What I want to talk about is consideration of the other people we share
the trails with. This was brought to my attention by my father who was
kind enough to work as a trail spotter/number checker out on the trail
(in locations that required a 2-4 mile hike).
He asked, "Why can't endurance riders ride on only one side of the road?
They ride along the same path on single track trails, so why can't they
do the same on an 8ft wide road." Since he was required to hike (on
foot) on the trails that had been travelled by the horses in the ride,
he noticed substantial damage to the roads because of the softness of
the going. He understood why it is that people would want to ride side
by side, and he understood that people needed to use the whole road to
overtake. But he didn't understand why everybody who passed that way
had to take a different path--even if they were riding alone...or in a
group but not side by side.
The condition of the roads in Caspers Park on Sunday after the ride was
DEPLORABLE. Much of the mud had dried up by the time and (were it not
for the 3in of rain we have had in the last two days) these roads were
completely unpassable for bicycles and very unpleasant travel for people
on foot. In fact the single track trails, because of the higher traffic
all in one place, were in MUCH better condition.
My question is this: If ride management at the rider's meeting the
night before were to encourage(?) riders to stay to the left/right when
riding on roads...even if you have it all to yourself, would endurance
riders do it???
Paul says, "No." He thinks it is too hard for riders to remember such a
thing. (Is this a function of DIMR??)
I throw this out because, as somebody who spent a lot of time this
weekend out on the trail talking with all the non-riders (including some
people who had just come to the park to bird watch), almost all of them
expressed the same dissatisfaction with the state of the roads. If we
were to all ride to one side, it would demonstrate to these people that
we, as endurance riders and equestrians, are thoughtful and considerate
to other trail users.
My dad, though he is not a horseman and he heartily dislikes having to
hike through horseshit on the trail, understands that keeping the horses
from crapping out on the trail would be difficult (to say the least) and
he doesn't expect a rider to clean up after their horse every time it
craps on the trail. But, he says, staying to one side places no more
burden on the rider than that s/he engage his/her brain while riding.
My question is...and here I am not trying to be judgemental or
provocative...is this really too much to ask?
Just curious.
kat
Orange County, Calif.