[nct-l] build it right!

>-- Is marking a route on roads in areas of predominately private ownership
>a legitimate way of extending the trail, even on a temporary (or
>extended-temporary) basis? Should we continue with unconnected
>steppingstones of off-road trail?

Now this is a good question.  At first blush, I would say "no" because I
think this reduces the push to get trail built.  In west Michigan, I've
seen trail building efforts get shrugged off where a marked connector route
exists.  I'd even go one step further and ask should we allow the blazing
of seasonal roads?  I hiked a section of the NCNST today where the trail
has followed two tracks for short sections for a LONG time...and there's no
good reason other than the roads were already there and this was the
easiest way to go when trail building.

Bottom line, I think we need to have very high and uniform standards for
trail building.  Poorly built trail that struggles to get certified does
nobody any favors.  We should strive to get it right the first time.

Just my $.20.


Paul Haan
Michigan Benchmark hiking info
http://my.voyager.net/jacobjans

"The clearest way into the Universe
is through a forest wilderness."
				-John Muir


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