trails that "aren't damaged by horses" - although admittedly,
they use mules rather than horses.
I recognize and accept that it's tradition - and I'm not in
favor of banning pack stock - they have their place. But
the attitude that a lot of (although not all) horse people have
is that they have a "right" to "equal access" and that
their horses don't damage the trails any more than the
hikers do. As my niece once put it - Bullfeathers.
I have yet to see one of the "horses don't damage the
trails" people actually get down and walk any of those
trails, so how would they know? But then some people
spend their lives making decisions out of ignorance.
Walk softly and hold your breath around those water holes,
Jim
>Ok, Jim. Let me push that button once more.
>
>How do you feel about pack stock? Imagine the kind of hike you could
>have with 3-4 weeks of supplies! Besides, wouldn't that be more in line
>with the adventurer spirit and history of foot travel? I'd like to meet
>the person who invented the pack.
>
>t.
>
>--
>
>
>Tom Fort
>tfort@teclink.net
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