Trail or Forest - what do you see?

[bubba]

This came from a recent post on a Finger Lakes Trail group, but it really made me think about it - all my time on trails and mtns and I never really considered this perspective.

Do you see a trail surrounded by a forest or a do you see a
forest with a trail passing through it?

I think I'll hold back on my comment and the reasoning for the original post until I see how others reply. I just find this an interesting question to ponder.

 

[Neil]

This came from a recent post on a Finger Lakes Trail group, but it really made me think about it - all my time on trails and mtns and I never really considered this perspective.

Do you see a trail surrounded by a forest or a do you see a
forest with a trail passing through it?

I think I'll hold back on my comment and the reasoning for the original post until I see how others reply. I just find this an interesting question to ponder.

I see both together.

But, what if you only hike above tree line? Or in grasslands or in the desert? Huh? Huh?

Some might see the trail as an ugly eroded scar that disfigures the forest and opens it up for the relentless press of humanity. Others might see a gateway to health and fulfillment. Or just a means to an end.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I see a forest with a trail passing through it ...

 

[rhihn]

This came from a recent post on a Finger Lakes Trail group, but it really made me think about it - all my time on trails and mtns and I never really considered this perspective.

Do you see a trail surrounded by a forest or a do you see a
forest with a trail passing through it?

I think I'll hold back on my comment and the reasoning for the original post until I see how others reply. I just find this an interesting question to ponder.

Is the point of the question whether or to what extent the trail is viewed as a part of the forest, or something that "interrupts" the landscape? If so, I guess I'd say it depends upon the trail. Some minimal trails can really feel like a part of the woods, while some that are heavily scarred/too wide/too much maintenance, can feel like they don't belong. If the point is where one focuses, I try to keep mine on the woods, but we all know that there are places where a trail demands most of our attention.

 

[jeenyus]

the forest has a trail passing through it but then again if the forest is growing up around the trail (new growth) then its the other way around
if you are above the tree line on open rock there is no 'trail' in some cases you get to pick your own way across or up the rock

 

[TrishandAlex]

As I am hiking, I see it as a trail surrounded by forest.

At the trailhead, before I get on the trail, I see it as a forest with a trail going through it.

 

[Adk_dib]

I hate to admit I see a trail surrounded by forest. When I am on the trail the only time I look around is when I stop for a breather. That is unless I pass a waterfall, a rock cliff or a scenic view. I usually have my head down and pounding out the hike. I love the summit view more than the trail view. That is why I try not to hike in the rain. In the rain all you see is the forest and no summit view. Normally on the trail I am thinking about all my problems in life and by the time I get to the summit I have them figured out. By the time I get back to the car I say Naaaaa!

 

[dug]

Interesting, and can't say I ever thought about it before. While I enjoy looking around the forest and looking at all aspects of flora/fauna, I would say that I see the trail through the forest.

 

[Jason Berard]

I see a forest with a trail passing through it ...

me too....especially since I started working on the AT boundary.....

 

[BorealChickadee]

For 97% of my hiking I only see the forest.***

That other 3% is troubling (for me) because it means the trail is dominant. So dominant it distracts me. Unfortunately, this usually occurs in that most wonderous portion of the Adirondacks, the High Peaks. (not all high peaks trails, just some sections)

***and I have the eight bazillion pictures to prove it My head is constantly spinning taking in branches, leaves, mosses, singing caterpillars, the way the light glints off a wet spot...

 

[Grayjay]

I see a trail and a forest

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I mostly see a trail, and mostly as a means to an end. By that I mean I am aiming for summit X (and maybe Y and Z) and the trail gets me there in the same way route 3 gets me to work. Mountain biking is similar except the destination is not really specific, other than perhaps to redline a series of trails for fun and exercise.

Sometimes I see the forest, but it's not my goal. I do stop and enjoy flowers, and streams/rivers/brooks/falls, but I have not ventured off-trail except to avoid stream crossings, or to take care of business. I am always delighted to see wildlife though and perhaps less focus on the summit or trail would increase that.

