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The wide well traveled path or the narrow less traveled trail.....what kind of walker/hiker are you?


Ottakee
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A friend and I were walking tonight at a local nature preserve.   This came up.   She is a wide, well traveled path type of walker.  I am more of the explore the narrow, less traveled and sometimes unmarked trail type person.

What type of walker/hiker are you?

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3 minutes ago, AK_Mom4 said:

Wide and well travelled path.

i HATE being lost and I HATE scrambling over downed trees and I HATE getting my feet soaked.

i leave that sort of fun for other people!

That is more adventurous than I was thinking.  I like dry feet and where we walk we aren't going to get lost :-).  Just when we get to a fork in the trail she is apt to pick the wider, well travelled path while I head towards the narrow, less travelled option.

When hiking out more in the "wild" I do stick to the blazed trail.  

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6 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

I like to think of myself as bold and adventurous, but the reality is that I do not like either swamps or heights. My trail-blazing is heavily influenced by my desire to avoid those two features.

I agree with you there.   Most of our walks are in well developed county/state parks......she would just rather take the paved or wider main trails and me the smaller, less traveled ones.

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7 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

I like the narrow path. But I don’t like to go by myself on those isolated trails. So I find myself on the paved ones. 

I either need a dog or a hiking buddy available on the same erratic schedule. 

I am not a brave walker either 😀.  I need a walking partner or dog with me.....then I will explore more.

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I am a well-traveled path hiker. I lose balance easily and get scared when I slip. Around here, I can really find both kinds of paths. Dh has been quite compassionate lately about that. 

I don't know if I can post this, but here's a path we hiked recently--it turned out it became TOO narrow so we just went a little way. It is thru Wadi Qelt, and eventually leads to a beautiful monastery clinging to a mountainside. (A wadi is a ravine, and this one is quite large and long.) This is the "wilderness" where Jesus would have gone after his baptism. It is in Jericho. 

Forgive the poor quality of the video and the noise from the wind. I'm new at cell phone vids and my cell is awful. The view, though...lol

https://photos.app.goo.gl/otPkhBYsRqwKXtk89

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27 minutes ago, Chris in VA said:

I am a well-traveled path hiker. I lose balance easily and get scared when I slip. Around here, I can really find both kinds of paths. Dh has been quite compassionate lately about that. 

I don't know if I can post this, but here's a path we hiked recently--it turned out it became TOO narrow so we just went a little way. It is thru Wadi Qelt, and eventually leads to a beautiful monastery clinging to a mountainside. (A wadi is a ravine, and this one is quite large and long.) This is the "wilderness" where Jesus would have gone after his baptism. It is in Jericho. 

Forgive the poor quality of the video and the noise from the wind. I'm new at cell phone vids and my cell is awful. The view, though...lol

https://photos.app.goo.gl/otPkhBYsRqwKXtk89

Thanks for sharing.  So different than my wooded trails.

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It partly depends on the location and whether there are grizzly bears and such. I'm not stupid. I do love to go off-trail, though, with hiking, skiing and snowshoeing. If I hit some water or a few cliffs, then that just adds to the adventure. I don't mind problem-solving to get out of tight spots, and I've been lost enough times to not panic. 

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15 minutes ago, creekland said:

We do both.  It depends upon the appeal of what's on the trail.  For either we try to avoid times with crowds, but sometimes we can't do that either.  We'd miss a lot if we had to pick one or the other and we tend to want to see it all.

Hello, Creekland. It's good to see you again.

OP-

I do both but I never leave the trail as I like to practice LNT. Like Creekland, I try to plan my trips during the off-times so I can enjoy the area without a lot of people pollution.

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It depends on where we are.  The intention is to be on a path, not necessarily a well traveled one but preplanned.  Frequently we get lost with footpath maps that are not very clear or outdated and end up places we don’t mean to be which is fine as long as we don’t get our car locked in a parking lot somewhere.

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I am definitely a less traveled trail person. Not that I don't enjoy walking on a wide path with other people, but most of my hiking happens on trails in which I rarely encounter other people. I have many beautiful places to hike within a couple hours of my house. I don't always have people to hike with who are available when I'm available. So most of my hiking is solo. I do have a dog who always goes with me. I do stick to marked trails, though, because there is rarely ever cell service where I am, so I don't want to get lost. Many people tell me I shouldn't go by myself, and I do realize there is a risk, but I figure I'm more likely to get hurt driving to the trailhead than when I'm on the trail.

ETA: Photos of my regular hiking (and snowshoeing) spots. I'm so thankful I live close enough to do these in day trips!

