Addressing Rogue Trails

Experienced hikers are ever mindful to follow the trail markings lest they accidentally turn off on some  trail that isn't really supposed to be there. We've all done it. Some avid hikers I know accidentally veered into a labyrinth of mountain bike trails, couldn't find a way out, and had to call 911 for a rescue.  Most of our trail users in Shelton are not experienced hikers, though. They tend to just follow whatever treadway is in front of them.  If the main trail bends and a newish rogue trail goes straight, they'll follow the rogue trail.  Here are two examples that were addressed in Shelton over the past week, demonstrating not just the confusion by trail users, but the extra hours that trail maintainers have to put in to address the issue. There are real reasons why unauthorized trails create problems!

Example One - The Paugussett Trail at Shelton Lakes. If you are heading up the hill from Silent Waters and Turkey Trot Trail northbound, the Paugussett takes a right turn behind a large tree to run parallel to the powerlines. The turn used to be easy to follow, but someone hacked out a shortcut between the curve and the powerlines, and that became heavily used by mountain bikes. I watched a series of pedestrians miss the trail turn, instead following the rogue trail out to the powerlines, stop, look around confused, then turn right to follow the powerlines. 

Paugussett hikers were missing the trail turn

The solution: The unauthorized trail did have some merit. Without the shortcut, people making loops at Shelton Lakes would need to stay along the powerlines for longer. So the rogue trail could stay. Could it be shifted a bit to make the trail junction less tricky? Not easily. The only solution then was a trail sign.  And the sign could be used to list what's up head.  That can pique their curiosity. A sign that says, "Wiacek Meadows 0.5 mi." is an invitation. 

Making a new sign

The original idea was to bring a 4x4 post so the sign could be installed right in the trail junction and impossible to miss. But that idea was rejected because bikers might crash into it. The sign would need to be installed on the tree to the right. People still might not notice it, however, if they are looking down at their feet as they climb the hill. So a big, eye-catching blue arrow was affixed to a tree to the left, pointing towards the new sign and the trail turn. A one-two punch. Hope that helps! 

New signage calling attention to the turn

This is a case where if we were designing a short-cut trail from scratch, we would had done it differently, so that it wouldn't confuse hikers. Connecting right where the Paugussett takes a sharp turn was a recipe for confusion. 

Example Two -- Indian Well Attempts to the Falls: Everyone is in a hurry to get to the falls!  The problem is a ravine so steep and unstable that only people who are part goat can go up and down it. And we do have a few people who prefer that route to the top of the falls so they can jump off (no, you're not supposed to do that, but people do). 

Several pathways entice people off of the Paugussett.
The trails seem promising but are a trap.

Most of the people on the trails are not that. We get a lot of extended families with young children, some carrying infants, with the grandparents tagging along. People in flip flops. Average people who don't want to hike, they just want to see the falls (especially since DEEP closed the Falls parking area). Most people are not accustomed to follow blazes or even look at a trail map. They just follow the most obvious worn tread. 

Installing a new sign along the Paugussett

In this case, we have rogue trails heading towards the brook, which people can hear up ahead, and which seems pretty promising if you're look for some falls. The main trail seems to be turning away from the brook at that point.  But while these rogue trails start out nicely, they either disappear at the edge of the embankment or are ridiculously steep and hard to follow. Even if people can get to the falls, they are on the uphill side at the top of the falls and there is no view. 

A new sign to discourage a wrong turn to the right. 
A second potential wrong turn is about 30 feet down the trail.

At the first troublesome junction, there are no trees to attach a sign to, so some 4x4's needed to be lugged up the hill, and then hole dug. The preferred spot had too much rock, and had to be abandoned. So the plans were changed and the holes dug in a new spot. One bad trail junction down. Several to go. The next junction was just thirty feet down the trail, which seemed to go straight ahead to what I call "Disappointment Rock." That's where the sign was originally supposed to go. Instead, lots of branches were piled up and then wired together. And the main trail was cleared a bit and more blazed added. 

Further on, as the trail once again approaches the top of the river bank, I saw people abandoning the trail and heading over to the edge, looking for a way down, and then looking confused. You can tell a lot of people do that. The solution there was more blazing and also throwing branches along the edge of the riverbank to make it less inviting. 

Hope that helps our hikers! For anyone who is ever tempted to create a new trail, please consider the impacts to other trail users and to wildlife that may be disrupted (we try to balance recreational access with wildlife needs in our conservation areas). If you think there is a real need for a trail or trail connection in Shelton, ask someone on the Trails Committee about it. 

What Kind of Winter Did We Have?

 That pretty much sums it up!