[pct-l] Trail Maintenance Idea

[Clint Kaul]

Hi Iceaxe,

I (failed thru-hiker) like your idea and would gladly use the loppers
to help out.
I would certainly have helped in some of the Southern CA sections.

Besides the liability issue would be issues of use and limits of use.  Meaning
the trail passes through national parks, national forests, BLM,
private, ... Each
jurisdiction probably has their own rules for clearing the trail of overgrowth:
how far back from the trail tread to clear, how close to the ground to cut the
overgrowth, do you cut branches off in the middle or at the trunk, how high up
to clear, ...  Then you have how far along the trail the loppers should remain.
For example you probably want to stay at least a mile away from civilization
to reduce chances of theft.  All in all though, those issues can be solved by
including instructions in the attached note.

I say it is worth an experiment,
naively? clint

On Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 1:30 PM, Matthew Edwards<hetchhetchyman at aol.com> wrote:
> I had an idea a ways back on the PCT and after passing it along to other thru's, I thought it worth mentioning here.
> How about a pair of Brush Clippers be left at the edge of the overgrown sections of the trail. They could be painted brightly and perhaps a note attatched explaining the concept:  "PCT shears.. Donate your time as you hike along and leave them for the next hiker."
> All the thru's and section hikers I mentioned this to agreed they would gladly donate some time towards this goal. An area such as the overgrown section above Belden, for instance, could be cleared as hikers pass through by the hikers themselves.
> I am not talking about a machete here.. Just some garden loppers.
> Of course somebody is going to bring up the liability issue.. So I think it would sorta have to be a "pirate" program..(Get it, Pirate instead of Pilot?!)
> Anyhow,  it is just a thought.
> Hey, Does Golite make a pair of Lopping Shears?
> Cheers-Iceaxe