I'm guessing this was meant somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Still...
Perhaps a majority of the hikers, but probably not the majority of the hikes undertaken. It's probably one of those 80/20 things -- 20% of the hikers do 80% of the hikes.
Besides, how many trails really have significant monorail situations for summer hikers? Only the most popular (winter) trails develop monorails, and that only for the mud/bug season in May. By June 1, monorails aren't an issue, and they're never an issue on the 95% of trails that see little/no winter traffic. So we should ban hiking from December - April so that the ever-so-popular hiking month of May is alright?
I'm also not quite how a monorail presents a "hazard" beyond muddy and wet feet.
While the 20% who winter hike, likely do hike more, I'd only be willing to give them credit for 50 -60% of the hikes. I've been on Osceola & passed over 100 people in the summer - we stoped counting at 100 - before but I was the only VFTT poster (pre ROT & The newer trail condition sites) The casual hiker & the serious summer hiker (they may downhill ski in the winter) just don't post online.
Off the top of my head, I've come across Memorial Day Weekend monorail on Carter Dome, Crawford Path, Osgood, Garfield Ridge (between Lafayette & Garfield) if you slip off the icy monorail, you could twist or sprain an ankle.
Tongue in cheek, sort of, but why people whine & think their method is better than others is silly. What's too deep to bare boot? In the ADK, that's decided by the authorities. Personally I'd need over a foot of snow to make snowshoes easier. If a trail is well packed & solid, I'd prefer barebooting without postholing, crampons if it's steep. It takes three or four post-holes for me to figure having an extra pound or two on my feet is a benefit.
On the glissading issue, if it's well packed & icy thanks to glissaders, crampons would be the preferred traction. You could end up making a posthole or two. (Why change out of crampons on an icy approach up the steep sections of East Osceola & swap into snowshoes just so you can swap back into crampons for the chimney on the way to Osceola)
I've created my share of postholes but never stepped in anyone elses, Isn't that a warning that the snowpack may not hold you? Step around them.... You want summer hikers, (who some seem to think are the amatuers) to avoid the monorail yet some real hikers, winter hikers are compalianing & name calling because they can't negotiate around a few post-holes?
(Better turn in that I'm a real hiker T-shirt because It's hard to read, an "epic" trip report where you braved the elements & perservered to reach the summit & yet a few deep footprints set you off)
In the couple of small spruce traps that I've been in, snowshoes made getting out harder as they got tangled in the spruce.
I look at this whole issue this way, Our Moderator, who I am confident doesn't like post-holes either & has seen more than most of us, hasn't chimed him with his .02, smart guy. I have to admire people smarter than me who don't get caught up in the my way is right, that way is wrong debate. Most of those people, the ones I admire for being smarter than me, I've come to notice don't speak often. They usually listen.
Hike your own hike
