Feb 22 2012

Trail Definition: What is a Trail?

How many miles of trails are there in the United States?

I posed this question to the Trails and Greenways forum on Yahoo Groups. And the ensuing discussion was incredibly informative and eye-opening. The short answer to my question was, “Nobody knows for sure what the total trail mileage in the U.S.” However, I was pleased to note that many people in the group agreed that it would be good to know that figure for numerous reasons, not the least of which is trail funding.

However, another very important question arose from the original trail mileage question. And that question was, “How do you define trail?” Some members wanted to know if little park trails that were mainly built to get park users from point A to point B (gazebo to pond for example) were considered trails. Would the C & O Canal Towpath be considered a trail?

How do you define trail?

trail bridge over stream

trail or no trail?

So I wanted to ask the trailsnet readers how they would define trail. Not to steer the conversation, but to help get it started, I’ll throw in one of my trail criteria. (or would that be criterion?) Keep in mind, this is just my opinion, so feel free to disagree. I think that any pathway that is physically connected to a road such as a sidewalk or bike lane should not be considered a trail. However, any connector trail or park trail, no matter how short, should be considered as a trail. (unless it is physically connected to a road)

So now it’s your turn. Using the comments option below, please share your definition of a trail.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/22/trail-definition-what-is-a-trail/

Feb 21 2012

Plan Your Next Trail Trip With MyCampMate.com

Finding a trail is the easy part. You just visit trailsnet.com trails page and the options are endless.MyCampMate logo

But what about all those other pesky little details like finding lodging or supplies or a restaurant? Now that part is easy too with MyCampMate.com. Thanks to CEO Tyler Campbell and the rest of the MyCampMate staff, you can find everything you need and even lots of things that are just plain fun.

One of the greatest qualities of MyCampMate is its ability to help you coordinate your next trip with your “mates.”  By using MyCampMate, the process becomes a seamless collaboration among trip participants. To begin, create an account on the website (easy-peasy). I was pleased that, unlike many other websites, MyCampMate didn’t require a heap of personal information in order to create an account. In fact it didn’t require too much more than a username, password, and email address. The next step is to give a name to your trip. In my case, I thought I would create a sample trip based on the Tammany Trace trail that I explored last year.

After adding a date for your trip, you get to start adding the fun details. For example, it’s at this point that you can add your trip mates. You do this by clicking on the “mates” link and then the +add a mate button. Since I didn’t know anybody in the system, I just jumped right to the top of the food chain by adding the head honcho, Tyler. (Don’t worry Tyler, I’ve already done the trip, so you can join the trip vicariously.)

It just keeps getting better. Next you add trip “info” using the ol’ color-coded-pin method. Red pins are for campsites, green ones for “stuff everybody gets to see,” and blue pins for “places that sell stuff.” (By the way, any website that uses the term “stuff” is my kind of site. It brings back memories of the Gong Show… we’ll be back with more STUFF.)

Now you move onto the “map” portion of the planning. This is where you’ll actually get a chance to place some of those colorful pins. As mentioned before, you can place some of the pins before your trip, to help in the planning and sharing stages. Then you can place more pins while you are actually on your trip. For example, if you find a great cajun restaurant or you discover that the Abita Brewery is just a couple blocks off the trail, you can add a pin sharing your wonderful discovery. Don’t forget to tell everyone about the free beer tasting on weekends.

So I’ve given you enough information to get started. Now it’s your turn to give it a try. And while I’ve got your attention, I have some more good news to share; if you’re an Android or iPad user, there’s an app (or soon will be) for you too.

If I had an extra thumb, I’d give MyCampMate three thumbs up. It is a great travel planning site with unlimited potential. Next time you’re planning a trail tour or vacation of any kind, give it a try and let us know what you think. We look forward to your comments.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/21/plan-your-next-trail-trip-with-mycampmate-com/

Feb 17 2012

Bicycle Safety Tips from the Onion & Trailsnet

Bicycle safety-tips according to the Onion. If you’ve got a sense of humor, you’ll enjoy the tips. If not, please refrain from clicking on the link at the beginning of this blog post. Either way, remember that the tips are offered tongue-in-cheek, so don’t take them too seriously…

Bicycle  Tips According to Trailsnet

…however, one of the tips offered by the Onion was:

email your representative about trail funding

contact your representatives

  • Does your city have adequate bike paths? If not, consider bitching about it to your local government for the next 40 years.

