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Chain saw as scalpel

By Ed Lynch

There is nothing quite like heading into the high mountain woods with a group of like-minded, environmentally conscious, nature loving, concerned, caring individuals from all walks of life armed with picks, shovels, axes, pry bars and the occasional chain saw, hell-bent on hacking out a trail where there was none before.

Now, normally , a chain saw in the woods has all the appeal of a jet ski blasting past your sailboats bow or a snowmobile running over the shovel of your cross country skis, but in building trails, they are often indispensable. Sometimes, the best way to preserve an area is to cut a trail through it. Trail building isn’t so much eliminating damage as it is damage concentration. Where humans pass, whether on foot, horseback, mountain bike, motorcycle, ATV, or SUV, there will be damage. Without direction, people take the path of least resistance or of greatest attraction. In so doing, people often hike with little regard for the impact that their path will cause. Someone else follows their footsteps and in time, a “social trail” is formed. The problem with this is that eventually, this trail often creates an erosion problem or a safety concern. When a trail collects water and makes a puddle, people walk around it and widen the trail,which usually forms a larger puddle. An area may be marshy in the spring and dry in the fall. The spring hikers create a trail separate from the fall hikers. Or, an area may be appealing at first glance and prove to be a dead end further up the trail, often creating a dangerous cut to get back to the correct route. All in all, the more an area is used, the more misdirected social trails are developed.

Often, as we hike along a trail through the woods, our thoughts are occupied with the final destination of our outing or the scenery we encounter along the way. If you have forgotten about the trail itself, chances are that it was a well-constructed trail. You were able to look up at the trees or the mountain panorama and weren’t overly preoccupied with your footing or finding your way. You arrived at your destination with a little energy left because you weren’t battered and bruised from a trail that was more work than it should have been. You found your way easily to your destination because the trail was obvious and well marked. Even though the trail was popular, it went unnoticed because it was built to withstand plenty of traffic, whether foot, bike or horse. The rain and snow hadn’t made the trail impassable because of poor drainage. Let’s face it: good trails are forgettable. Good hikes may be memorable, but the trail should be the least of your memories.

That is, of course, unless you built it. Which brings us back to our friend, the chain saw. Think of trail construction as corrective surgery and the chain saw as the scalpel. The next time the smell of burning two stroke oil offends your sensibilities, hopefully it is a crew of well trained people cutting a better route through the woods. Or, as a doctor might say: “This is going to hurt a little, but you’ll be a lot better off when this is done.”