View Full Version : What type of trail do you prefer?
Do you like a well groomed, wide trail? How about a narrow path, sometimes trees brush against you? A trail that has up to the minute maintenance, or something a little more untamed?
What about blazing... do you want to be able to see the next blaze while walking past one? Or do you prefer to go several hundred yards without a sign?
No poll attached, but would appreciate your input.
Well, I'm afraid it depends on my mood. Today I went to a local state park and wandered around a Rat's Nest of unmarked and poorly marked trails, and trails whose location on the map had no relationship with the actual, physical footpath. There were a lot of snowmobile trails whose signage had been removed for the summer. But I had my GPS and I had a grand time figuring things out.
But if I was hiking a long trail, and was running late or something, I'd be annoyed if the trail wasn't well marked.
Generally, I'd have to say that I don't mind trail finding if I'm not in a hurry, and in fact enjoy it. Best part of today was cutting cross country for a half mile and hitting a stream EXACTLY where I wanted to be.
I don't like it when there is a turn, and there are no balzes within a few yards on the new section of trail, but if there is one thing I do not like about poor trail maintenance, it is blowdowns. Perhaps when my mother was carrying me she was frightened by a blowdown, or got caught in one or something, because blowdowns annoy me way beyond the sin they commit by blocking the trail.
What was the question again?
SGT Rock
04-21-2008, 21:32
Man, that is like asking what food I like. I like 'em all based on mood. So sometimes I like a nice, well graded, cleared trail. Other times I like a primitive trail that ain't over groomed.
Blazing - well I don't need it on every other tree, but I have been places I would like to see a couple more on.
Funny you should ask that. I like to play with map and compass pretty well, but when I'm in some sort of park that has well-defined trails, but they aren't labeled, it's pretty frustrating.
This past weekend, David and I and a friend put together what I thought would be a loop in Grayson Highland SP and beyond. I was using the National Geographic map, which has a very much enlarged inset with the area we would be hiking in. Except that the nicely-defined lines of the map didn't seem to correspond well with some of the trail intersections we came to, and the colored blazes on the trees weren't described on the map (the map said nothing about lilac blazes, for instance)...and after a couple of hours of walking we emerged a few hundred feet from where we had been earlier...so we ended up just laughing and making a new plan.
Wherever the hell we were, it was gorgeous. I'm just glad we had lots of daylight and plenty of strength and energy left after our navigational misadventure.
The older I get, the more I like flat trails. Gaaarrrgh! I hate going up! I can deal with almost anything, as long as I know there'll be a nice long flat patch where I can catch my breath.
fiddlehead
04-21-2008, 22:38
If i'm in Colorado, Montana, AZ, i like no trail at all. Just me and the mtns and maybe even find somewhere where no whiteman has been yet and find some cool petroglyphs.
If i'm on the AT in PA, MD, NJ, etc. I don't mind bushwhacking but don't really care if the trail is narrow or wide. (wide if there's a lot of people on it who might want to pass me or vice versa)
If i'm in Maine, NH, the Smokies or somewhere where the brush is just too dense to bushwhack, i'll take any trail that someone has built rather than scrambling over and thru dense rotted brush.
Blazes? I'll follow em if i come to a junction but really don't see the need every 60' or so.
I like a variety.
If you never have super-groomed trails with lots of blazing, how do you appreciate the less walked sections that are narrow and poorly marked for their unkempt charm (at the risk of sounding a little fruity). And vise versa.
Generally I like to spend most of my time on narrow trails thrown onto the edge of a mountain. Something like 80-100% grade on the uphill side (probably a rock face) and a similar grade on the other. You get a great view, you feel like you're actually alone because you can't get to where you are except for the trail and if the trail turns you can't quite see the next part.
So basically I'm talking about much of SNP.
Hikerhead
04-21-2008, 23:03
Walk the Allegheny Trail on Peters Mtn and then get on the AT. Two totally different kinds of trails. Which one do I like best? The Allegheny is wild, not much maintainance, stepping over trees constantly. Sure makes it nice when you get on the AT. I like them both. They are what they are. One heavily used, one not.
whitefoot_hp
04-21-2008, 23:27
the best trail is the one you make...
