[pct-l] Trail clearing with horses and chainsaws

[Sir Mixalot]

If only we had enough trail maintenance volunteers to keep the trail clear
of trees and brush and properly manage erosion.  Even though motorized
tools may be faster, I don't want to hear those noises in the backcountry.
 I would hope that anyone complaining about the condition of the trail has
done something to help, whether that be donations or direct help.  Whether
hand tools are used or not, it takes an incredible amount of man-hours and
a not insignificant amount of money to maintain the trail at its current
state.

On Tue, Sep 25, 2012 at 7:24 AM, Devon Taig <devon.taig at gmail.com> wrote:

> As I was walking across Oregon this year, I ran across a trail maintenance
> group (I think from the PCTA) near Three Fingered Jack.  They didn't have
> horses or chainsaws and were facing the daunting task of clearing dozens of
> trees using handsaws that had apparently fallen during a wind storm the
> previous winter.  When I inquired why they weren't using horses and
> chainsaws, I was surprised to hear that they were banned on that part of
> the trail.
> I'm not clear as to why such a ban would exist in the context of people who
> are actively performing trail maintenance.  It would seem to be at least an
> order of magnitude easier to clear a trail with a chain saw and a horse
> than by hand.  I would like to think that when I donate to organizations
> that do trail work that they aren't hamstrung by federal bureaucracy that
> impedes getting important work done.  Can anyone shed some light on this?
>
> Devon
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