The Onion may  have presented that as a joke, but we present it seriously… with a little rewording. Here’s the trailsnet version of that Onion tip:

  • If you want more bike paths (or trails of any kind), they aren’t going to happen by magic. You will have to be vocal and be persistent. Write to your congress person, call a city council member, email your mayor, leave a message for your governor. Be vocal, be persistent, be heard. Now, more than ever, each one of us who appreciates and values trails must do more than just hope and wish. We must all be extremely proactive. Trail funding is being seriously challenged, reduced, and possibly eliminated. We can’t allow that to happen. Do your part to protect, preserve and expand trails.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/17/bicycle-safety-tips-from-the-onion-trailsnet/

Feb 13 2012

Support Recreational Trails Program

We are very pleased that Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has agreed to introduce an amendment to MAP-21 that will continue the RTP as a stand-alone program with its own funding.  The amendment is expected to be introduced this week – so the time for action is now.

If this amendment is approved, then the RTP should be protected in both the Senate and House transportation bills.  However, for Sen. Klobuchar’s effort to be successful, we must build support for her amendment.  We need you to CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY OR TOMORROW and ask them to support Sen. Klobuchar’s amendment to include dedicated funding for the Recreational Trails Program in MAP-21.

The key messages are simple:

trail through forest

support trails

  • Unless the bill is changed, MAP-21 will effectively eliminate the Recreational Trails Program; and
  • Please support Senator Klobuchar’s MAP-21 amendment to include dedicated funding for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP).

Other helpful messages include:

  •       For the last two decades, RTP has received a portion of the gas taxes paid by users of off-highway motorized vehicles to fund trail building, maintenance and other trail-related projects.  More than 13,000 projects have been funded across the country for all kinds of trail uses.  This is a very successful program.
  • At its current level of annual funding – $85 million – RTP receives less than 42% of the Federal Highway Administration’s conservative estimate of the federal gas taxes paid by America’s nonhighway recreationists.  Unless it is amended, the Senate bill will reduce that percentage to zero and impose a substantial new tax on motorized recreation enthusiasts.
  • The return of gas taxes to trail users through the RTP is in keeping with the user-pay, user-benefit philosophy of the Highway Trust Fund.  Ending dedicated funding for RTP takes these gas taxes away from the people who pay them.  Ending dedicated funding for RTP is bad public policy and just plain wrong.
  • The RTP is the foundation of state trail programs.  If the RTP loses its dedicated funding, organized trail planning and development will simply vanish in many areas of the country.

Additional background information can be found in the attached talking points.

If you are not sure who your Senators are or how to contact them, just use this link to identify them and find their telephone numbers:  http://www.senate.gov/.  The search tool can be found on the upper right of the webpage.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/13/support_trails/

Feb 13 2012

Recommended Trail: Longleaf Trace Rail Trail

Longleaf Trace Trail in Southern Mississippi

One of the most convenient trailheads in America is that of the Longleaf Trace Trail in Mississippi. Not only is there ample parking at the trailhead, but there is also a great bike rental shop with a variety of bicycle types including recumbents. Trail riders can also find biking supplies, trail snacks, & some helpful information. So, without further ado, here’s a little bit of information about the trail. For more detailed trail information about the Longleaf Trace trail including a trail map, visit this link.

Longleaf Trace Trail is Mississippi’s finest. How do we love thee oh great southern rail trail? Let us count the ways:t is a great trail side trip from New Orleans.

Longleaf Trace bike trail

Longleaf Trace is a southern charmer.

  1. It is also near the Tammany Trace trail just south of New Orleans.
  2. Because it is a paved trail with negligible hills, it is perfect for the entire gamut of personal transportation vehicles including recumbents, Trikkes, Elliptigos, inline skates, Street Striders, & more.
  3. For the same reason, it is the perfect trail for children, recreational bicyclists, commuters, seniors, etc.
  4. Due to its southern location, it makes a nice destination trail during the fall, winter & spring.
  5. It has an abundance of southern charm & makes a great southern travel destination.
  6. It is a botanists dream with labels for most of the trees including ones w/ unique names like loblolly Pine and Sugar Magnolia.
  7. The trail length is perfect for a two day ride starting in Hattiesburg, MS, traveling to Prentiss, MS; stay overnight in Prentiss then ride back to Hattiesburg.
  8. Rent a recumbent at the Gateway at Southern Miss bike rental center that just happens to be located right at the trailhead.
  9. Enjoy a southern immersion tour starting in the college town of Hattiesburg and traveling through quaint southern towns like Sumerall, Carson, Bassfield, & Prentiss.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/13/recommended-trail-longleaf-trace-rail-trail/

Feb 11 2012

Cycle Skates Prove Personal Transportation Vehicles Aren’t New

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/11/cycle-skates-prove-personal-transportation-vehicles-arent-new/