Paul Bunyan
04-21-2008, 23:34
Hmm, well i like groomed, especially in wet weather. Wet grass on legs, uggh. I agree with Bredler, though. My favourite trail is above ridgeline. Gorgeous views. I also agree with the above about flat trails. I love those, that you can make an easy 2.5 mph. An occasional mountain is ok, but not one after another after another. Get's really irritating. If i'm climbing a mountain, i want a valley view, not a view of another mountain i have to climb.
Tennessee Viking
04-21-2008, 23:41
Nice hillside or ridge top with as little rock as possible with a comfortably slow grade. Don't like playing hop scotch across a creek. Or crawlling up a mountain.
I like as little blazing as possible as long as the trail is real noticeable.
If its a long trail. Definite want some maintaining. But if its a short, I dont mind a few scaleable blowdowns or rock scrambles. Some of the creekside and ridge top trails in the Cherokee Forest are challenge because they go for about 3-4 years before the next maintenance cycle..
Jim Adams
04-21-2008, 23:53
either open pine forest with a relatively flat, narrow trail around ponds or above treeline.
geek
4eyedbuzzard
04-22-2008, 02:16
One where the guidebook says, "Begin slight downgrade for next 2175 miles":)
I prefer my trails outdoors, Thank You.
I prefer to be off the beaten path but don't mind using a beaten path to get to the off the beaten path path. Narrow and untamed, Thanks for asking. :)
Frolicking Dinosaurs
04-22-2008, 06:40
I'm with Rock on this - a variety of trail surfaces and grading is what makes hiking so wonderful. If all trails were flat there would be no views. If all trails were heavily wooded there would be no balds or marvelous patches of wildflowers. If all trails were steep, there would be no ponds and no place for tenters to lay their heads. If all trails were blazed every 50 feet we would lose the sense of wilderness that can be found on parts of the BMT.
Cuffs, if you are asking this to make decisions about the blazing and maintenance on the Alabama Pinhoti - my opinion is to blaze it and maintain it just enough for the average user to be able to safely navigate.
I prefer the Happy Trail:rolleyes:
I have to say I like a trail with a mystical feel to it. I am not sure if primitive nor primaeval describes it to me best. When I hike I am definitely living in the present, but always with the presence of ghosts from the past. Friendly ghosts, uneasy haunting ghosts, mostly ambivalent ghosts I think. Ghosts from the hike I did last week or last summer; ghosts from the depression years, the pioneer days; ghosts from the first centuries of european contact; the ebb and flow of tribes and peoples; the lost souls of time; the glaciers.
88BlueGT
04-22-2008, 11:34
It really depends on how I am feeling for that day. I can say one thing though, I prefer trails with no ROCKS. I have never really hiked outside NJ/PA and all there are, are rocks rocks rocks rocks rocks. I couldn't image what a dirt trail feels like, it would almost be like heaven? :)
Gray Blazer
04-22-2008, 11:36
I like a trail that gets me away from civilization or leads to a beautiful landscape/landmark, etc..
envirodiver
04-22-2008, 11:46
I also like a variety of trails. I find that in areas where there are a lot of blazes that I get complacent and used to the blazes being there. That's where I make mistakes and get off trail.
I like hiking in wilderness areas where there are fewer trail directions and you have to stop, use your map, compass, brain a little and figure out where you are and where to go. Can't hike as many miles in a day, but that's part of the fun. Usually fewer people in those places also.
I like trails that run along creeks and streams, the sound of rushing water, the sight of the water running over and around the rocks is nice. I also, like the opportunity to have a view or overlook in places.
I just don't care as much for the roadwalks, that are part of trails. However, I do understand that they are a neccessary evil.
I prefer the Happy Trail:rolleyes:Well, then:
Happy Trails to you (Until we meet again)
Happy trails to you (Keep smiling on till then)
I forget the rest but can still see Roy and Dale signing this at the end of their show.
CBSSTony
05-22-2008, 17:12
Hint of a trail, blazes I don't need no stinking blazes. They do come in handy sometimes though.
