Pet Trails

Thanks to all the responsible dog-walkers on the trail this morning. After my visit to the coffee shop, I decided to take an impromptu bike ride on the loop trail around town. It was a Monday morning, and the trail was packed with trail users. I say that with a smile, because every one of them was friendly, safe and responsible. There were no bike racers, trail hogs or grumpy pedestrians. It was a real mixed bag of trail lovers including one recumbent trike, a few bicyclists, a handful of lone walkers and dozens of dog walkers.

Dogs on Trails (Petiquette)

Today is the perfect day to be writing a post about dog-walking etiquette and rules for walking a dog on the trail. Because everyone was being very responsible and friendly. So what constitutes good dog walking behavior? Here are some simple trail rules for walking your dog responsibly:

1. Always be aware of other trail users.
2. Always be in control of your dog whether on a leash or off.
3. Pick up your dog’s poop and…
4. Dispose of your dog’s poop; bagging your dog’s poop then leaving that bag beside the trail is way worse than not bagging it at all.
5. Both you and your dog should be on the same side of the trail. If you’re on one side and your dog is on the other, then the leash is in-between. This means that you and your four-legged-friend are effectively blocking the entire trail. Uncool!!!!!
6. When you see or hear a bicyclist or trail runner approaching, be kind and pull your dog to one side or at least pull your dog close to you. Once again, don’t be a trail hog. (This rule applies to all trail users including group cyclists/runners/walkers. Don’t monopolize the trail. Other users have a right to pass you going in either direction, unimpeded.)
7. Your dog is awesome, but don’t assume everyone loves your dog as much as you do. Never let your dog jump on, lick, or even sniff a stranger. Some people are afraid of dogs, others are allergic and, believe it or not, some just plain don’t like dogs. Whether or not you can relate, that’s their right. I think my dog is pretty darned lovable, but I can certainly understand how others might not share this feeling.

Once again, thanks to all the responsible and friendly dog owners on the trails this morning. I appreciate both you and your dogs. I’m glad you were out enjoying the trails and being considerate of others who were enjoying the trails.

BTW, if you have any other suggestions or rules for pets on trails, please share them in the comments below. As I witnessed this morning, we can all get along on the trail, with a little trail etiquette, petiquette and common sense.

Comfortable Recumbent Design

Our trail vehicle of the day is the Aerobic Cruiser. Because it is an electric-assist vehicle, it may not be completely legal on all trails, but I’m not sure it’s something you’d have to worry about. Take a look at the Aerobic Cruiser recumbent bike in the video below and see if you can notice if it’s an electric bike. What is more noticeable is how comfortable the Aerobic Cruiser looks. The adjustable seat would allow bike riders to change the backrest to fit personal preferences and would be especially good for people with back problems.

Hybrid Cycle

The Aerobic Cruiser website refers to their recumbent bike as a human/electric hybrid cycle. They also call it “the world’s most sophisticated electric bicycle.” For certain, it looks as if it would be a sweet trail cycle. I look forward to test driving the Aerobic Cruiser sometime soon. When I do, I’ll give you further details on trailsnet.com. In the meantime, if anyone out there has ridden or owned an Aerobic Cruiser, please share your comments below.

Scenic Trails Are Recreational Trails

Mount Vernon Trail is part of the Potomac Heritage Trail

National Historic Trails was the topic of yesterday’s blog post, and we discovered that although important and educational, National Historic Trails are not necessarily recreational trails; therefore, they are not included in the trailsnet network of trails.

Definition of National Scenic Trails

“National Scenic Trails are continuous protected scenic corridors that offer superlative recreational experiences.” This is the official definition of a National Scenic Trail as found on the National Trails System Map and Guide. The word recreational is important in this definition because that is what qualifies these magnificent trails for inclusion in trailsnet’s network of trails on the internet. So they are included on trailsnet because they are recreational trails; they are loved by trailsnet because they are extremely long trails. They are what we refer to as destination trails. They are trails that people would be willing to travel to and maybe even plan vacations around.

List of National Scenic Trails

The GAP Trail is part of Potomac Heritage Trail also.

So without further ado, here’s your list of National Scenic Trails along with a link to each trail website so you can start researching your next trail vacation. Happy trails to you!!

• Appalachian National Scenic Trail – 2,175 miles – This is the grandaddy of them all and runs from Maine to Georgia.
• Arizona National Scenic Trail – 817 miles – This is one of the few scenic trails open to most non-motorized vehicles including bicycles. It traverses the entire state of Arizona from north to south.
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail – 3,200 miles – Like the Appalachian Trail, this trail spends a lot of time perched on mountain tops as it spans the United States from Canada to Mexico. It is a hikers paradise with many sections open to mountain bikes.
• Florida National Scenic Trail – 1,400 miles – Spanning the length of Florida, the Florida Trail visits Everglades, forests and open countryside.
• Ice Age National Scenic Trail – 1,000 miles – From Lake Michigan to St. Croix River, the Ice Age Trail provides a footpath across the northeastern portion of the United States.
• Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail – 65 – Although one of the shorter scenic trails, the Natchez Trace Trail is long on beautiful landscapes. Once an Indian trade route it developed into a popular trail for early explorers, soldiers and boatmen.
• New England National Scenic Trail – 220 miles – This hiking path provides both New England scenery and a link to 39 Northeastern communities.
• North Country National Scenic Trail – 4,200 miles – The longest of America’s scenic trails, the North Country Trail connects seven different states in its journey from New York’s Adirondack Mountains to North Dakota’s Missouri River.
• Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail – 2,650 miles – Made famous in Eric Ryback’s classic journey novel, the Pacific Crest Trail extends from Canada to Mexico along Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains and includes the states of Washington, Oregon & California.
• Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail – 1,200 – One of our newer scenic trails, the Pacific Northwest Trail treks through Washington, Idaho & Montana not far from the Canadian border.
• Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail – 1,100 miles – Such classic trails as the C & O Canal Towpath Trail, the Mount Vernon Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage trail.

