What is your ratio of hiking to trail maintenance?

[JustaTouron]

Typically for every eight to twelve weekends I spend hiking, I spend one day doing some sort of volunteer trail maintenance. (That doesn't include hiking out other people's trash I see when hiking, that I do almost every time I hike)

I know some people who spend more time doing trail maintenance then hiking. And I know other hikers who do zero trail maintenance.

What do you think is a good ratio? So that everyone shares in the burden and we get to have the trails we love.

How much trail maintenance does a thru-hiker owe the trail?

[coach lou]

WB is not a 'Thru' exclusive site, so this question should be addressed to ALL of us. In '13' I've only spent 22 days on the trail. 1 of those days was spent doing trail work. Clearly not enough, I will get out again....but when?

[JustaTouron]

WB is not a 'Thru' exclusive site, so this question should be addressed to ALL of us. In '13' I've only spent 22 days on the trail. 1 of those days was spent doing trail work. Clearly not enough, I will get out again....but when?

Thanks for your response.

I agree, it is addressed to all and whiteblaze is not thru exclusive.

I thought I had multiple questions in there, but I guess it wasn't clear.

1) what is your hiking to maintenance ratio.
2) what do you think is a good ratio
3) how much does a thru hiker owe the trail

BTW -- I don't think one needs to necessarily do trail maintenance on each trail they hike. If you do trail maintenance on the PCT 'cause you live in CA, but hiked the AT, that balances out.

[Sly]

It would be nice if every thru-hiker got on one of the ATC trail crews for at least a week. That's what I did!

[Slo-go'en]

Hikers that follow behind me rarely find sticks or loose branches in the trail as I flick them to the side with my poles. Keeping sticks off the trail is a never ending job.

They will also rarely find a branch sticking out into the trail which could poke thier eye out. If my face brushes up against something, I stop and get rid of it. I may start to carry a small pair of prunning shears when I hike, it would make minor brushing jobs go quicker.

[Mags]

Try to get in 5 days of trail work a year (a work week basically). Many times, it is local open space projects. Could always do more, though.

[Jack Tarlin]

Also, hikers need to do the right thing when they encounter maintainers working on the Trail. A good friend of mine who has maintained in Tennessee for years told me that many hikers walk right by trail workers without so much as a "Hello!", never mind a "Thank you!" or stopping for a few minutes to talk. And the number who ask the workers if they need help with anything or an extra set of hands for a little while is such a tiny fraction of hikers so as to be non-existent. So please, if you see men and women out digging, building walls or staircases, moving logs or boulders.......if you're in too much of a hurry to offer them a hand, at least offer a smile or a word of thanks. Your trip and your Trail would not exist without them.

[Meriadoc]

Also, hikers need to do the right thing when they encounter maintainers working on the Trail. A good friend of mine who has maintained in Tennessee for years told me that many hikers walk right by trail workers without so much as a "Hello!", never mind a "Thank you!" or stopping for a few minutes to talk. And the number who ask the workers if they need help with anything or an extra set of hands for a little while is such a tiny fraction of hikers so as to be non-existent. So please, if you see men and women out digging, building walls or staircases, moving logs or boulders.......if you're in too much of a hurry to offer them a hand, at least offer a smile or a word of thanks. Your trip and your Trail would not exist without them.

Thank them but don't be too profuse about it! It becomes embarrassing for the ones doing the trail work. At least it does for me.

(1) Current year ~10-15 days hiking and 30 mornings for 10-15 days of maintenance. I've been lucky to have extra time this year.
All time: I'm way behind on maintenance.
(2) A good ratio for me is working at least a few days per year at a minimum. That minimum should be raised if there are any trail issues that need work.
(3) Goodness. That's hard to say. A lifetime of good trail stewardship and outreach with trail work a few times per year, every year.

[coach lou]

Also, hikers need to do the right thing when they encounter maintainers working on the Trail. A good friend of mine who has maintained in Tennessee for years told me that many hikers walk right by trail workers without so much as a "Hello!", never mind a "Thank you!" or stopping for a few minutes to talk. And the number who ask the workers if they need help with anything or an extra set of hands for a little while is such a tiny fraction of hikers so as to be non-existent. So please, if you see men and women out digging, building walls or staircases, moving logs or boulders.......if you're in too much of a hurry to offer them a hand, at least offer a smile or a word of thanks. Your trip and your Trail would not exist without them.

Jack, I must say that that was not my experience at all, back in June. Now I only worked that one day, maybe 5 hours on 3 miles of trail, but every single person that past us thanks us for our work, most of the thrus said they would make some plan to do some work in the future.
I like Slys idea. I would also think that those folks that were silent, were so out of embarassment.
^^^^^^, the weeks work, but the cross road cookout is cool to.

[Monkeywrench]

Also, hikers need to do the right thing when they encounter maintainers working on the Trail. A good friend of mine who has maintained in Tennessee for years told me that many hikers walk right by trail workers without so much as a "Hello!", never mind a "Thank you!" or stopping for a few minutes to talk. And the number who ask the workers if they need help with anything or an extra set of hands for a little while is such a tiny fraction of hikers so as to be non-existent. So please, if you see men and women out digging, building walls or staircases, moving logs or boulders.......if you're in too much of a hurry to offer them a hand, at least offer a smile or a word of thanks. Your trip and your Trail would not exist without them.

