"shortcuts" on Skyline

[Tim Le]

BOCCE also believes in some form of a regulated free market for trail design. If a current trail is found inefficient by many, naturally forming bypasses are totally acceptable, and may eventually take over the old trail, using trail signs to indicate best route, older paths will go back to a natural setting.

I don't know Ze. I disagree with this. If there's a trail already, I don't think we should be creating bypasses. This opens up the possibility of a lot of chaos.

For example, the Ski Hut Trail goes around several ridge spurs on the normal trail. In the winter when everything is covered by snow, a lot of this gets bypassed. But it would create havoc if people started creating bypasses over land just to make the trail more inefficient in the eyes of those who felt that way.

The idea of a trail being "inefficient" is also really subjective and kind of an odd term since hiking is a form of recreation that we are doing voluntarily. It's not like we're SAR on a mission or we have an emergency and need to take shortcuts to go down immediately. We're going UP a trail voluntarily. If there's a trail, I think we should just stick to it.

However, for various reasons, sometimes we do need to go off trail. But the rule here has always been: be discrete, take few people and leave as few marks as possible of your passage.

Regarding Skyline, I've only hiked it a few times a few years ago so I'm not sure how bad it is now. But when I hiked it, the trail was actually pretty clear to me, other than the bottom section where people were cutting switchbacks. It never really occurred to me that any part of it was "inefficient" because the trail is what it is and the goal was to hike the trail being what it is.

The only motivation I see for bypassing the trail (gaining ridges, etc) is to get there faster. The question then is why do people want to get there faster? Maybe they want to get home sooner, or maybe it's for a PR? Then one may ask, why not choose a shorter trail or why not base the PR on the accepted trail? But what's the accepted trail? I guess this can be debated but if we're honest, we know what the trail is and those taking shortcuts know they're taking a shortcut.

[neverwashasbeen]

Tram personnel told me that last Saturday they counted 90 people on the Skyline, I wonder how many of them took shortcuts?

[SDathlete]

I stand corrected....according to Wikipedia So Cal's population is 22million which includes these counties:

Los Angeles County....9.8million
Orange County....3.0million
San Diego County...3.0million
Riverside County....2.1million
San Bernardino County...2.0million
Kern County....800K
Ventura County...800K
Santa Barbara County...400K
San Luis Obispo County...250K
Imperial County....150K

[AlanK]

That word is already in use, and comes from a game designed to make people wander around all over the place. We don't want that. You might consider this:

Zébra = Zealots excepted but realists accepted

That way you can cleverly include your own name while forming an acronym that will confuse most but still still annoy Cynthia! (Sorry Cynthia, couldn't help myself!) Also, I have an affinity for words that start with z.

I would be reluctant to join a group that makes me look like a prisoner (standard zebra joke) but I would consider joining "Zealots Ejected Realists Only."

[Zé]

I don't know Ze. I disagree with this. If there's a trail already, I don't think we should be creating bypasses. This opens up the possibility of a lot of chaos.

I don't necessarily know what the best thing to do is. Nor am I personally caring about times (I've only been on skyline a few times anyways). But I simply am be realistic about the fact that there are going to be bypasses, whether you like it or not. Accept it, and learn how to deal with it.

[Cy Kaicener]

The best way to get lost is to take short cuts unless you have done it many times. Most of the time you should take the right hand fork. One main exception is when you are close to Coffman's Crag.
As Perry says - the trail bacomes a route when you are lost
If you are determined to take a short cut please block it off with branches or stones so others wont be confused.

[tinaballina]

It is really ugly. To me the aesthetic of a trail is more important than how fast I can get through it.

Agreed. I think someone decorating "their Christmas tree" falls into this category as well.

what does decorating a tree have to do with short cuts????????????????????????????????

[tinaballina]

I don't know Ze. I disagree with this. If there's a trail already, I don't think we should be creating bypasses. This opens up the possibility of a lot of chaos.

I don't necessarily know what the best thing to do is. Nor am I personally caring about times (I've only been on skyline a few times anyways). But I simply am be realistic about the fact that there are going to be bypasses, whether you like it or not. Accept it, and learn how to deal with it.

well said Ze

[tinaballina]

It’s the dang internets that are at the root of the problem, I tell ya!

Seriously though, the Web and GPS have made many routes accessible which had been previously unknown and/or too remote for many hikers. A couple of examples that come to mind (besides Skyline) are Register Ridge on Baldy and the Mountaineer’s Route on Whitney—both trace trails just a few years ago; now major thoroughfares. It’s simple—you put more boots on the ground and there’s going to be more boot prints. And if there is no established, maintained trail then there will be multiple paths, hopefully with one or two eventually prevailing (as Zip stated). You can try educating people about erosion and wilderness ethics and “morality”, but if your aim is to have the area return to how it was in some earlier time, then regulating usage and/or constructing a “real” trail (and I’m not advocating either) is likely the only solution in the long term.

As far as blaming the shortcuts and switchback cutting on those trying to improve their PR, I wonder if that’s the case. I mean, can you really go faster slipping and sliding on all fours uphill than you can by jogging up a properly built trail with switchbacks? You’d save time going downhill for sure, but there is a point of diminishing returns when climbing.

I’m not sure where the real trail is either (I just go the way Cy showed me ), but I think that we can all agree that Tina’s Christmas tree needs and deserves our love.

Thank you DaveG.

My tree has grown a couple feet in the past three years that i have been doing skyline (i think its three now, not sure). Point being, i say hello to my tree, i water it with my bladder (camel back bladder) water and pull off the dead branches. call me crazy, i admit i am, if you have a problem
with it sue me........pun intended.

[cynthia23]

I'm bailing on this discussion, as it's getting too nasty. I can see that some posters are feeling personally attacked about the issue of the shortcuts and overabuse. (for the record, again, I don't believe ANY of the posters are personally abusing the trail.) And I in turn am feeling defensive and resentful. The internet is not a good way to discuss this as it's too easy for it to get out of hand.

Which brings me to my next point. I got some info about meeting up at Whitewater Preserve, and I'm going to post it on my "face-time" post. Here's my suggestion: everybody come and we'll have a party! You know, food, drinks, blah blah. And yes, maybe some serious discussion about the stuff that's all concerning us: keeping the BLM from giving away three thousand acres, and how we, maybe, can figure out a better way to keep our beautiful trails, well, beautiful! Apparently Nov. 20 is open if we want to use the lodge to meet in; the preserve closes at five, but Frasier, the manager, said he would be willing to give me the key and let me lock up when we leave. Post your thoughts on the 'Face-time' post.

Peace, y'all.