Trail Talk – December 2019/January 2020

As I write this month’s Trail Talk, the dry fall continues. Trails around Jacksonville (and farther afield) are in excellent shape. Our trail volunteers have identified a few places that need some gentle correction or repairs, and additional benches are on the way for more meditative places to enjoy the winter woods. A couple of short “re-routes” are also scheduled to alleviate troublesome areas, particularly for hikers when the trails get “slick muddy.”

As the trail surfaces soften with hoped-for winter rains, our responsibility as trail patrons becomes more acute. Trail edges become more fragile, and one careless hiker or mountain biker can jump-start the demise of a popular trail by tearing down the structure of outer trail margin and creating an erosion feature on the steep hillsides that are endemic to our area. If you find yourself in this ‘marginal’ trail user category, choose to be respectful of the environment you find yourself in. If you find a particular trail to be too narrow for your hiking or biking skill level, please choose another route.

Cutting corners (cowpathing) is never appropriate trail etiquette. When one considers the old admonition, “Were you born in a barn?” the habitual corner cutter can only answer in the affirmative. Jacksonville’s trails were designed to have as little impact on the soils and vegetation as was necessary, ensuring years of enjoyment for all park patrons. When areas are impacted by careless (or “I could not care less”) travelers, then repairs or re-routes are necessary to protect the integrity of the woodlands.

Respecting signs becomes more critical when trail surfaces become muddy. “Slow” means just that – there’s a reason the parks are posted at 10mph. A 30-foot skid mark on a muddy trail eventually becomes a 30-foot gutter. And a 30-foot gutter is a hazard to all who would choose to enjoy that trail. If the trail is closed to a certain mode of travel, then please respect that. A large proportion of the trail work that Public Works employees and volunteers do each year is to repair damage on “single-use” trails.

As a quick note, if you haven’t seen Randall Ridge’s Eagle Scout project at the gold mine on Ol’ Miners’ Tr in Forest Park, it’s worth a gander. When the interpretive panels are finished, it will be an excellent educational addition for those interested in the history of the area. The replica adit structure is constructed of materials “re-cycled” from other Public Works projects to give it an aged, hastily “slapped together” feel, much like miners may have done in a hurry to get after the riches in the hillside.

We should all count our blessings that we live in a community that has determined that outdoor recreation is an important civic “perk.” Our City Council has been pro-active in encouraging citizens to get out and enjoy the natural beauty of our home. Every day in our woodlands, rain or shine, we see hikers, runners, strollers, bikers, sightseers, birdwatchers … and even the occasional curmudgeon. Have a joyous holiday season and enjoy the winter trails.

Featured image: Randall Ridge at mine entrance. Photo by Gary Sprague.