branches laid in trail?

[Adk_dib]

I climbed vanderwhaker saturday and saw something different maybe someone could explain to me. Towards the top there were 4 locations where there were evergreen branches (and one small evergreen tree) laid in the middle of the trail. there was no muddy spots to be found so it wasn't to cover mud. these were definatly laid there on purpose, this was not blowdown.

 

[mavs00]

I climbed vanderwhaker saturday and saw something different maybe someone could explain to me. Towards the top there were 4 locations where there were evergreen branches (and one small evergreen tree) laid in the middle of the trail. there was no muddy spots to be found so it wasn't to cover mud. these were definatly laid there on purpose, this was not blowdown.

Often times vegitation is laid on a trail to "brush in" a herd path or to reroute a section of trail that the trail gnomes (those magical creatures that care for our trails) place there to keep people from using a particular area.

That's my guess.

 

[Rik]

Could it have been used to keep vegetation from growing? Like suffocating the smaller ferns and grass from growing in on the trail?

 

[jbrown]

I've seen this before in places where there was a mudhole and people started creating herd paths around it, there were several dead spruces thrown over the herd paths to curb the extra damage.