Anybody Know This Guy?

[TCD]

How do you look up this info? I remember coming across a PDF file that had a lot of info about what constitutes Zone I, Zone II, blah, blah, blah but it didn't get too specific for non Wilderness areas. Is there such a thing as a list of each trail and what standards they should conform to? Do you look up by AMC, RMC, etc or did you mean another governing body like WMNF, etc? Would be curious to find that info.

I don't hike in NH that often, so I am not sure which organization(s) is/are responsible for maintenance of the specific trails mentioned. I'm sure if you start with AMC or USFS, you would get to the information fairly easily. Every organization will have different standards. I read above about the "door" standard (which would be about 3' X 7'); on an earlier thread, another trail adopter on a different trail said that they were taught a "4X8" standard.

 

[rocket21]

The non-wilderness standard in the WMNF is 4X8.

A well brushed trail generally shouldn't invite others to feel like they need to contribute to brushing, though there are some exceptions (such as barebooters setting a footbed outside of the corridor).

I think we get out of control in bowing to certain authorities in terms of controlling who can maintain a trail. Some of the worst brushed trails I've ever seen in the Whites carry the AMC logo (such as certain popular trails that are so brushy that the branches from opposite sides of the trail were touching in the middle, 5 feet up). If one attempts to ask for permission to fix those issues, they're thrown into an endless loop of bureaucracy and nothing gets done.

Much of the brushing and blowdown maintenance improvements in recent years on 4K trails have been conducted by 4K hiking volunteers doing ad-hoc work with saws and clippers.

 

[peakbagger]

Lester Kenway president of MATC had an editorial in the MATC newsletter last year regarding over maintenance of the AT. In his opinion some section maintainers were cutting the AT corridor too wide, thus allowing sunlight in which encourages more growth. As the majority of the AT south of Mt Washington tends to be maintained 6 feet or more wide, his opinion is in disagreement with other sections. The Twinway in the whites is probably an example of this, its a 8 to 10 foot wide swath cut through dense spruce/fir with frequent brushing to cut back new growth. I expect the hut to hut folks appreciate it as the don't get dripped on by trees but expect the trade off is that the maintainer has to keep on their toes. I understand the ownership that folks can get for a particular trail section but I sometimes wonder if given the large inventory of more obscure unmaintained trails if less effort should be applied to major routes in order to free up resources for the lesser routes.

While maintaining with a local group several years ago, we were on a very brushed in trail that had not seen maintenance for awhile possibly 15 or 20 years. Initially the crew was snipping small branches and tips and making slow but neat progress. The person leading the hike was the trails chairman and after about 20 minutes explained that cutting spruce/fir tips was a fools errand, we basically switched to cutting any small trees within 3 feet of the centerline of the trail with emphasis on the upslope side. The general goal was to cut it wide enough that an experienced skier could navigate it. Yes the trees lining the corridor will eventually grow branches into the space but it buys more time compared to tipping.

As anyone who has ever helped trim Christmas trees can attest, cutting one tip yields at least two new tips within a couple of years. If the trail is frequently maintained the "bonsai" approach is viable but as many red liners or hikers of obscure trails in the whites can attest, many of the lesser used trails may get maintenance on 10 year or more cycle. On these trails, the most effective approach is cut it wide and if in doubt remove the tree.

 

[RoySwkr]

AMC recommends trail adopter try to hike his/her trail in winter to check out protruding branches, and trim as needed...but you are right about just breaking them off. It should be done properly as rocket21 stated. If you do a trail condition report, maybe you could hint heavily the proper way to trim those pesky protruders!! (and dispose of out of view hopefully)!!

I used to carry a folding saw to remove blowdowns (legal for anybody to cut dead and down wood in WMNF) and would bring hand pruners on trails I knew needed work, but I quit using pruners after the WMNF started fining people $150 for removing roadside trash. Now if I happen to grab an overhanging branch and it breaks, that it their fault not not following their own trail standards

Note that you are not supposed to cut branches at the 4' line, you cut them off at the tree so as not to leave a stub, if this is done properly over the years there are branches at different distances and you cut a few of the closest each year. If you let all branches overhang then cut them back, it looks like the area has been scalped!

 

[erugs]

From my experience, a trail may be properly brushed out for most of the year, but then winter comes along and the trail moves slightly with the general contour of the trail and the way snows fill it in or icey conditions encourage people to go in different directions than they would when there is no deep snow. That can make a difference on whether a branch is in the way or not.

Snapping branches isn't clean and often leaves a sharp end to poke the people who come along later. Pokes are for Facebook.

 

[wardsgirl]

Thanks for the heads up.

The trails he traveled are in my region, although they are very well-maintained to standard 4' x8'. AMC hiking trails are not maintained for winter travel.