I probably spend more weekends doing maintenance than I do "just out hiking." I've been working maintenance in Vermont with the GMC for decades. Most hikers we meet out on the trail are friendly and appreciative. A small minority are complaining jerks ("You need to cut the ferns. They get my socks all wet in the morning!") I can't recall anyone ever offering to help, though I never expected anyone to either; after all, they're out for a hike.

[Sly]

A small minority are complaining jerks ("You need to cut the ferns. They get my socks all wet in the morning!") I can't recall anyone ever offering to help

You need to hand out scythes, "just leave it at the next road crossing, we'll pick it up, thanks."

[Pedaling Fool]

I wonder how you would compute this guy's ratio. I remember seeing him in 2006, kind of curious to see exactly what the ATC did with his data.


BTW, he did get Volunteer of the Month



http://www.appalachiantrail.org/get-...d3d3-234936393

[Dogwood]

I bet this thread doesn't go 10 pages with everyone stating ALL THE TIME they devote back to the trail or hiking!

[The Cleaner]

I bet this thread doesn't go 10 pages with everyone stating ALL THE TIME they devote back to the trail or hiking!

Justa Touron brought up a good point.If all hikers would simply just clean-up after themselves and stick to LNT guidelines this would help a lot.Seems more and more these days some hikers still leave unneeded clothes,gear and trash at shelters.Others abuse facilities with graffiti and someone had burned the wooden trail markers on Max Patch.IMO just a lot of folks with an entitlement problem.( I hiked all the way up here and I can do what I want,screw everyone coming behind me).I'm still finding trash bags left on the bear cables,hikers who leave half empty fuel canisters and food at shelters because it's their last day and someone will use it(too lazy to carry their stuff the final miles of a few days hiking) I made 4 trips packing a chainsaw to cut firewood for hikers hiking in the late spring snows at 2 shelters.Most of them were very thankful but I did meet a few so concerned with trying to hike 20-30 miles just to get to a town or hostel they didn't care who I was. Well I've ranted enough and maybe others can add to this thread with positive ideas....

[Sly]

It would be awesome sitting at a road crossing cooking some burgers with ice cold soda and when a bunch of thru-hikers approached say, "sorry for work crew and trail maintainers only."

[Meriadoc]

It would be awesome sitting at a road crossing cooking some burgers with ice cold soda and when a bunch of thru-hikers approached say, "sorry for work crew and trail maintainers only."

Haha. Especially in Maine. Those work crews do amazing work in an awesomely rugged area.

[JustaTouron]

It would be awesome sitting at a road crossing cooking some burgers with ice cold soda and when a bunch of thru-hikers approached say, "sorry for work crew and trail maintainers only."

Then you would like this.

My brother in law was doing some trail work on the AT a few years back with his local hiking club. A a couple of long distance hikers past thru w/o saying anything.

Then one thru hiker stopped and not only did he thanked them he asked if they wanted some help. They said yes and he spent about an hour helping them finish installing some steps.

While that hiker is helping out, one of his buddies walks by without acknowledging the trailworkers or even his friend, when his friend called out to him.

When they're done, the guy running the work crew told the hiker that if he is in a hurry to get to that nights campsite not to feel obligated, but there is hot dogs and hamburgers waiting for the work crew down at the parking
lot. And he was free to join them.

The hikers said he would love the food, but didn't know if it was right taking food meant for others being he had only been helping for a short while, the crew leaders responded, "nonsense, we don't get hikers who stop and help that often, actually I think you are the first plus Betty never brings just enough, we always have twice as food than we can possible eat "

While they were eating one person mentions to the hiker that they thought his buddy was quite rude, and suggested he say something, to his buddy next time he sees him. The hiker responds by asking a question, "he came by us only about 10 mins before we quit for lunch, had he stopped and helped for those ten mins, would he have been invited to lunch too?" The group leader responded, "yeah, of course, you see how much food we got." The hiker responded as he picked up his fifth hamburger, "oh, then don't worry, next time I see him and tell him about lunch, he is going to seriously regret not stopping to help. Odds is that will be tonight, I'll be sure to tell him all about lunch while he is cooking up his ramon noodles."

[The Cleaner]

It seems that HYOH is all most want to hear.How about HOOH (Help Out Other Hikers).Not everyone can do trail work,but little things like pick up some extra litter,move a few limbs off the trail or leave a little firewood for others on a cold & wet day.This spring's Norovirus outbreak could be even worst next spring if it does appear. Seems like more hikers seem to be more concerned with hiking more miles with less gear.The AT is a great experience, let's try to keep it that way so that other generations can enjoy it too...

[HikerMom58]

It seems that HYOH is all most want to hear.How about HOOH (Help Out Other Hikers).Not everyone can do trail work,but little things like pick up some extra litter,move a few limbs off the trail or leave a little firewood for others on a cold & wet day.This spring's Norovirus outbreak could be even worst next spring if it does appear. Seems like more hikers seem to be more concerned with hiking more miles with less gear.The AT is a great experience, let's try to keep it that way so that other generations can enjoy it too...

Awesome Post!! I agree!!

[windlion]

Awesome Post!! I agree!!

Agreed!

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