I've decided the AT is OK as it stands. There are times when it's too hard, times when it's too easy, and times when it's just right. But mostly, taken as a whole, it has a lot of variety, and that's a good thing. I wouldn't change much. A couple more blazes at critical junctions, maybe.
sasquatch2014
05-22-2008, 22:24
Blazed at junctions otherwise spread them out. I don't mind the rock as long as they are stable I hate the small ones on down hills that act like ball bearings these just need cleared out. Other than these things mix it up to keep it fresh.
The thing I like about hiking different trails is that I never know what to expect. I like that. I enjoy all terrain, whether it is up, down, rocks, roots, flat, or whatever. I simply enjoy the thrill of not knowing what is ahead. Now that doesn't mean I won't cuss it out when I attempt it.:D The AT is the best, IMO, for the surprise.
i like making my own trail if its nice weather but if its rainin gi would prefer a trail of some sort
Plodderman
07-29-2008, 13:27
I like the variety of the AT. I do not need White blazes every time I turn around but they are nice to have. I mostly like narrower trails that offer views to see as I walk and not real crazy about some of the more rockier trails but all in all the AT offers a wide variety of types pf trail.
canoehead
07-29-2008, 13:31
I like the ones I don't need to work on
Pedaling Fool
07-29-2008, 13:38
Mountainous.
berninbush
07-29-2008, 14:01
Variety is nice.
But this question reminded me of a day on the Lone Star Trail where I was hiking the little-used west end in the heat of summer. There were places where there was no treadway due to overgrowth, and the blazes were the only thing telling me which way to walk next. Then there were a couple of places were I couldn't see the next blaze, either. Very disorienting. I don't especially like having to play guessing games, to stop and look around to try to figure out which direction to walk/ bushwhack.
And I don't like the trail to be so overgrown that my legs get raked with briars and end up bleeding (or torn pants, if I'm wearing long pants).
But I don't need a five foot wide flat trail with landscape bark, either. (Though those can be nice in their place.) Something in between, perhaps?
minnesotasmith
07-29-2008, 14:44
-Where I can look at the scenery and wildlife more than I look at my feet. (I already know what the latter look like; I don't have to leave home for that experience.)
-Where the blazes are more paint than bark, and I don't have to use long-term memory if I wonder what one looks like.
-Where the trail maintenance is undertaken with the understanding that the less often the brush is cut, the further back it needs to be cut back when it is cut.
-Where I don't have to guess if I'm on the trail, as use of map, blazes, and being on an actual TRAIL (as opposed to simply a rough route or general direction) do the trick
-Where bogs and rockpiles are considered temporary and undesirable, in need of gravel/puncheons/filling in/avoidance, not sought out by trail routers
-Where there is a formal, longterm written schedule of trail maintenance and improvements, so that it's possible to know when the last time blazing was done, when it will be needed again, when a shelter will be added to a section over 10 miles that's missing one, etc.
-Where trail designers KNOW what the angle of inclination is on a steep section, and if it exceeds appropriate trail design standards or not
-Where trail designers would rather quit than avoidably relocate a trail into a worse place
-Where trail infrastructure is not taken down or otherwise vandalized by those locally in charge without an improved substitute already complete and in place beforehand
-Where switchbacks aren't thought to be what Gramma does to Darrell Jr. and Bobby Sue when they mouth off and won't go slop the hogs or milk the goats
Sometimes I prefer trails where there are no trails and where it seems few if any have ever been before. It is especially rewarding when I chance upon unusual plants or see wildlife which is only rarely seen.
Other times, I prefer trails with people on them and especially enjoy sharing them with well-behaved children.
I prefer trails without dogs, especially ill-behaved dogs, although I tolerate them when I must.
When hiking heavily-used trails, it pleases me to see well-designed treadway incorporating native materials massive enough to withstand erosion and displacement forevermore or at least as long as possible.
Whenever I see people considerate of others enjoying themselves and respecting the resources upon which such experiences depend, I figure it's a good thing.
I love mountains, rock scrambles, and ridgetops. I hate scree, bogs, and hikes without views. I like lots of elevation change (believe it or not).
I like running streams at campsites
Pine needles. 'Nuff said.
Im young so... Uphill? Actually my father says that all the time, and it makes me want to skewer him with a treking pole.
