Epic Trails on the Horizon

Neighborhood trails are fine for that quick bike ride after work or a family stroll on a weekend. But what about those of us who love to spend full days on the trails... even enjoy planning our vacations around long-distance trails?

Trail Vacations
I've been fortunate enough to travel all over the world and visit castles, cathedrals, theme parks, beaches, and landmarks. But after all that, I've found the most satisfying and fulfilling vacations include lots of time on the seat of a bicycle or in a pair of hiking boots. I enjoy trails for numerous reasons:

• I can see places I wouldn't see otherwise.
• I get exercise while touring.
• The trails are usually less crowded and always have a nice mix of tourists and locals.
• Long-distance trails often take you to authentic locations like a New England Village or an uncrowded beach.
• Rail-trails often allow you to view historical sites that are mostly unchanged over the years.
• Trails frequently go through a nice mix of urban, rural, and suburban.
• The slower pace of biking trails and hiking paths allow for a better view of the local scenery.

American Discovery Trail

One new trail that is currently being planned and constructed is the American Discovery Trail. It travels east to west (or vice-versa) and spans the entire width of the United States. If traveling from the Pacific Ocean, you would venture through California, Nevada, Utah, and into Colorado where the trail splits into two tracks near Denver. The north track takes you through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. The south track takes you into Kansas Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The trails come back together near the three-points region of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Then the trail continues through Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington D.C.

The ADT connects five national scenic trails such as the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. It also connects 10 national historic trails and 25 national recreation trails.

Great Plains Trail

Proposed map of Great Plains Trail

In the very early stages of planning, the Great Plains Trail runs north/south, like the Pacific Crest and Appalachian. In fact, it is our inland version of those two trails. It travels through seven states including Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas. The GPT will highlight the best of the Great American Plains including such beautiful areas as the American Prairie Reserve, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Black Hills, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Pawnee National Grasslands, Arikaree Breaks, Cammanche National Grasslands, Santa Fe National Historic Trail, and Guadalupe Peak in Texas.

You have a rare opportunity to get involved in these trails from the start and watch as they progress and come to fruition. I hope you become a part of history by following the development of two larger-than-life trails. Please let me know what part you play in the development of these great American classic trails.

Epic Trails on the Horizon

bike trails and hiking paths on the internet

bike trails on the internet


You may have found this blog while doing an internet search for biking trails. Below is a graphical representation of a search for the keywords/phrase "bike trails."

One part of this chart is surprising and the other part is not. The surprising part is that, as a percentage of total searches on the internet, bike trails is very gradually going down over the years and forecast to go down even further throughout this year. That doesn't bode well for things like gasoline consumption, global warming, obesity, and our health in general.

What is not surprising is that searches for bike trails peak in the summer months of May, June, July, and August. This is represented by the yearly peaks you see in the line graph above. So we are rapidly approaching the busy season for bike trail searches. I also see that on the Google Analytic charts for both the trailsnet website and trailsnet blog. In addition, I start noticing a rapid increase in purchases of my trail guides on Everytrail.com.

So let's get out there and enjoy the summer trails, but we need to do a better job of convincing people that biking trails and hiking paths are fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly.

bike trails and hiking paths on the internet

"On your left"

What do you say when you approach another trail user from behind?
According to the politically correct trail monitors, you're supposed to announce yourself with a firm, "On your left."
But I have some problems with that.
First, from my own experiences, that does more harm than good. When I'm quietly and peacefully walking or riding on the trail, and someone comes up behind me and blasts out, "On your left," it (in the words of my college literature professor) "scares the bejasus out of me!" I'd much prefer that people just ride by. Of course that may be because I always stay to the far right and don't feel compelled to take up the entire trail.
And whenever I pass someone and say, "On your left," they either ignore me, get the bejasus scared out of them, or hear the word "left" and move in that direction thereby making matters worse.
So I thought I'd solve that little problem by installing a little bell on my bike and unobtrusively ringing it as I approached a pedestrian or slower bicyclist. (There aren't many of those.)
Well boy was I ever upbraided. About the second person I came to was a lady walking her dog. Upon ringing my bell, she moved to the opposite side of the trail as her dog, held his leash about neck-high and asked, quite sarcastically, "Did you want to go by?" I guess she felt the bell was not an acceptable way of begging her permission to pass her. She wanted me to say the exact magic phrase (perhaps "on your left?") before she could grant access to half of the trail.
So I said, "No! I just ring the bell to see what kind of Pavlovian reaction I would get out of you and your dog."
Okay, so I didn't actually say that, but thought of it about ten minutes later. I never think of good retorts until about ten minutes after the fact and far away from the intended target. I'm a delayed-release smart mouth.
So here's my point: Is there really any good way to pass people on the trail? It seems like no matter what you do, it's wrong about 50% of the time.
Now it's your turn. Let us know what you do when you pass people on the trail. Does it work?

"On your left"

Are trails a waste of money?

Recently, Senator John McCain of Arizona commented "...Congress is frivolously spending the Highway Trust Fund for pet projects like walkways and bicycle paths..."
Do you consider bicycle paths a waste of money?
Now's your chance to voice your opinion.

Are trails a waste of money?