Prosecution for unauthorized trail maintenance in WMNF

[evilhanz]

The Freedom of Information Act is a wonderful tool that doesn't get used nearly enough, IMO.

I can attest to this. Several years ago, I used FOIA to get information from the USFS on various policies and standing orders. Once I submitted a formal request to the FOIA office, they were surprisingly helpful.

 

[SteveHiker]

A few examples:

* The FS has officially made the Mt Isolation Spur a bushwhack and removed the sign for it although it is heavily traveled and has been in guidebooks for 50 years

[slightly off-topic]

when was this done?
there was a sign there approx a year ago. Looked pretty new too.

 

[David Metsky]

there was a sign there approx a year ago. Looked pretty new too.

That doesn't look like an official USFS sign.

 

[RoySwkr]

That doesn't look like an official USFS sign.

I agree, somebody is facing a $5000 fine for helping other hikers

The last official sign I remember was a small AMC green-and-white, presumably they would use monochrome in Wilderness now

 

[nartreb]

I remember an unpainted sign (not the one in SteveHiker's photo - this one was rectangular). This was August 2005. I recall a discussion about it on this board sometime thereafter; just prior to my hike there had been two signs, one of which had been removed. (The one taken down was right on the spur; the one I saw was on the main trail a few feet away.)

Edit: the thread I remember was this one:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9114&highlight=isolation+sign

 

[nartreb]

Back to the original topic, I went up Bondcliff Trail over the weekend as part of a Pemi Loop attempt. I think I saw some signs of attempted blaze removal, but i'm not sure. Plenty of blazes remain. Also, though I distinctly remember that three years ago the trail entered a stream (the "wrong" way, eg downstream when traveling northbound), this was no longer the case (and I think it may already have been corrected last summer when I also went this way, but I wasn't paying much attention then). So although the trail once or twice *appears* to lead into the stream, navigation, even if it had to be done blazeless in the winter, is not as bad as I'd feared: it's a big trail and it's there if you stop to look for it.
Have to say the idea of removing blazes from Bondcliff trail still strikes me as pretty stupid. Do they plan to remove the thousand or so stone steps in the steeper section? (Actually in some places there are two or more parallel sets of these because of trail rerouting!) What about the literally tons of stones and logs used to shore up the side of the ravine where the trail makes the "hairpin turn"? Which is less natural, those or a few bits of paint?

 

[psmart]

Do they plan to remove the thousand or so stone steps in the steeper section? (Actually in some places there are two or more parallel sets of these because of trail rerouting!) What about the literally tons of stones and logs used to shore up the side of the ravine where the trail makes the "hairpin turn"? Which is less natural, those or a few bits of paint?

The stone steps and logs are there to protect the land from erosion caused by hikers, so they are justifiable in Wilderness. On the other hand, things like blazing and shelters are primarily for hiker convenience, so they are generally not used in Wilderness (except in specific cases where they may be necessary for resource protection, like the new out-house at the Camp Rich site, which protects the spring from frequent tenters on the up-hill side )

 

[SteveHiker]

That doesn't look like an official USFS sign.

you're right it doesn't. And it isn't. It is still there though. Was there a couple weeks ago. The ranger we ran into a few times said that she had no plans to remove it. She was aware of the discussions about it on VFTT.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I don't recall that sign on August 22. I recall a cairn where we turned up the spur. Doesn't mean the sign was not there. As it is a spur/unofficial trail, I was looking for the herd path down low and saw the cairn.

Tim

 

[DougPaul]

I don't recall that sign on August 22. I recall a cairn where we turned up the spur.

When I was there several years ago, a sign was visible if you were north bound. It was hard to spot if you were south bound.

Don't know if this was the same sign as in SteveHiker's pic.

Doug

 

[Kevin Rooney]

When I was there several years ago, a sign was visible if you were north bound. It was hard to spot if you were south bound.

Don't know if this was the same sign as in SteveHiker's pic.

Doug

Maybe Steve will tell us it's north or southbound. It's been a couple of years, but my recollection is the southbound sign is more nearly square, and with smaller lettering. It's tough to spot, but once you know where it is, I've found it nearly impossible NOT to see, if you know what I mean.

It also helps to do it in winter as the trail is rarely broken out south of Isolation...

 

[SteveHiker]

So the picture was taken while southbound on the Davis Path, it was on my left. It was in the same place on September 1. Some other people walked right by it that day.

There is another sign, the white with green lettering large rectangular AMC/FS contraption, almost right across the trail from it on the right, perhaps a few feet north. It was about eye level and positioned so as to be parallel to the trail on the moss covered rock face. It told the distances to other points of interest, which I can't remember now. (probably Mt Davis and Boott Spur)

Another item of mild interest, in regard to my first post on this thread, the area with the campsites just before where the Isolation trail meets the Davis path (as you go uphill, ie on the way in) is much less confusing than it was 3 years ago. Much less in the way of herd paths, and new FS camping signs as well. The yellow blazes (mentioned in 27th ed of WMG) have pretty much faded away. I think we saw 2 or 3 very faint ones on the far end.

While we're on the subject, what's the deal with the "Entering the Alpine Zone" sign that's partway up the spur? If it's not an official trail, why is it there?

 

[Christa]

I was with Steve on Sept 1 when we saw the sign - it was definitely on the left, but I can easily see how it could be missed. Having read this thread, I was specifically looking for it and it took me a couple of seconds to find it.

The sign is on a tree on the left, but it's at least a head or so above eye level (and I'm not a particularly short person). It might be at eye level in the winter on packed snow, but in the summer, you definitely have to look up to see it. In order to take a picture of it, I had to hold my camera up and use the display to ensure I had the sign in the picture rather than looking through the viewfinder.

The cairn smack dab in the middle of the trail was more obvious to me.

Christa