[nct-l] west MI thoughts

[nct-l@mailman.backcountry.net (Ryan Bowles)]

The AT is only about 20 miles from my house, but I did mean the NCT, with 
the 'few' being tongue-in-cheek.

Ryan

>
>You must mean AT here.  The NCT doesn't go through VA.
>
>
>
>Here in Charlottesville, Virginia (a few miles from the NCT), we are
>building a 20-mile semi-wilderness trail surrounding the city.  The
>cooperation from landowners has been wonderful, and we find that we have
>
>more trail to build than time to build it.  So, what we do is build the
>best
>trail we can with the limited time, with a plan that when we get a
>chance,
>we will go back to perfect the trail.  If some major problem comes up on
>a
>section, we take time out from the trail building to do needed trail
>rebuilding.  This system has worked out extremely well, and we have
>added
>several miles of new trail already this year, while taking care of two
>major
>trail rebuilding needs- one from erosion of the temporary steps to get
>over
>a culvert, the other from the destruction of switchbacks by an ATV.
>
>I think that the WMi chapter (and other chapters) could follow a similar
>
>plan- build the best trail you can now, which would involve two tracks,
>with
>plans to fix the trail in the future.  If you have the manpower to fix
>the
>trail now, do it, but otherwise leave it until the manpower is
>available.
>
>BTW, this is essentially how the AT worked- originally it took the
>fastest,
>easiest route, such as roads and straight-up-straight-down sections.
>The
>rerouting of the trail has now been ongoing for over 50 years.
>
>Ryan
>
>
>
> >My partner and I went for a ramble on the Lowell section of the NCT
>today
> >to make up for the fact that we missed the mass parade on Trails Day.
>As
> >is often the case, as I walked this section I got to thinking about
>trail
> >building strategies.
> >
> >A couple of things came to mind that I thought I would share with this
> >list.  First, I am very proud of my fellow club members, especially
>Paula
> >and Doug Wilbur, for their work on this section.  It is a beautiful
>piece
> >of trail.  We saw wild turkey, a nesting turtle, a profusion of wild
> >flowers (the patches of purple phlox were amazing!), and a nice variety
>of
> >song birds.
> >
> >But we also found a high-impact campfire right on the trail, complete
>with
> >car tire tracks, a soiled t-shirt and nearly a dozen Bud and Bud Light
>beer
> >cans within throwing distance of the fire pit (why is it that slobs
>usually
> >drink Anheuser-Busch products?).  It was a real shame, but something I
> >think can be easily solved by the hiking community.
> >
> >You see, the slobatorium was located on the only small section of the
>NCT
> >in the Lowell State Game Area where the trail follows an old two-track.
>So
> >Julie and I scattered the fire scar, covered its remains with duff, and
> >picked up the beer cans and assorted dreck.  Then we talked about how
>the
> >trail could easily avoid the two-track.
> >
> >Why is it that we in Michigan (and elsewhere?) often chose to follow
> >two-tracks with the NCT, even when on public lands like state game
>areas?
> >Doesn't this just welcome trouble (and slobs) to our trail?  Why would
>we
> >want to be affiliated with all the problems that two-tracks entail
>(illegal
> >dumping, Anheuser-Busch slobs, illicit behavior, paint ball, target
> >practice, deer entrails, snowmobiles, ORVs, etc.--activities prohibited
>in
> >state game areas, but widely practiced)?
> >
> >This is not to mention that two-tracks typically do not make for
> >sustainable trail given their low footpath, compacted soil, and
>drainage
> >problems.
> >
> >Just this past April I joined more than a dozen volunteers with the
>Western
> >Michigan Chapter as we spent a morning barricading sections of our
>trail in
> >the Rogue River State Game Area that follow old two-tracks.  I heard
>from a
> >hiker recently that many of our barricades were already dismantled and
>that
> >the ORVs are freely roaming our footpath.
> >
> >I wonder how much the DNR ascribes these headaches incorrectly to the
> >presence of the trail.  I can see people believing that it is the trail
> >(and not the two-tracks) that attract the slobs.  Yet I rarely see such
> >problems of this magnitude on our sections of trail that are 18-24'
>wide.
> >Perhaps a rogue bike rider, but nary the problems I see on old
>two-tracks.
> >
> >Would it be prudent to spend the effort to get our trail off of these
>old
> >two-tracks?  I know in the Lowell State Game Area it would only be a
>small
> >relo.  In the Rogue it would take significant work (but I suggest it
>would
> >also greatly improve the hiking experience there!).  And I'm sure there
>are
> >opportunities for improvement elsewhere.
> >
> >What do you think?  Is it worth the effort to move the NCT off of the
> >two-tracks?  Would it improve the hiking experience?  What, other than
> >labor, might be the obstacles?  Are there other obtacles of which I am
> >unaware?
> >
> >I'd be interested in your thoughts, as I think these are critical
>issues as
> >our clubs complete the NCT trail building on public lands and move
>towards
> >seeking easements across private lands.  I think those who neighbor
>these
> >public lands will look to them as a model of what trail on private land
> >will be.  And I'm not so sure we've put our best foot forward yet.
> >Thoughts?
> >
> >Siler
> >WMI Chapter
> >
> >ps- Hey Tate, you been to the PA Headquarters lately?
> >
> >
> >
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