PDA

View Full Version : is it wrong to...



sloopjonboswell
02-11-2009, 06:31
throw a couple rocks off the trail in n. penn.?

boarstone
02-11-2009, 07:24
If everyone did that with just 1 on their way thru, it would fall under trail maintenance...no? Sounds good to me...

Egads
02-11-2009, 07:34
throw a couple rocks off the trail in n. penn.?

depends,....on who you throw them at:D

Slimer
02-11-2009, 07:41
I sure woudn't have a problem with that, but you'll probably face crucifixion by the leave-no-trace crowd.

Egads
02-11-2009, 07:42
I sure woudn't have a problem with that, but you'll probably face crucifixion by the leave-no-trace crowd.

Another thread headed to the ditch

thunderrolls
02-11-2009, 09:24
Yea, go ahead... it's not like we're going to miss a few.

kanga
02-11-2009, 09:31
no, but even better than throwing them would be to hide them in somebody's pack.

Wheeler
02-11-2009, 10:30
It would be futile in northern Pa. , better to pave it, and cover it with asto-turf....

Pedaling Fool
02-11-2009, 10:34
That would be a great job to create. I think it should be part of the stimulus package. And not just in Pa.

superman
02-11-2009, 10:57
Pat and I drove down to re-hike the section from Springer to Neels Gap. We did some other stuff on the trip but I brought some PA rocks from the AT home with us. Pat made an AT logo out of them in the walk way. If anyone missed those rocks I'll bring them back on the next trip south.:)

sly dog
02-11-2009, 11:13
O come on guys, I keep putting them back on the trail,Pa is known for the rocks, lets keep it that way!
But seriously, cant someone start building those boardwalks over the rocks like they do on the swamps in NJ or such?

cowboy nichols
02-11-2009, 11:26
With age things change ,I was rised in Pa. and now I miss the rocks, when I had to come home from school and weed and hoe 3 rows in the garden I HATED the rocks. That was every day except when it was raining.

Tinker
02-11-2009, 11:35
I wouldn't think it's wrong, but next winter's frost action is likely to replace whatever you remove anyway. ;)

P.S. I'll be walking on them next week, so leave a few for me :D.

Vibe
02-11-2009, 11:57
I'm sure the Boy Scouts in Yellowstone thought the same way a few years back.."No big deal". That is up until the time that they faced criminal charges for destroying fossils.
I wouldn't. But your mileage may vary.

kanga
02-11-2009, 12:01
throw a couple rocks off the trail in n. penn.?


I'm sure the Boy Scouts in Yellowstone thought the same way a few years back.."No big deal". That is up until the time that they faced criminal charges for destroying fossils.
I wouldn't. But your mileage may vary.

i thought he was using sarcasm and wit. my bad.

hell no, don't throw rocks off the trail! leave no trace the way people here tell you to or you will go to hell! and don't use humor! you'll go faster!


how was that?

Don H
02-11-2009, 12:18
I threw one on the rock pile near the Pinnacle in PA. Considering the size of the pile it looks like hikers have been doing this for years.

Toolshed
02-11-2009, 12:20
If you could figure out how to dig most of those ba$tards up out of the ground, please do so.

Compass
02-11-2009, 12:39
There are just more underneath. The rocks are not the problem, It is the lack of dirt. The glaciers left all the dirt in Vermudd and Muddchussetes.

If there were not differences it would be monotonous and you might forget where you are.

Many Walks
02-11-2009, 12:56
Just don't toss the ones sharpened by the trail maintainers. They spend a lot of time getting those points sticking up just right!

Lone Wolf
02-11-2009, 13:12
and trail maintainers shouldn't be buildin' rock steps with them either. like shelters, steps don't belong in the mountains

Blissful
02-11-2009, 14:05
The rocks in Pa get your feet ready for New England - I was glad for them. And got to see some cool rattlers.

Kerosene
02-11-2009, 14:34
Knock yourself out.

emerald
02-11-2009, 16:39
When hiking without a full pack, I toss the small loose rocks off the treadway on the downhill side much as some might toss off the sticks they encounter and can do so without breaking stride at about 3 mph. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do and it makes a significant difference. What remains can be walked around for the most part or stepped upon by skilled rock-hoppers with proper footwear.

I step only on rocks which appear to be firmly imbedded in the treadway or weigh more than I do. There's more to it than that, but someone raised on rocks navigates them effortlessly. It's a fun and entertaining challenge which in some ways is like solving a puzzle while in motion.

YoungMoose
02-11-2009, 16:39
doesnt matter

emerald
02-11-2009, 17:00
When you're ready to come down here and do some work, let me know and I will demonstrate.:welcome If I had a bunch of Scouts or other young people who could stay on-task and a summer to devote to it, I could do much to improve things. I'm not aware of anyone doing what I've just suggested on a regular basis.

We'd be happy for any help, but most would rather sit on their behinds instead and complain.

shelterbuilder
02-11-2009, 21:01
throw a couple rocks off the trail in n. penn.?

Yes, but it IS okay to throw a few back onto the trail!:eek::D

Hey, if the rocks are loose and you feel so inclined, just "have-at-'em". Just don't get cut on the rocks that we've sharpened!:D:D

emerald
02-11-2009, 21:55
and trail maintainers shouldn't be buildin' rock steps with them either. like shelters, steps don't belong in the mountains

You're right, gullies are not only more desireable but more attractive too!:rolleyes:

oso loco
02-11-2009, 22:57
and trail maintainers shouldn't be buildin' rock steps with them either. like shelters, steps don't belong in the mountains

I hates stepses
They hurts the kneeses

sloopjonboswell
02-12-2009, 01:16
When hiking without a full pack, I toss the small loose rocks off the treadway on the downhill side much as some might toss off the sticks they encounter. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do and you would be surprised how much difference it makes. The others can be walked around mostly or stepped upon by skilled rock-hoppers.

I step only on rocks which appear to be firmly imbedded in the treadway or weigh more than I do. There's more to it than that, but someone raised on rocks navigates them effortlessly. It's a fun and entertaining challenge which in some ways is like solving a puzzle while in motion.

i love rock hoppin... and i'm sure it was just the leaves covering the rest of the ground that made me so envious when i looked down the trail... but i clearly remember my duct taped feet screaming at me for walking over a two or three mile stretch of small rocks in n. pa.

after almost polishing up penn with more blisters than i care to admit, it was liberating to see those couple of missing rocks that tennessee jed had admitted to chucking off in trail registers. little holes where those punishers had once been..felt even better to chuck a couple myself. felt like the 'right' thing to do.. like moonin the cog or somethin'.. a little celebration wrapped up with good intent..

the blisters were my own fault for trying to push so many miles there, but golly gee whittakers. i'm sure someone in '07 found a groovy place to put their foot that didn't include 10,000 loose rocks the size of my fist.

by the way, i loved pennsylvania.

and dang, whats with all those steel bars and bridges and boardwalks and
ladders and signs and campsites and huts and freaking stupid fire rings and water pumps and shelters and ferries and hostels and maps and towns and outfitters and park rangers and ski lifts? don't they know how ruined my thru hike/outdoor experience was?

i love the a.t., if people who know what it is are so put out... go bushwack across mexico