IMG_0360.JPG

IMG_0623.JPG

IMG_2126.JPG

Edited by Hikin' Mama
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The wide paths are fine for summer in the Midwest when you have to avoid brushing against vegetation because of ticks. Otherwise, give me the less traveled path any time. Or best, let's just hike off trail altogether - explore the random canyon, scramble up a peak, anywhere it looks interesting. This will always have fewer people - we enjoy solitude when out in nature. (Cell phone reception is already non-existent on the roads leading to the trail head, so this never factors into our decisions)

Edited by regentrude
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I prefer adventure and a challenge although sometimes it's nice to have something easy and relaxing.  A river crossing, a disappearing trail due to low maintenance,  or having to haul canoes over fallen trees just adds to the fun. Even if something is nice and relaxing I still don't like crowds. I love that Alaska has few ticks to worry about. 

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The well traveled path because invariably, anytime I've taken a short cut, whether driving or walking and exploring, it turns in the world's longest, exhausting drive or hike. Hence the reason why when hubby and I travel, I drive and he navigates.  😘 

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I prefer trails that are well marked, but with few people. So, I don’t do bushwhacking, but I definitely like getting out where there are few signs of people. Here’s from today’s hike:4C1533BF-761F-4947-9007-A7C496819B92.thumb.jpeg.8c928021de35ba5a4794950f65e053a7.jpeg

The waterfall is there year round but it’s not usually this full. We have had quite a bit of rain lately so it was really flowing. We did see a total of 5 other people over 4 hours on the trail, but I don’t mind when it doesn’t feel like I’m hiking with them. 

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I LOVE exploring and hiking narrow untravled paths! I also LOVE hiking in places I have never been before. 

We are "explores" often enough my 6 year old made up a song. This is what I remember of it:

We will travel everywhere we go, we will explore everywhere we go, we will hike everwhere we go, we will fly everywhere we go. 

There may be more he thought up. But that sums up our life lol! 

Now my dh on the other hand has to be forced to even hike...... The well marked path is the only one he wants. But he also doesn't have a sense of direction like me and is lost without his gps. 

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Some of you are very adventurous.   I am getting more and more adventurous.   

Most of the trails I walk with my friend from the OP are well marked township or county parks with walks of 1-4 miles.   In parks that have endangered or delicate areas we certainly stay on the main marked paths.  Even there she always picks the widest, most traveled path where I pick the smaller, less traveled (but still marked and mapped) path.

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Depends on what I am wearing. If I have shorts on with short socks, it will be the wider path. If I have jeans and longer socks, I will go on the thinner more adventurous path. But I won’t make my own paths. I will only go on obvious paths. This is both for safety and environmental reasons.

Edited by Janeway
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On 12/24/2018 at 8:11 AM, The Accidental Coach said:

I do both but I never leave the trail as I like to practice LNT. Like Creekland, I try to plan my trips during the off-times so I can enjoy the area without a lot of people pollution.

 

I'm in the "where does this deer path/creek/canyon go camp".

Leave No Trace doesn't say stay on the trail and don't cut switchbacks.... it says "Travel on durable surfaces". This lets you hike off trail anywhere there won't be impacts. If you live somewhere cold and even better with lots of snow, Winter is a off trail wonderland. Snow, like rock and flood plains, is the ultimate low impact durable surface. Grab your boots or snow shoes and tromp through the woods, across the lake, up the creek, through that frozen solid muddy slough and wetland. 

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On 12/24/2018 at 8:11 AM, The Accidental Coach said:

I do both but I never leave the trail as I like to practice LNT. 

LNT actually distinguishes between popular and pristine areas. Obviously, in popular areas one should stay on trail and not cut switchbacks as that creates erosion; however, in pristine areas you're supposed to disperse to avoid the creation of trails and avoid places where impact is beginning (i.e. you'd hike off the faint trail trace so that a trail does not develop)

https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles

Never leaving the trail means to forgo hiking the hundreds of square miles of undeveloped land.

Edited by regentrude
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1 hour ago, regentrude said:

LNT actually distinguishes between popular and pristine areas. Obviously, in popular areas one should stay on trail and not cut switchbacks as that creates erosion; however, in pristine areas you're supposed to disperse to avoid the creation of trails and avoid places where impact is beginning (i.e. you'd hike off the faint trail trace so that a trail does not develop)

https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles

Never leaving the trail means to forgo hiking the hundreds of square miles of undeveloped land.

Good point.  Many of the trails in my area are in delicate sand dune areas so staying on the established trails is a MUST.  Other areas though it is better to go a bit off trail where the ground is firm.

