The Five Categories of Blowdowns

[Tipi Walter]

In my years of backpacking I've come up with these five types of blowdowns:
1. Blowdown: Anything that can be stepped over or under without breaking stride or stopping forward movement.
2. Slowdown: This is an obstacle whether log or rock or briar that requires a complete stop of movement to get under or climb over.
3. Throwdown: This is a blowdown or a slowdown that results in blood loss and occurs when a stiff branch jabs the shin or a briar tangle rips the flesh.
4. Reach Around: This occurs rarely but is when the trail is completely tangled and covered in blowdowns so bad that forward progress is impossible and you have to actually turn back. It is not getting lost on a trail, though, it is just that the trail you are on is so bad with brush that the bushwacking is not worth it and so you reach inside yourself and turn around.
5. Snowdown: This occurs only in winter and it is when heavy snow pulls rhododendron and evergreens so low over the trail that it is nearly impossible to continue, possibly causing a reach around.

Can anyone add to this?

[jlb2012]

In my years of backpacking I've come up with these five types of blowdowns:
1. Blowdown: Anything that can be stepped over or under without breaking stride or stopping forward movement.
2. Slowdown: This is an obstacle whether log or rock or briar that requires a complete stop of movement to get under or climb over.
3. Throwdown: This is a blowdown or a slowdown that results in blood loss and occurs when a stiff branch jabs the shin or a briar tangle rips the flesh.
4. Reach Around: This occurs rarely but is when the trail is completely tangled and covered in blowdowns so bad that forward progress is impossible and you have to actually turn back. It is not getting lost on a trail, though, it is just that the trail you are on is so bad with brush that the bushwacking is not worth it and so you reach inside yourself and turn around.
5. Snowdown: This occurs only in winter and it is when heavy snow pulls rhododendron and evergreens so low over the trail that it is nearly impossible to continue, possibly causing a reach around.

Can anyone add to this?

Well I have a somewhat different list from my days cutting blowdown:

1.) "flat on trail" aka new water bar
2.) "step over" - there is air under the blowdown
3.) "high step over" - transition is roughly at knee high
4.) "straddle" - both feet can reach the ground one on each side but barely
5.) "high straddle" - both feet can't reach the ground at the same time
6.) "swing under" - grab blowdown and swing under with your back toward the ground
7.) "duck walk under" - kind of a swing under height but more of a low walk under
8.) "duck under" - a bit higher than a swing under aka walk under or head banger
9.) "swing around" - rare on steep side hills - grab blowdown and swing around the blowdown
10.) "walk around" - creates new trail around the blowdown
11.) "climb over" - PIA plus somewhat dangerous due to risk of falls
12.) "crawl under" - PIA
13.) "sit downer" - usually a big blowdown where the easiest way past it is to sit on it and then move legs to the other side
14.) "flop over" - a big sit downer that is too high to sit on so instead one flops bellly down to get past it

[the goat]

"steal-your-pack-cover-and-make-you-hike-five-miles-back-in-the-rain-after-you've-already-reached-the-shelter-blow-down"

i ran into one of these in the smokies in '01. five years have passed, and i'm still bitter.....

[Tipi Walter]

Well I have a somewhat different list from my days cutting blowdown:

1.) "flat on trail" aka new water bar
2.) "step over" - there is air under the blowdown
3.) "high step over" - transition is roughly at knee high
4.) "straddle" - both feet can reach the ground one on each side but barely
5.) "high straddle" - both feet can't reach the ground at the same time
6.) "swing under" - grab blowdown and swing under with your back toward the ground
7.) "duck walk under" - kind of a swing under height but more of a low walk under
8.) "duck under" - a bit higher than a swing under aka walk under or head banger
9.) "swing around" - rare on steep side hills - grab blowdown and swing around the blowdown
10.) "walk around" - creates new trail around the blowdown
11.) "climb over" - PIA plus somewhat dangerous due to risk of falls
12.) "crawl under" - PIA
13.) "sit downer" - usually a big blowdown where the easiest way past it is to sit on it and then move legs to the other side
14.) "flop over" - a big sit downer that is too high to sit on so instead one flops bellly down to get past it

These categories are great and they flesh out the common blowdown and/or slowdown. I guess some of them could be passed without stopping(like #s 1/2/3/6/9/10)and some would require a break in cadence(#s 4/5/6/7/11/12/13/14). This is subjective of course and open to opinion. All of your categories could result in blood loss which I'm sure you've experienced in clearing trail. Thanks for the input.

[Tipi Walter]

"steal-your-pack-cover-and-make-you-hike-five-miles-back-in-the-rain-after-you've-already-reached-the-shelter-blow-down"

i ran into one of these in the smokies in '01. five years have passed, and i'm still bitter.....

I love it!! This is a type of blowdown that results in simple LOSS! What could it be called? Blowback? A blowdown that took something back?

[irritable_badger]

I love it!! This is a type of blowdown that results in simple LOSS! What could it be called? Blowback? A blowdown that took something back?

Blowback. Sounds somewhat catastrophic. :D

[AbeHikes]

6.) "swing under" - grab blowdown and swing under with your back toward the ground

Does that ever turn into the "attempted to swing under but am now bench pressing it and hoping that hiker a 1/2 mile behind me isn't taking a break"?

[Dances with Mice]

There's a relo-downs.

It starts with a virtual barricade of brush and rocks someone rudely piled directly across the trail, then past that the trail is full of more logs and rocks, really trashed out. After tripping through all those obstacles, you notice someone even painted over all the blazes! Then after a while there's another line of natural trash in the trailway and another barricade just before an intersection with a new-looking Trail with fresh white blazes.

[weary]

Recognize that not all "blowdowns" signify slow response or no response from maintainers. When I had an active AT maintenance assignment I often left "step over" logs in place to discourage ATVs and snowmobiles.

I do the same now as I maintain town land trust trails. I sometimes even drag downed logs into the trail, though that's a bit of fool's game, I've discovered. Anything I can drag, an ATV can drag better.

But I still sometimes make the effort. Nothing upsets an engine addict like having to leave his machine, if only for a moment. You know about road rage. I'm a "trail motor rage troll." If you hear about an unidentified body being found on a midcoast Maine trail, better call my wife to let her know.

Weary

[Skidsteer]

There's a relo-downs.

It starts with a virtual barricade of brush and rocks someone rudely piled directly across the trail, then past that the trail is full of more logs and rocks, really trashed out. After tripping through all those obstacles, you notice someone even painted over all the blazes! Then after a while there's another line of natural trash in the trailway and another barricade just before an intersection with a new-looking Trail with fresh white blazes.

Happened to me shortly before Slaughter Gap a couple years back!:D

[Dances with Mice]

Happened to me shortly before Slaughter Gap a couple years back!:DI fought through the one at Long Creek Falls.