Trail Etiquitte For Dummies

Alright - now, I know that not everyone is as wonderfully brilliant as your trusty little backcountry maven here, but really. Proper trail etiquette is really just a matter of common sense, courtesy and forethought that helps everyone to maximize their ability to enjoy the hike. Here are a few general guidelines to keep in mind when you put your boot to the trail:

• People coming up-hill have the right-of-way: Although it may not seem to some that the laws of physics apply to them, momentum is a very real force and the perception of momentum is a very real psychological tool. When you're sweating up a hill - particularly when you have a heavy pack on - you don't want to loose your momentum (real or perceived). Being younger, faster, or better dressed does not exempt you from this rule - in fact, it doubles the penalty. Step aside and salute those who are working harder than you.
  
  
• Respect the expanded personal-space: There's a reason some crazy folks choose to drive out to the trail head and walk for hours on end, and it isn't just because it gives us a reason to buy some killer shoes. For some of us, we feel an almost unquenchable urge to escape the oppressive crush of people that defines our everyday lives. So, it logically follows that when we're out there attempting to reconnect with a more natural population density, we don't want to have strangers riding our bumpers (friends are okay). Give it a little space, dude. This holds doubly true if you're in a chatty mood, if you are accompanied by child under the age of 18 or if you smell like Mango body butter. (Noted exception: on especially crowded segments of trail, required personal space may be contracted for the sake of convenience - but conversation is to be limited to the condition of the trail, a debate over the pronunciation of Teva or the correct way to punish squirrel-feeding tourists.)
  

There is just about the right amount of space between the photographer and the next group on the trail here on the Tonto in the Grand Canyon

• Trail cutting is just plain stupid: Somebody, at some point, decided the trail should follow a certain alignment, and it is highly unlikely that you know more about trail design than that person (unless you're me, Justineoo or Steve Anderson). It may not seem logical to you as you're ploughing through the universe, oblivious to things like erosion hazards, sensitive plantings or really cool vistas. In fact, the design may seem unnecessarily easy, and 'wouldn't it be easier just to trample this poor little flower in my pursuit of a faster up-hill record'. Do the natural world and other hikers a favor: follow the creator's little path, no matter how silly or simple it may seem. Not only might you save the trail crew a little work down the road or prevent the death of the last Ajo Lilly on the mountain - you may give the trail designer a needed ego boost. (If you find yourself frequently desiring to cut the trail or if you are regularly frustrated by trail design, I recommend off-trail hiking. Try it blindfolded with your right hand duct-taped to your abdomen. Give yourself a real challenge, you ambition junkie. Or, better yet, become a landscape architect.)

• Let Hiking Dogs Hike: The proper way to approach a dog on a trail is with a cheery disposition and a general 'I don't care' attitude. This will accomplish a number of things. If the dogs are friendly, they'll approach you and gift you with slobber and tail wagging (perhaps even a nose to the groin, if you're lucky). If they're not, they'll walk right past you because you are not presenting a threat to them or their human pack mates . If you hate or fear dogs, then it is much more likely that the dog encounter will be brief and painless. Practicing any of the following alternatives could result in a less desirable encounter, including barking, biting, and possibly even a walking stick in the eye: waving hands frantically, running up to the dog with your face at nose level, shouting (especially "control your dogs"), screaming, running or siting any form of leash law out loud. (Note to dog owners: keep an eye on your pooch friends - it's easier to remove a chunk of cholla from their paw then their mouth, which is where they'll put their paw just after getting cholla in it. Careful watching helps other times, too, but the cholla thing is big. Trust me.)

• Share the trail with other users: Equestrians, mountain bikers and even OHVers use many of the same trails as hikers. Of course, this completely sucks for everyone involved, but is a necessary byproduct of some people having strange hobbies (what's wrong with walking for pete's sake). Etiquette says that hikers should step to the side of the trail and allow these deserving, honest folks to pass and enjoy their day. That's all well and good, but if I'm gonna automatically yield right-of-way like a second-class trail user, then I want something in return. Equestrians should clean up after their horses or find a way to keep their animals from crapping all over my walking surface. Mountain bikers should have to replace all of the rocks that they break loose as they tear up a steep slope. And those OHVers should be required to use vehicles that emit no more carbon and noise than I do after a dinner of dehydrated tuna and broccoli. After all, we all just want to 'leave no trace', right?

Wow, hiking maven, this has really enlightened me! I want to go hiking and practice what I've learned! Well, young padawan, watch for my 'hike of the month' blog that I may or may not write in the near future. If you're really desperate, check out this really awesome hike in Zion National Park. The good part starts a ways down the page (or up the trail, however you look at it).