 

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1 hour ago, ashfern said:

I usually look at the length of the trail & what is at the end. We like waterfalls. Also, I am horribly allergic to poison ivy so trailblazing is not ideal for me.

Oh me too!

There are a lot of neat arches in my area that people like to bushwhack to see, I never do because of poison ivy. I brokeout a touch on my ankle last week and wasn’t even off trail!

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2 hours ago, regentrude said:

LNT actually distinguishes between popular and pristine areas. Obviously, in popular areas one should stay on trail and not cut switchbacks as that creates erosion; however, in pristine areas you're supposed to disperse to avoid the creation of trails and avoid places where impact is beginning (i.e. you'd hike off the faint trail trace so that a trail does not develop)

https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles

Never leaving the trail means to forgo hiking the hundreds of square miles of undeveloped land.

I live in IL. There is no undeveloped land.

The few places that are available for hiking, you have to stay on the trail. Even our famed River to River Trail is seeing erosion due to damage from people hiking wide to avoid the mud and ruts. Wild Cat Den has all but been destroyed due to off trail hiking.

I am aware of LNT principles. I just get a little prickly because so many people believe that LNT doesn't apply to them or just pick and choose when and where to apply the principles. I should have known better than to post what I did as it tends to ruffle feathers. I like to stick to the trail whether it's well-traveled or faint. Perhaps if I lived in an area with more public land, I would hike differently.

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On 12/23/2018 at 9:49 PM, Harriet Vane said:

I like to think of myself as bold and adventurous, but the reality is that I do not like either swamps or heights. My trail-blazing is heavily influenced by my desire to avoid those two features.

Yep.  This is me.  In my head, I am this adventurous person.  But the only heights I am willing to face would be from a secure location, such as in harness on a rope (single-pitch only) or behind a very sturdy barricade.  Since an injury that has never healed right, I don't have the balance, strength or endurance to handle the more adventurous trails.  I miss the old me.  I can't get used to the idea that my life has such restrictions.  I wanted to be one of those really active old people.  I'm only 55 but my 85 year old neighbor can best me on a good day.  

On 12/24/2018 at 10:53 AM, regentrude said:

The wide paths are fine for summer in the Midwest when you have to avoid brushing against vegetation because of ticks. Otherwise, give me the less traveled path any time. Or best, let's just hike off trail altogether - explore the random canyon, scramble up a peak, anywhere it looks interesting. This will always have fewer people - we enjoy solitude when out in nature. (Cell phone reception is already non-existent on the roads leading to the trail head, so this never factors into our decisions)

I know you are an experienced hiker.  However, in certain locations, this is not advisable.  Starved Rock in IL, for example.  People who stray off trail tend to die when they happen upon an some unstable terrain that leads to a fall off a cliff.  Also, there are ecosystems that are so vulnerable that going off trail would be very irresponsible.  Knowing the environment is really important.  

 

 

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2 hours ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

However, in certain locations, this is not advisable.  Starved Rock in IL, for example.  People who stray off trail tend to die when they happen upon an some unstable terrain that leads to a fall off a cliff.  

Of course one has to know what one is doing. OTOH, the bolded is a bit hyperbole. At Starved Rock, they had a fatality in 2011 and then not again until 2017. Plus, they had warning signs. Clearly, if hiking off trail, one should not be an idiot.

Edited by regentrude
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4 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said:

I live in IL. There is no undeveloped land.

 

 

There are few places with little population in Illinois that is true. It is also true for most of the lower 48.  I live in Alaska. I once lived in a place that the year around population was 12 people in a 60 mile radius, the summer increased it dramatical.  Beyond that radius in pretty much every direction was no one for at least another 40 if you went towards a population center and hundreds if you went towards the wilderness. So I wouldn't presume that everyone lives your life. Here in the populated area of the state I'm thankful for people who stay on the trail. 

 

Usually a good rule of thumb is that if there is a road people will come and destroy things. If there is no road there is generally less people.  If there is an ATV trail there is people. Ugh I'm very very thankful that they developed Denali for tourists where people aren't allowed to drive in and yet the majority of people want to visit it because of the development and tend to leave the hard to get to areas alone.

 

There is more to lessening impact than just staying on the trail. For one thing there are times of year you shouldn't even be on the trail! You should leave the trail alone. There are times you are walking on ice and not hurting anything. There are times when you follow a game trail and the animals have already killed the vegatation. The important thing is educating people but also some people are just more conscientious in general. 

 

But I'm with you overall, I hate seeing sidetrails killing vegatation. I hate litter and people leaving their waste right off the trail and I'm a believer in leaving a place better off than it was when I came. Sometimes, it feels like I'm very much in the minority of the population.