I'll consult with the ptb and contact him regarding his actions. He certainly made it easy to do so.

FWIW, tree branches are to be pruned specifically at the branch collar to prevent damage to the tree. The tree's roots often make up part of the system that hold the treadway in place, preventing erosion and forming the solid trails that we hike. Simply snapping off branches at will is certainly not acceptable. Also, if branches from the rogue pruning are left in the trail, they can be carried downtrail in the rain, leading to clogged waterbars, erosion, etc...

Thanks for posting about this. It's wonderful to see that so many people are concerned about the effective maintenance of our trails

 

[John H Swanson]

The non-wilderness standard in the WMNF is 4X8. A well brushed trail generally shouldn't invite others to feel like they need to contribute to brushing, though there are some exceptions (such as barebooters setting a footbed outside of the corridor). I think we get out of control in bowing to certain authorities in terms of controlling who can maintain a trail. Some of the worst brushed trails I've ever seen in the Whites carry the AMC logo (such as certain popular trails that are so brushy that the branches from opposite sides of the trail were touching in the middle, 5 feet up). If one attempts to ask for permission to fix those issues, they're thrown into an endless loop of bureaucracy and nothing gets done. Much of the brushing and blowdown maintenance improvements in recent years on 4K trails have been conducted by 4K hiking volunteers doing ad-hoc work with saws and clippers.

I was trained to the 4 x 8 std. If a trail is brushed to this spec in summer then winter is usually not too bad. If I'm in the center of the tread way and the branches are touching my arms I have no guilt about snapping them off and I find this situation most often in WMNF

 

[erugs]

I've never snapped anything in winter, but moved it away. Sometimes wrapping it around something else. Except: if someone else has "snapped" and it appears that it could "poke" and hurt, then I have tried to break it further back.

(Hi, Wardsgirl! It's been awhile.)

 

[Mike P.]

While you're out there not breaking off little twigs, could you also be sure not to knock the snow off the branches as you pass? And please, fill in your snowshoe track behind you as you go (both ways!)

Tim

That makes sense, Since golfers replace divots and rake out footprints in traps... Please rake out the monorail so the trail is fluffy and not well defined so the next person can enjoy it close to it's original unbroken state. (It should melt at the same speed as the rest of the snow then too)

 

[sierra]

I think if your going to winter hike, you should expect to encounter difficulties that are not there in the summer, brushing a trail to account for 3 to 4 ft of snow seems stupid to me, but what the hell do I know. I find it curious that NH hikers quibble about trail conditions, these trails are virtual highways. Go out west to CO, CA, WY and compare trails verses here. Oh and the only face slappers Ive seen lately where at a bar.

 

[DayTrip]

Oh and the only face slappers Ive seen lately where at a bar.

You have to expect to get slapped in the face if you're playing with the bushes at the bar.

 

[wardsgirl]

*waves to Ellen*

FYI: I sent the gentleman a friendly note and explained why branches are trimmed methodically. I also invited him to learn more about trail maintenance.

His blog is a lot of fun to read. I wish we had such things available on the Internet when I began hiking. Alas, I do have handwritten journal entries of all my early hikes. They are pretty funny to look at now!

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I think what the original poster may be talking about is what I call "eye-pokers". These are the small, dead branches of evergreens that stick out into the trail at head level when there are a couple feet of snow on the ground. They're a quarter to a half an inch thick and break easily. They're not doing the trees any good any more, and they're not going to grow back once they've been snapped. I am all for breaking them back, do it myself a fair amount in winter, and wish other hikers would do the same.

 

[DayTrip]

I think what the original poster may be talking about is what I call "eye-pokers". These are the small, dead branches of evergreens that stick out into the trail at head level when there are a couple feet of snow on the ground. They're a quarter to a half an inch thick and break easily. They're not doing the trees any good any more, and they're not going to grow back once they've been snapped. I am all for breaking them back, do it myself a fair amount in winter, and wish other hikers would do the same.

I don't believe that is what he meant based on some of the other trip reports I have seen him post. I certainly would have no problem with him snapping off the thin, dead branches that skewer eye balls.

 

[TJsName]

I don't believe that is what he meant based on some of the other trip reports I have seen him post. I certainly would have no problem with him snapping off the thin, dead branches that skewer eye balls.

I suspect this is what he means as well. Snapping off live branches is quite a bit of work, even in winter. Much easier to cut them.

 

[DayTrip]

I wouldn't categorize those types of branches as "face slappers" the way he does. Those thin dead branches poke and puncture. Slappers to me are the big, wide snow laden branches that engulf you as you try to walk through them and can have a nasty recoil to them, especially for the guy behind you. But whatever. I hope I am wrong.