In light of recent events, almost the whole Nation (USA) has been on some sort of forced lock down. NOT going to work, NOT going to non essential shopping destinations, and not allowed to go to any 'tourist attractions' where people can congregate in large numbers in enclosed places- I'm looking at you, movie theaters!
What we ARE allowed to do, is enjoy the great outdoors. Town parks, county parks, state parks, and rail trails and trails in general. Sadly, due to POOR TRAIL ETIQUETTE, sections of the historic Appalachian Trail were quickly closed down.
"But what is this trail etiquette you speak of, as this is my first time attempting to walk a trail since I have NOTHING BETTER TO DO..."
Sit down, shut up, and pay attention.
Here is some common sense basic trail etiquette that respectful and responsible trail users should allows keep in mind.
1- CARRY IN, CARRY OUT
This sums it up nicely "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time."
If you bring in a plastic water bottle, a candy bar wrapper, a pet that makes waste... carry out the unnatural waste. Carry out your broken hair tie, carry out your plastic protective seal on the neck of the bottle, carry out your straw wrapper to that Capri Sun you brought for your kid.
Speaking of bodily wastes....
2- Do not leave bodily waste on the trail or within 2 feet of it.
I say two feet because, as I will explain later, other people may need to venture that far off the trail to be polite and respectful to others.
Bodily waste includes- blood, spit, throw up, pee, and poop. It is understandable that it may be unavoidable to move 2 feet off the trail before expelling blood or vomit- however, the most polite thing to do is to clean up after yourself . If you cannot get off the trail- when you are stable and able to- kick some dirt or leaves onto the bodily fluids and then kick the whole thing off the trail. When it comes to animals, they may make the waste directly on the trail if they feel that they are 'already outside', or they may make it right on the edge- they may even try to hide behind a tree. If you are not going to pick it up, use a stick to fling poop 2 feet away from the trail or use your foot to cover the pee with dirt and natural debris.
LET ME SAY THIS LOUD FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK- BODILY FLUIDS SPREAD DISEASES.
Parasites, harmful bacteria, VIRUSES... capisce? [definition (slang) “Get it?” “ understood?”] Good, GREAT. MOVING ALONG.
3- BE AWARE of your surroundings on the trail- of wildlife, of other trail users, OF EVERYTHING.
4- Passing people on the trail IF YOU ARE A RUNNER OR BIKER- TAKE NOTES! YOU COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IF YOU DO NOT ANNOUNCE YOUR INTENTIONS.
People who don't usually go on trails seem to be very entitled while using said trails- They seem to think that if you come across another trail user, you maintain your lane and pass by as closely as possible in order to not inconvenience yourself and with little or no acknowledgement of the other person's presence. SO RUDE.
As stated in #3, be aware of your surroundings. Don't sneak up on people who are ahead of you. If you feel you will eventually or would like to immediately overcome them, announce yourself by stating which side you'd like to pass on- "On your left!" as seasoned runners and bikers call out.
If you come across a person going the opposite way you are along the trail, MAKE EYE CONTACT. This is the only way to determine who will make the next move. Some trails are only 2-3 feet ACROSS, at which point it is more polite for someone to step off the trail a little to let the other pass (hence why in #2 I mention leaving wastes at least 2 feet OFF THE TRAIL). It is also most considerate to go single file down the trail when approached from the opposite direction- whether the trail is narrow or wide. Even on a slightly wider trail, some trail users may require a slightly wider berth- such as those with a dog. Give our 4 legged friends and their handlers AMPLE ROOM. Everyone seems to KNOW to do this when horses are around, possibly because they're bigger and slightly scary if you're not used to them. But plenty of people seem uninterested in giving special treatment to dogs and their handlers. You don't know who's skittish, who's fear-aggressive, who's not trained well, who's deaf or partially blind, ETC. SO - ONCE AGAIN, LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK- ANNOUNCE YOUR INTENTIONS TO PEOPLE WITH DOGS. They are focusing on their pet and themselves and their surroundings as best they can, help them out a little by telling them you're coming up behind and/or would like to pass and where you will be going.
5-Have come consideration and empathy for other trail users instead of a sense of entitlement over your use of the trail. Yes, you may be an avid trail runner and looking to beat a personal record of time or miles run-- that doesn't mean you own the trail. Not even if you use it EVERY SINGLE DAY. The trail is open to the public, to the experienced and new comer alike. Displaying common courtesy and basic decency as a human being- and more importantly, being safe- is more important than your expected experience. If you have to slow your rate to pass safely and courteously, then cest la vie. If you have to pop out an ear bud to communicate your intentions and navigate a pass , then cest la vie. If you have to take 4 extra steps off the trail when you know you're going to vomit from over exertion-- You get the idea. Some days you have to be the one who steps off to the side of the trail, and hopefully there won't be poop there to step in.
It's not that hard to use common sense and be a courteous and considerate person... whether you're on the streets of NY, walking the mall, or the Appalachian Trail.
HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL!
**As of 4/7/2020, as a result of too many people not practicing social distancing outdoors, all county and state parks were closed in my state**.
What we ARE allowed to do, is enjoy the great outdoors. Town parks, county parks, state parks, and rail trails and trails in general. Sadly, due to POOR TRAIL ETIQUETTE, sections of the historic Appalachian Trail were quickly closed down.
"But what is this trail etiquette you speak of, as this is my first time attempting to walk a trail since I have NOTHING BETTER TO DO..."
Sit down, shut up, and pay attention.
Here is some common sense basic trail etiquette that respectful and responsible trail users should allows keep in mind.
1- CARRY IN, CARRY OUT
This sums it up nicely "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time."
If you bring in a plastic water bottle, a candy bar wrapper, a pet that makes waste... carry out the unnatural waste. Carry out your broken hair tie, carry out your plastic protective seal on the neck of the bottle, carry out your straw wrapper to that Capri Sun you brought for your kid.
Speaking of bodily wastes....
2- Do not leave bodily waste on the trail or within 2 feet of it.
I say two feet because, as I will explain later, other people may need to venture that far off the trail to be polite and respectful to others.
Bodily waste includes- blood, spit, throw up, pee, and poop. It is understandable that it may be unavoidable to move 2 feet off the trail before expelling blood or vomit- however, the most polite thing to do is to clean up after yourself . If you cannot get off the trail- when you are stable and able to- kick some dirt or leaves onto the bodily fluids and then kick the whole thing off the trail. When it comes to animals, they may make the waste directly on the trail if they feel that they are 'already outside', or they may make it right on the edge- they may even try to hide behind a tree. If you are not going to pick it up, use a stick to fling poop 2 feet away from the trail or use your foot to cover the pee with dirt and natural debris.
LET ME SAY THIS LOUD FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK- BODILY FLUIDS SPREAD DISEASES.
Parasites, harmful bacteria, VIRUSES... capisce? [definition (slang) “Get it?” “ understood?”] Good, GREAT. MOVING ALONG.
3- BE AWARE of your surroundings on the trail- of wildlife, of other trail users, OF EVERYTHING.
4- Passing people on the trail IF YOU ARE A RUNNER OR BIKER- TAKE NOTES! YOU COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IF YOU DO NOT ANNOUNCE YOUR INTENTIONS.
People who don't usually go on trails seem to be very entitled while using said trails- They seem to think that if you come across another trail user, you maintain your lane and pass by as closely as possible in order to not inconvenience yourself and with little or no acknowledgement of the other person's presence. SO RUDE.
As stated in #3, be aware of your surroundings. Don't sneak up on people who are ahead of you. If you feel you will eventually or would like to immediately overcome them, announce yourself by stating which side you'd like to pass on- "On your left!" as seasoned runners and bikers call out.
If you come across a person going the opposite way you are along the trail, MAKE EYE CONTACT. This is the only way to determine who will make the next move. Some trails are only 2-3 feet ACROSS, at which point it is more polite for someone to step off the trail a little to let the other pass (hence why in #2 I mention leaving wastes at least 2 feet OFF THE TRAIL). It is also most considerate to go single file down the trail when approached from the opposite direction- whether the trail is narrow or wide. Even on a slightly wider trail, some trail users may require a slightly wider berth- such as those with a dog. Give our 4 legged friends and their handlers AMPLE ROOM. Everyone seems to KNOW to do this when horses are around, possibly because they're bigger and slightly scary if you're not used to them. But plenty of people seem uninterested in giving special treatment to dogs and their handlers. You don't know who's skittish, who's fear-aggressive, who's not trained well, who's deaf or partially blind, ETC. SO - ONCE AGAIN, LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK- ANNOUNCE YOUR INTENTIONS TO PEOPLE WITH DOGS. They are focusing on their pet and themselves and their surroundings as best they can, help them out a little by telling them you're coming up behind and/or would like to pass and where you will be going.
5-Have come consideration and empathy for other trail users instead of a sense of entitlement over your use of the trail. Yes, you may be an avid trail runner and looking to beat a personal record of time or miles run-- that doesn't mean you own the trail. Not even if you use it EVERY SINGLE DAY. The trail is open to the public, to the experienced and new comer alike. Displaying common courtesy and basic decency as a human being- and more importantly, being safe- is more important than your expected experience. If you have to slow your rate to pass safely and courteously, then cest la vie. If you have to pop out an ear bud to communicate your intentions and navigate a pass , then cest la vie. If you have to take 4 extra steps off the trail when you know you're going to vomit from over exertion-- You get the idea. Some days you have to be the one who steps off to the side of the trail, and hopefully there won't be poop there to step in.
It's not that hard to use common sense and be a courteous and considerate person... whether you're on the streets of NY, walking the mall, or the Appalachian Trail.
HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL!
**As of 4/7/2020, as a result of too many people not practicing social distancing outdoors, all county and state parks were closed in my state**.
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