Lone Wolf
07-29-2008, 20:24
-Where I can look at the scenery and wildlife more than I look at my feet. (I already know what the latter look like; I don't have to leave home for that experience.)
-Where the blazes are more paint than bark, and I don't have to use long-term memory if I wonder what one looks like.
-Where the trail maintenance is undertaken with the understanding that the less often the brush is cut, the further back it needs to be cut back when it is cut.
-Where I don't have to guess if I'm on the trail, as use of map, blazes, and being on an actual TRAIL (as opposed to simply a rough route or general direction) do the trick
-Where bogs and rockpiles are considered temporary and undesirable, in need of gravel/puncheons/filling in/avoidance, not sought out by trail routers
-Where there is a formal, longterm written schedule of trail maintenance and improvements, so that it's possible to know when the last time blazing was done, when it will be needed again, when a shelter will be added to a section over 10 miles that's missing one, etc.
-Where trail designers KNOW what the angle of inclination is on a steep section, and if it exceeds appropriate trail design standards or not
-Where trail designers would rather quit than avoidably relocate a trail into a worse place
-Where trail infrastructure is not taken down or otherwise vandalized by those locally in charge without an improved substitute already complete and in place beforehand
-Where switchbacks aren't thought to be what Gramma does to Darrell Jr. and Bobby Sue when they mouth off and won't go slop the hogs or milk the goats
Then the AT is for you. you're doing it a 2nd time so your gripes must not exist on the AT
minnesotasmith
07-29-2008, 20:28
Then the AT is for you. you're doing it a 2nd time so your gripes must not exist on the AT
It's kind of like the difference between what we'd like all the people we meet during our lives to be, and how they actually are. You glory in what's good in the latter, while never losing sight of the difference between A & B.
Lone Wolf
07-29-2008, 20:30
It's kind of like the difference between what we'd like all the people we meet during our lives to be, and how they actually are. You glory in what's good in the latter, while never losing sight of the difference between A & B.
the AT is an easy, perfect trail to walk
I like sections of trails that have a mystical feel about them.
Like nature holding her breath.
minnesotasmith
07-29-2008, 20:37
the AT is an easy, perfect trail to walk
Let's see anyone who thinks that thruhike the whole thing without map, guidebook, compass, GPS, hiking with other people in sight, etc., and not get lost once. Heck, I'd settle for them doing night hiking when it's rainy going NOBO on the north side of Mt. Moosilauke, down the steep side of South Kinsman, and NOBOing the north side of North Carter.
Lone Wolf
07-29-2008, 20:40
Let's see anyone who thinks that thruhike the whole thing without map, guidebook, compass, GPS, hiking with other people in sight, etc., and not get lost once. Heck, I'd settle for them doing night hiking when it's rainy going NOBO on the north side of Mt. Moosilauke, down the steep side of South Kinsman, and NOBOing the north side of North Carter.
nobody would do that
saimyoji
07-29-2008, 20:43
It's kind of like the difference between what we'd like all the people we meet during our lives to be, and how they actually are. You glory in what's good in the latter, while never losing sight of the difference between A & B.
that kind of depth of thought is lost on most. i take the trail as it comes, glad for the time to be on it.
the AT is an easy, perfect trail to walk
There are times when it sucks and times when it's perfect. There are times when it's a cakewalk, and times when it's a nightmare.
Lone Wolf
07-29-2008, 21:06
i disagree
OregonHiker
07-29-2008, 21:22
i disagree
I'm shocked :sun
You don't judge a good trail. You let a good trail judge you.
johnnybgood
07-29-2008, 21:26
I want to feel like im hiking backcountry ,not strolling in a county park which is minutes from where I live.My only concern is really the loose rocks that tend to be ankle twisters and slip hazards,but hey this is hiking in its truest form. Enuff said.:sun
bigmac_in
07-29-2008, 22:20
I like a narrow trail on the side of the mountain. Not sure why.
I like a narrow trail on the side of the mountain. Not sure why.
The view? I call it Skywalking.
minnesotasmith
07-30-2008, 09:16
nobody would do that
Anyone who said the AT was perfect as it is, and meant it. ;)
Dances with Mice
07-30-2008, 09:30
I like the Duncan Ridge Trail in Georgia.