Edited by frogger
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On 12/26/2018 at 11:53 AM, dirty ethel rackham said:

Yep.  This is me.  In my head, I am this adventurous person.  But the only heights I am willing to face would be from a secure location, such as in harness on a rope (single-pitch only) or behind a very sturdy barricade.  Since an injury that has never healed right, I don't have the balance, strength or endurance to handle the more adventurous trails.  I miss the old me.  I can't get used to the idea that my life has such restrictions.  I wanted to be one of those really active old people.  I'm only 55 but my 85 year old neighbor can best me on a good day.  

I know you are an experienced hiker.  However, in certain locations, this is not advisable.  Starved Rock in IL, for example.  People who stray off trail tend to die when they happen upon an some unstable terrain that leads to a fall off a cliff.  Also, there are ecosystems that are so vulnerable that going off trail would be very irresponsible.  Knowing the environment is really important.  

 

 

Starved rock is insane; there are so many people, if you go on the weekend, you are walking in a line like cattle and the trash along the trails is awful. The last time we went I hauled out three large trashbags full of plastic bottles. The rangers in the building know I pick up trash and provide me with bags and gloves. One of the rangers met me at a trail junction with a 4 wheeler to collect the filled trash bags. Cleaning trails is one of my things, though; I keep trash bags in my day pack and clean as I hike.

Some of the trails at Starved Rock are wooden planks. Hikers are asked to stay on the wood until a certain spot. Many people become irritated with the slow moving crowd and jump off the platforms and bushwhack.  You can also see where people have gone off trail up by the eagle viewing platform; I can only assume it's to get a better view.

At Starved Rock, there is no chance of getting lost and the trail system within the small(ish) park is well marked and well worn. Signage to remain on established trails is posted everywhere. Yet people go off trail every day. This is much different than hiking off trail in a National Forest where one can wander over bluffs and through valleys and where the trail extends for just a mile or so from the trail head or signage. 

But then again, the number of people who are going off trail while climbing the 14ers in CO has started to create problems within the ecosystem. The open spaces and trail systems in Colo Springs - like the Garden of the Gods or the Manitou Incline- are seeing increasing numbers and even though there are multiple well-marked trails people are bushwhacking (not only while hiking but mountain biking and 4 wheeling as well) and the impact is obvious.The trails are widening and people are bushwhacking new trails. It's escalated to the point where CO is considering adopting a permit system for certain trails and hikes. Similar things are happening all across the country.

So, yes, LNT does state to hike on durable surfaces and to disperse in pristine areas but, unfortunately, the number of people educated in proper LNT principles doesn't match the rate with which people are getting out into the wilderness. As a pp stated, if there is access, people will come and not all of those people give a darn.

Edited by The Accidental Coach
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2 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said:

Starved rock is insane; there are so many people. If you go on the weekend, you are walking in a line like cattle and the trash along the trails is awful. The last time we went I hauled out three large trashbags full of plastic bottles. The rangers in the building know I pick up trash and provide me with bags and gloves. One of the rangers met me at a trail junction with a 4 wheeler to collect the filled trash bags. Cleaning trails is one of my things, though; I keep trash bags in by day pack and clean as I hike.

Some of the trails at Starved Rock are wooden planks. Hikers are asked to stay on the wood until a certain spot. Many people become irritated with the slow moving crowd and jump off the platforms and bushwhack.  You can also see where people of gone off trail up by the eagle viewing platform; I can only assume it's to get a better view.

At Starved Rock, there is no chance of getting lost and the trail system within the small(ish) park is well marked and well worn. Signage to remain on established trails is posted everywhere. Yet people go off trail every day. It's much different than hiking off trail in a National Forest where one can wander over bluffs and through valleys and where the trail extends for just a mile or so from the trail head or signage.

But then again, the number of people who are going off trail while climbing the 14ers in CO has started to create problems within the ecosystem. The open spaces and trail systems in Colo Springs - like the Garden of the Gods or the Manitou Incline- are seeing increasing numbers and even though there are multiple well-marked trails people are bushwhacking (not only while hiking but mountain biking and 4 wheeling as well) and the impact is obvious.The trails are widening and people are bushwhacking new trails. 

 

Yes, I get especially annoyed with ATVs that can't stay on a trail. They have to go around the puddle not through it and the mud pit just gets bigger and bigger because they are the ones creating the mud. Wheeled vehicles need to stay on the trails! I say this as someone who loves single track but I also have helped build amd maintain trails so people can use them not just destroy the whole area. 

 

I think when they don't see anyone they think they are out far away from people but in reality hundreds and hundreds of people use the same area. They just aren't there at the same time.

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