EISPIRATEN

This was a poll. These haven't been imported. Sorry.

Cutting switchbacks often leads to erosion. Not to mention all sorts of ugly individual trail segments. It is not the worst thing a hiker can do, but it is harmful and easily avoided. People hike for exercise. Why avoid exercise by cutting switchbacks?

edenooch wrote:Is this the worst thing a hiker can do?

Starting illegal fires is the worst thing a hiker can do.

This is the next worse.

AlanK wrote:Cutting switchbacks often leads to erosion. Not to mention all sorts of ugly individual trail segments. It is not the worst thing a hiker can do, but it is harmful and easily avoided. People hike for exercise. Why avoid exercise by cutting switchbacks?

after all the thousands of feet of elev gain and double digit miles trekked. when im about a 80% finished some times i wanna get teh hell outta thtere and back to the car, a nice meal/cold beer and a shower!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it's bad karma. I feel like the mountain will give me a smackdown one day if I disrespect it. Even when I go cross-country I try to minimize the impact to the vegetation or the terrain. The other problem with cutting switchbacks is that other people will either see you do it or they will see your trail. Then they might follow that trail either knowingly or unknowingly.

I can relate to wanting to get the hell out of there after a long day on the trail. But I convince myself to finish every switchback because otherwise it feels like cheating--like I didn't really complete the route. That's just not very satisfying. Besides, in practical terms, cutting switchbacks by 10 or 15 feet don't really add up to any significant mileage savings.

How about during winter? Do any of you guys cut if there's enough snow on the ground?

TacoDelRio wrote:How about during winter? Do any of you guys cut if there's enough snow on the ground?

With enough snow, no soil or plants are effected so I don't have a problem with going wherever you want.

Running glissade, yo! 8)

I try not to cut off switch backs, since I've done trail maintenance myself. However, sometimes it seems like the trail blazers were just begging for people to cut off the switchbacks. Make a good trail and I won't cheat! The worst example I can think of is Vivian Creek... jesus you walk 1/4 mile in each direction and you're still barely at eye-level with the last switchback!

In winter anything goes!

The switchbacks above High Creek on the Vivnan Creek Trail are indeed an abomination!

In winter, if the trail is well-covered with snow, there effectively is no trail. It's off-trail cross country time! Love it!

I make every effort not to cut switchbacks.

That is not to say I don't

There are many reasons I don't but... Mostly because it causes erosion which is difficult to repair / remediate, and time spent by volunteer trail crews is limited and time spent repairing these problems is time not spent doing other badly needed work.

On many less traveled trails deer are the biggest offenders, or so it seems to me

If you wanna pick the fly-sh*^ outta the pepper there is a CFR section prohibiting cutting switchbacks, I have no doubt there is a state code section prohibiting it as well

I sentence you to 1 day penance doing tread work!

platypii wrote:I try not to cut off switch backs, since I've done trail maintenance myself. However, sometimes it seems like the trail blazers were just begging for people to cut off the switchbacks. Make a good trail and I won't cheat! The worst example I can think of is Vivian Creek... jesus you walk 1/4 mile in each direction and you're still barely at eye-level with the last switchback!

Here, here!