It's relatively short, meets not a single one of MS's standards and I've met exactly two other hikers on it in 6 years and they were both W-B members.
I think it's perfect.
Lone Wolf
07-30-2008, 09:34
the only imperfection with the AT is that it begins/ends in a highly structured and regulated park.
HexMcjinx
07-30-2008, 11:02
Do you like a well groomed, wide trail? How about a narrow path, sometimes trees brush against you? A trail that has up to the minute maintenance, or something a little more untamed?
What about blazing... do you want to be able to see the next blaze while walking past one? Or do you prefer to go several hundred yards without a sign?
No poll attached, but would appreciate your input.
I like an untamed trail but it should be well blazed, at least every 1/4 to 1/2 mile, and clearly visible. I hate having to backtrack more than 1/4 mile.
slowandlow
07-30-2008, 12:29
I prefer the type where cars and trains are never heard.
Kerosene
07-30-2008, 12:43
I actually like to have the trail, and the terrain, vary quite a bit from day-to-day, but with mountains dominating. I like to be able to "stretch my legs" for an hour or two on a more groomed trail, but I look forward to the occasional rocky ascent. My knees are starting to rebel at several thousand foot descents.
I prefer consistent blazing on a trail, unless I'm confident that there are no intervening trails. The worst case is when the blazing has been pretty good, followed by a section where you can go a mile or more without seeing anything.
Cookerhiker
07-30-2008, 15:00
.....What about blazing... do you want to be able to see the next blaze while walking past one? Or do you prefer to go several hundred yards without a sign?..
.....Blazing - well I don't need it on every other tree, but I have been places I would like to see a couple more on.
....Blazes? I'll follow em if i come to a junction but really don't see the need every 60' or so.
....I like as little blazing as possible as long as the trail is real noticeable...
Hint of a trail, blazes I don't need no stinking blazes. They do come in handy sometimes though.
Blazed at junctions otherwise spread them out. I don't mind the rock as long as they are stable ....
I like the variety of the AT. I do not need White blazes every time I turn around but they are nice to have. .....
I like an untamed trail but it should be well blazed, at least every 1/4 to 1/2 mile, and clearly visible. I hate having to backtrack more than 1/4 mile.
....I prefer consistent blazing on a trail, unless I'm confident that there are no intervening trails. The worst case is when the blazing has been pretty good, followed by a section where you can go a mile or more without seeing anything.
Perhaps little in the way of blazing is needed for most months of the year; more often than not, the AT is sufficiently blazed. I've hiked unblazed trails, most recently Otter Creek Wilderness in Monongahela NF (http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/rec/wilderness_areas/Otter_Creek_Wilderness_brochure.pdf) with no problems.
However, winter is another story especially when you're the first to break through newly fallen snow like I did around Big Walker Mountain in '05 (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=89307). In a world of whiteness, the trail is far from obvious. I lost the trail several times, having to retrace my steps or just guess. At times the drifts were thigh-high and I didn't need to waste extra energy trying to locate the trail. I know I skipped some white blazes on that hike, at least when I crossed a field where I should have headed up a ridge.
I enjoy winter hiking and I recognize there's a place for unmarked trails or bushwacking butI think AT blazes should be within sight of one another.
weathermanbrad
01-01-2009, 18:49
I like it untamed. I enjoy hiking on unblazed trails, and even without a trail, down here in parts of the George Washington National Forest. There is some wild country here and I have found a lot of neat stuff while exploring off-trail, including some old iron-mine shafts. I always have my map and my compass in case I need them.
I'm originally from upstate NY but now live in Virginia for work. The one thing I love about Virginia is my proximity to the Appalachian trail and 1.8 million acres of National Forest Land, all within an hour of where I live.
You don't judge a good trail. You let a good trail judge you.
It all seems to depend on your expectations. The first time through a section when it is unknown it can seem more extreme. I think a section seems easier subsequent times through.
The terrain I can deal with. Overgrown trails make you really appreciate all the hours of volunteer maintenance and wish for more.
