[solohiker]

[quote="Wapiti"]<but when I don't particulary want the modernization of my trials as I've seen it - it burns deep having to pay for it> Assuming you meant to type trails not trials - Wapiti, with all due respect (and since you are/have been both a volunteer trail worker and SAR member from what I understand in past posts, I do have literally MOUNTAINS of respect for you, trust me), I'm bothered by the word "my." You used it earlier in the same post, so I know it wasn't just a slip. The trails are not yours and yours alone. In fact your statement above is highly inconsistent with your own signature: <Take a kid into the outdoors... It'll make a World of difference!> In many cases, in order to take a kid into the outdoors, to make that difference of which you speak, some of the close in trails offering a lot in terms of scenic beauty must be made to be "user-friendly." Sometimes it's the kids, sometimes it's the parents, but in our modern world (and we are living in a modern world, hence we can only play with that deck) a love for the wilderness by a significant portion of the population requires the boost of accesibility. The pay back to those of us that prefer the more rustic interior of the mountains is that these young converts to wilderness protection will aid our cause of keeping the vast majority of our current wild lands wild. This was Ira Spring's philosophy many, many years ago, and it continues to ring true today. "Our" (not my) forests and the trails therein are constantly threatened by much worse "modernization" than a few hand rails and bridges ... ie by development of condominiums and housing developments, aggressive and unnecessary logging, mining, building of super-highways, not to mention air and water pollution as metropolitan areas encroach farther and farther into the foothills. I know you know that 5 miles in from the road, your trails will remain rustic as ever. It's neither practical nor financially feasible to "modernize" trails that far in. The majority of hikers that go farther than that are just like you and I, looking for something more natural. I'm willing to share the close in trails with the masses, because I want to share with them my love for the mountains. On a totally selfish side note, I know that my day will come when I can no longer handle rough trails (I saw this happen to my father about 20 yrs ago), and I will appreciate the rails, at that time, and thank "Wapiti" that he put up with them. Solohiker

[polarbear]

Solo, are the trails now really that much more accessible than they were 20 years ago? My guess is a trail like Snow Lake now has a few stairs at the beginning, is maybe a bit wider than it was, and has better drainage control, but as far as accessibilty goes, that is getting to the lake, changes to the trail really haven't affected it much for any age group.

[-lol-]

[Slugman]

I think congress should adequately fund a decent minimum of road and trail maintainance and fund our parks and forests. Then citizens of the local regions can decide for themselves if they want a fee system for ADDITIONAL improvements that the voters would select themselves. Who here would support a fee system if: it was voted on by us; the money was used here, in addition to basic needs, not for basic needs; and you got to choose what to prioritize the money towards. I would gladly pay such a fee, much different from what we have now. We didn't vote on it, we don't choose how the money is spent, and it simply reduces the money congress alotts.

[Go Jo]

[-lol-]

[ridgewalker]

I do think to a certain part that not all trails should be maintained. There is wilderness discovery trails, and there is backcountry trails. I actually find Snow Lake a perfect expample of this. First you have the first 4 miles to Snow Lake. Most weekend travelers never go past Rock creek. For the overnight backpackers. Gem Lake is a little less. But for truley for the backcountry travelers, the way to the Wildcats and then the route to Derick Lake. All in all I say maintain the first 4 to 5 miles in high impact areas. This way people get to feel the wilderness and are willing to fight to protect it. Then the rest of the wilderness lies for differerent levels. NO one expects a paved or treated trail up to the Picketts or Sahale for that matter. I think also the wilderness is something that is deeply personal. When we talk about trails, that we have hiked. They become our trails. I live in the snoqualmie valley (grew up their and Alaska) At an early age, 11, I began to hike Granite Mountain. It was my trail of choice after class in high school. I find myself thinking it is my trail. I know it is not. When you sit on a mountain, and no one is around. You begin to feel it is your own paradise. The trouble is you have to come down from the mountain. WHen you get to the bottom, that expereience can never be conveyed the same as it was when were their. The experience is yours, not the trail. But it feels that way. -- Ridgewalker

[Wapiti]

Solohiker, All very good points you've made, and thank you for making them. May I first address your concern over the word MY. Yikes, I definitely didn't intend for it to come across that way. I want you to know that even though the populations on the trails drives me batty sometimes, I always try to encourage folks to get out on the trails (ESPECIALLY Kids). I take groups hiking that have never been to into the woods. I do this to encourage and to educate what is there, and how to respect it. I enjoy going hiking with someone I brought on a past trip, and watching them show the respect as I believe necessary; and the feeling that it was learned by watching me and understanding my love for the mountains is incredible. To be honest, I'm not sure why I chose the word 'my', but I have been using it that way a bit lately. Your bringing it up was appreciated, and I will watch the way I come across. I do feel a sense of belonging to some trails. I've hiked them since I was very young. Most of which were built from game trails and continuous use by few (bad bad, I know -grin). But now some of those have parks at the head, cement bathrooms and those dang handrails and foot bridges. I want it known, I do not feel I 'own' any trail - but I that I do feel a sense of ownership in a way that I care for the trails. I care enough to wish to preserve what it was for my kids and their kids. Also, I've hiked with many ol' timers, it was they who introduced me into what I love about the mountains today. They would have never have liked the idea of a handrail; and some of them that are around today shake their heads in disbelief of of the idea. I suspect that I will follow their footsteps in this when I age as well. I'd rather my last days be falling from that ridgeline, rather than hanging onto a manmade safety device on my last trailhike.

[MtnGoat]