Thanks to Steve Myers of Longmont, Colorado, we may one day have another National Scenic Trail known as the Great Plains Trail. This Trail will run from the grasslands of Montana to the Guadalupe Mountains of Western Texas and include trail sections in Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.

National Historic Trails Not on Trailsnet

Recreational trails are the main focus of trailsnet.com. Therefore trails for biking, hiking, inline skating and other recreational pursuits are critical components of our network of trails on the Internet. Unfortunately this does not include the extremely fascinating category of trails called National Historic Trails.

National Historic Trails “commemorate prominent routes of exploration, migration,

pioneer cemetery near trail

trade,communication, or military action. Today they generally consist of remnant sites, trail segments, or associated structures. Most are linked together by auto tour routes.”*

National Historic Trails are not recreational.  In some places no physical trail actually exists on National Historic Trails and where a physical route does exist, it is more likely to be a road than a path.

Despite not featuring National Historic Trails on trailsnet, it is worthwhile to highlight these incredible national treasures in today’s blog post. So below is a list of the United States National Historic Trails with links to their official websites:

• Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail
• California National Historic Route
• Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
• El Camino Real de Los Tejas National Historic Trail
• El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
• Iditarod National Historic Trail
• Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
• Nez Perce National Historic Trail
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Oregon National Historic Trail
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
• Pony Express National Historic Trail
• Santa Fe National Historic Trail
• Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
• Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
• Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
• Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail

A special thanks goes out to Jere Krakow, Director of the Oregon-California Trails Association and retired Superintendent of National Historic Trails. Jere was kind enough to meet with us in Albuquerque, NM to discuss National Historic Trails in general and the Great Plains Trail specifically.

*From the National Trails System Map and Guide

Three Longest Paved Trails

The following three trails are recognized as the longest paved trails in the world as of March, 2007. If anyone knows of any other long paved trails that might belong on our list, please leave a comment at the bottom of this trail blog post. So without further ado, your three longest paved trails are:

1. Trail of the Couer d’ alenes in northern Idaho – It’s long, it’s beautiful and it’s free. This is a great family trail as well as one of the best personal transportation vehicle trails in the world. This bike trail is 72 miles of paved perfection and is also great for Trikkes, recumbents, inline skates, tandem bikes and more.
2. Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio is 68.5 miles.
3. Willard Munger State Trail is in Minnesota and is 63 miles long.

Silver Comet Trail & Chief Ladiga Trail is the True Longest Paved Bike Trail

Hold the presses!! There’s actually a trail that is 100 miles long and is obviously longer than

any of thethree trails listed above. Unfortunately, it is considered to be two separate trails even though it is connected at the Georgia/Alabama state line. The Silver Comet Trail in Georgia is just shy of 65 miles. It connects with the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama; the Chief Ladiga Trail is 35 miles long.

I am enjoying a therapeutic foot massage as I write this blog post.

Plantar Fasciitis Relief

Hiking your favorite trail can be so relaxing and enjoyable… unless you have plantar fasciitis or some other foot ailment. Then hiking becomes a pain in the foot. In fact, plantar fasciitis can completely end your hiking and trail running career or hobby. As a result, an entire industry of foot pain relief products are available in stores and online. Most of these products provide some relief for some people. Of course it greatly depends on how long you’ve had foot pain, what is causing the foot pain and other factors such as age, intensity of exercise and physical shape of the individual.

Options for Relieving Foot Pain

Foot pain remedies abound on the internet and in various specialty stores. These remedies include:

• orthotics – provide foot support but are often expensive
  

  FootLog on carpet & linoleum

• physical therapy – great for ongoing treatment but also expensive
• cold therapy – bags of ice or frozen bottles of ice can be helpful, but not always available or convenient
• stretching devices – often worn at night, these boots or socks are helpful for some people, but can be uncomfortable and cause foot cramping
• foot rolling devices – basically these devices provide a foot massage that is convenient, inexpensive and quite therapeutic. Most of the foot roller devices are made of hard plastic. Some can be placed in the freezer so the benefits of cold are combined with the benefits of a therapeutic pressure massage. In most cases, the devices are only good for massaging one foot at a time and do not work well on hard surfaces such as linoleum, tile or hardwood floors. Which brings us to…

Footlog Foot Massager Product Review

The FootLog foot massager provides the benefits of the foot rolling devices listed above with some added bonuses. I found the FootLog to be incredibly convenient, comfortable, and effective. The list of
FootLog benefits include:

• It is relatively inexpensive.
• It allows the user to massage both feet at once.
• It can easily and conveniently be used on all types of floor surfaces, both hard
• and soft.
• The texture and shape of the FootLog provides just the right amount of stimulation to the foot without being painful. Some of the products have sharp, rigid prongs while the FootLog has soft, flexible nobs that provide just the right amount of stimulation.
• The FootLog does not require batteries.
• The FootLog is easy to clean, store and care for.

Foot pain can be anywhere from a mild inconvenience to a debilitating injury that ends or severely limits your ability to enjoy hiking and running. Whether or not you have a specific foot ailment the FootLog is nice to keep around the house. After a long trail run or path hike, FootLog offers simple relief for your aching feet. You can even use the FootLog while writing a Trailsnet blog post. As a matter of fact, that’s what I’m doing right now.

What works best for you when you get sore feet? Feel free to leave a comment below.