After a rain, I like a wide, groomed trail. If there is a lot of poison Ivy, I like a wide, groomed trail. In an open field, where raspberries grow in thickets, I like a wide, groomed trail.
Otherwise, It isn't as important.
phishpapond
01-01-2009, 20:25
I'm really fond of trails that are outdoors.
Slo-go'en
01-01-2009, 20:38
A wide, well groomed trail is nice because you can go into cruse control and not pay much of any attention, but a seldom used blue blaze gives you a real sense of adventure.
fiddlehead
01-01-2009, 21:25
i find it's the adventure that's more important.
In the past 2 months, i've hiked: desert in AZ, day hike on the AT in PA, my trailblazing bushwhacking trail i'm designing in PHuket, Thailand.
Out of the 3, i enjoy the bushwhacking the best. Probably because it's not a trail yet.
In AZ we bushwhacked too but i prefer green over brown terrain.
The AT was more of a: hike along and forget about the trail, it looks the same all the way, just get into a walking mindset where you think about other things. The other two trails take concentration.
WritinginCT
01-02-2009, 05:39
I like more open trails where I can see what's ahead. But they don't have to be completely cleared.
I like consistent blazing. Especially around junctions where other little side trails run into a main trail. It can be really easy to start following the wrong path.
I don't know how much this affects the AT specifically (I haven't hike it yet! 2011!), but I despise the use of trap rock on trails. I would rather walk through a rocky dried up creek bed than that nasty sharp trap rock (we have a lot of this in CT).
Another thing that I dislike (and wears me down too) is that I am short, and I only have a 23 inch inseam. I know that sometimes the lay of the land dictates how railroad tie stairs/washout prevention/et cetera are placed but when the step up is very tall it can make for a miserable hiking experience for me. Especially going up/down a steep incline with many of these "stairs". Not everyone is tall.
Worldwide
01-02-2009, 09:33
Any trail that doesn't involve unleashed untrained dogs, and if it could be free of horses that would be nice too.
I like to have a good mix of trail types. Even enjoy the occasional rock scramble provided it's no longer than say....10-15'.
The AT was more of a: hike along and forget about the trail, it looks the same all the way, just get into a walking mindset where you think about other things. The other two trails take concentration.
While I disagree that it "looks the same", I agree that in many places, the AT requires little concentration. I was able to completely zone out and walk the AT - sometimes for many hours. It takes very little - if any concentration along many parts of the trail. The path is so well worn as to be virtually unmistakable. Some places like the Whites and some of the rockier places in PA do require concentration. Snow would add to the difficulty factor too.
Personally, I prefer a trail that is unblazed.
Worldwide
01-02-2009, 10:08
Personally, I prefer a trail that is unblazed.
If you haven't already checked them out there are quite a few "man ways" in GSMNP that still exist. The fall and winter are the time to check them out less undergrowth makes them easier to see. One takes you up the back side of Mt. Cammerer, and another I used ran from campsite 44 to Tri-Corner Knob shelter. There are old maps 1930's era available to view at the Sugarlands Research Library ( you need to make an appointment) or you can buy them from The Map Store in Knoxville as well. They show old homesteads, logging camps, and mines as well.
P.S. This is well within the parks regulations they make you camp at designated spots, but they don't tell you how to get there. Bushwhacking is allowed.
I hope this makes sense......I really don't care what kind of trail it is---as long as it remains that kind of trail for a considerable distance.
Example: If it is wide, well-groomed, well-marked trail---I want the trail to stay that way for at least several miles. On such a trail, I like to put my brain on autopilot--and just walk and and get absorbed in my thoughts (almost like meditation). I don't want to worry about tripping over the occasional obstacle or having a blaze/sign that is missing.
On the other hand, if I am in a wild area and/or "bushwacking"--I really want the terrain to stay undeveloped for a considerable distance. In such a setting, I like to forget about "civilization". Thus, I don't want to encounter all sorts of signs, blazes, "manmade" trail improvements--or other hikers. I want the area to be "wild" and "untouched".
Frankly, I believe that the occasional tripping hazard, the occasional missing trail sign--or a poorly maintained trail are almost more "dangerous" than walking through a boulder-infested, totally unblazed, area. Thus, I PREFER my trails to be either REALLY well-maintained or I want the area to be pretty much "undeveloped". (But one rarely gets what they want!)