The main reason that I bike, hike, ski [or fish], is to compliment the otherwise indoors and sedentary lifestyle of a software developer. I.e., it is to get out, get exercise, get fresh air.

Tim

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I definitely see the forest more than the trail, at least 99% of the time. I have a habit of spending so much time looking into the forest that I sometimes don't notice a rock or other hazard and end up taking a header into the trail - that accounts for most of the 1% of the time I end up seeing the trail.

My favorite trails are determined by the forests, viewpoints, cliffs, waterfalls, or other attractions along the way. There is nothing better than a good hemlock grove for me. A poorly constructed or maintained trail might catch my ire, but those are minor annoyances compared to the joys of the forest. As I have gotten older I have begun to prefer the views in the forests more than those from the summits.

 

[prino]

I can't see the forest for the trees!

I actually do feel it's a forest with a trail passing thru it.

 

[cbcbd]

I see a bored bubba

I see both trail and forest together.
Trails are a big part of the experience and can't be ignored:
If a trail is built going straight up a mountain vs switchbacking, up some rocks with scrambling required vs around them, cresting a peak vs going around on it's shoulder - all of that will change the experience of being in the "forest".

In the case of trailless peaks you are then picking your own route up and can choose what terrain you would like to experience. Even if it's not a defined trail, you are still blazing your own experience up a mountain and can choose how it feels - should you go right up the rock face, go up the arete, go up the gully, go up the valley through the trees? All would make you experience the relatively "same" forest in very different ways.

On a deeper level one could say that there is no forest without a trail. In order for you to experience it you have to be there and in order for you to be there there needs to be a trail - blazed by you or someone else.
Sort of along the same lines as "If a tree falls in the forest and no one was around to hear it..."

 

[Little Rickie]

Do you see a trail surrounded by a forest or a do you see a
forest with a trail passing through it?
.

As I approach I see a trail going through a forest pointing the way. Once on the trail I see the forest all around me and the trail. Whatever that means I don't know.

 

[Stan]

I see rocks and roots and trees and mud and more rocks and at the end where all these things converge on the horizon I see a bottle of tequila.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I think I'll hold back on my comment and the reasoning for the original post until I see how others reply. I just find this an interesting question to ponder.

Did you ever see the movie "LA Story" written and starred in by Steve Martin? In it there's a scene in which Marilu Henner describes how she determines whether she's wearing too much make-up, jewelry, etc. She says she starts with her back to the mirror, spins around, and the first thing she sees she takes off -

It's a silly statement, but to me there's a underlying technique Martin is trying to describe, and that is how to determine what your PRIMARY impression is of an experience, a person, a location or perhaps whether you have on too much makeup.

So, when I read your post and question - my mind's eye went "Quick - what do you see?" when you look at a forest and trail. Personally, I don't there's a right or wrong answer.

What I did find interesting is that not everyone sees the forest like I do!

 

[bubba]

To me... it was the thought that got to me - and that I'd never considered the question. Probably - I see the trail in the forest. I like following blazed trails and negotiating a set path. It goes through the forest (in the stated example here) and because of the trail I get to experience the forest.

Here is where it came from... as I mentioned it was from a Finger Lakes Trail post - the FLT is a cross state hiking trail in NY that is made up of both state (public) and private land (permission granting owners). What was being pointed out was that when you are on private property - you'd better see the trail and respect the rights of owners and users. However... when on public land - the surrounding land is open to multi-use and you are more "in the forest" than when on a private trail.

The above provided a good example - but what I took away was the original thought. I hoped that others might enjoy the post and reading the responses - and assume that some that didn't respond still had new thought to ponder.

I see a bored bubba

Nowhere as boring as you!!!

 

[audrey]

I definitely see the forest floor before anything else. Trails are good too because they sometimes let in enough light for all kinds of good things to grow along their edges. And they help keep our big feet off the little growing things.