Re: RC: Permanent Trail Markings

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

> A few months ago we posted to RideCamp concerning Permanent Trail 
> Markings on National Forest or Other Federal Lands.  We are still 
> trying to convince the local Forest Service that it's a good idea to 
> allow us to do this.  What we are looking for is copies of other Forest
Service Permits  from rides that use the permanent trail markings.  If
anyone would  help us we'd be forever in your debt!

We hold our ride on a Georgia Wildlife Resources Area.  From what I
understand, the ONLY way we are allowed ot have a horse trail is if it is
permanently marked.  So, the horse club mapped off the trails, got them
approved, and then WE had to go in and paint markers on the trees.  We
have to re-do them every year or so and it's a pain.  We don't use these
markers for our ride, since it's marked more for the convenience of
helping people find their way day to day, rather than loops for a race. 
It took several years to get a system that we liked...One route up, and
the east brow is all white.  Another route up and the west brow is all
orange. One 10 mile loop that the hikers use a lot is blue and overlaps
the white in places.  Short connector trails are green.  The competitive
trail people just hand out a map telling the riders what color to follow
for what distance, and put up a couple of pie plates here and there. 
They get lost a lot.  We mark the whole thing as if there were no markers
on any tree.

So, for our competitions the permanent markers don't help much here. 
We'd like to get more horse trails, but for the small group of riders we
have that does *all* the maintenance, we simply can't mark and keep any
more clear than we've already got.

Angie
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