Jim Adams
01-06-2009, 01:39
thin, rocky, high altitude, above tree line trails are my favorite but then again...I would have problems finding fault with any part of the AT in N.H., Maine , or the Southern Balds.
geek
I know that sometimes the lay of the land dictates how railroad tie stairs/washout prevention/et cetera are placed but when the step up is very tall it can make for a miserable hiking experience for me. Especially going up/down a steep incline with many of these "stairs". Not everyone is tall.
I agree on the opposite. Sometimes double clutching gets old.
Today I vote for an ice free, sunny, out of the wind trail. I'll get some of each, but not all at the same time.
One with the most wildlife.
Serial 07
01-06-2009, 11:31
i'll take just about anything i guess...ups are fun...downs are fun...those slight down hills i can run are fun...ME is fun...ones marked with blue are my favs...
Lone Wolf
01-06-2009, 11:35
i'll take just about anything i guess...
i'll take a trail with no wannabe hippies on it :D
Serial 07
01-06-2009, 11:44
http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/hippie7.gif (http://www.millan.net) http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/hippie5.gif (http://www.millan.net) http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/rastaman2.gif (http://www.millan.net) http://www.clipartof.com/images/emoticons/xsmall2/259_hippie.gif (http://www.clipartof.com)
YoungMoose
01-22-2009, 22:01
I like the type of trail that hasnt been groomed for about 2 years and have it narrow. With the little space to walk. The best part is the trail blaze. I love when they aren't sightable from the blaze ur at.
My favorite trail is the one I'm on. I get to backpack so infrequently that each trip is a gift, and I like to make the most of it.
Variety in trails keeps it interesting, but, I hate trails thru tall grass either during/after a rain or the worst yet, on a beautiful morning when there is lots of dew.
Richard Snider
01-23-2009, 18:18
I generally like rough & steep for a great challange. I do prefer trails that climb to a nice summit with a great view. As do most, I also enjoy some meandering smooth trails from time to time.
Variety in trails keeps it interesting, but, I hate trails thru tall grass either during/after a rain or the worst yet, on a beautiful morning when there is lots of dew.
Thigh-high ferns, fun to look at though.
berninbush
01-26-2009, 12:22
Excessively cobwebby trails are not so fun. Especially when the spider is in the dead center and three inches across. Not much maintainers can do about that... it is just dependent on how much the trail is used.
earlyriser26
01-26-2009, 12:27
Well groomed and wide? Might as well wish for free beer.....
middle to middle
01-26-2009, 12:37
The only ones I do not like are named Devils run or some reference like that. I put y head down and walk fast.
T
middle to middle
01-26-2009, 12:51
Most beautiful would be a day in Catskyls when there was an icy rain in the morning and all the trees were covered with ice. When the sun came up everything sparkeled. WOW beauty that day.
Johnny Swank
01-26-2009, 13:43
Any one that gets me out of the office.
Kerosene
01-26-2009, 18:20
While I disagree that it "looks the same", I agree that in many places, the AT requires little concentration. I was able to completely zone out and walk the AT - sometimes for many hours. It takes very little - if any concentration along many parts of the trail. The path is so well worn as to be virtually unmistakable.Hiking south through Tennessee this past October, I was following a SOBO thru-hiker for much of the week. He took the wrong turn three times over the course of a few days, leading me off-trail once. Once he was clearly not paying attention, a second time he missed the trail at a poorly blazed intersection and ended up walking down the mountain, and a third time the meadow road (just south of US-19E) swept left and the "well worn single track" trail angled right with a lone blaze 30 yards up the trail in the woods. It's more of an annoyance than anything else, but it is frustrating when you're trying to get to camp before dark.
Nicksaari
01-27-2009, 18:47
any trail. ive been fixated since i was a wee lad. and they were trails made by vagrants and homeless on either side of the rail road tracks in virginia beach!! can you say "dirty AIDS needles"!?
Nicksaari
01-27-2009, 18:48
woah that was out of character.
It can be a horrible trail (steep, gnarly), and still be good hiking.
Generally I don't find easy trails very memorable.