I often expound upon the safety virtues of trails, and it’s true that they are usually very safe places to ride your bike, hike, ride your horse, inline skate, run…
But even trails have their potential hazards. Thundershowers happen; people get lost. The best laid plans of mice & men sometimes go awry.
I started thinking about all this as a result of a comment (Thanks Barry!) regarding a recent blog-post on the trailsnet blog. Within a minute after reading a comment about the importance of letting someone know where you’re going on the trail, I came across a Twitter Feed for a website/company called TrailNote.com.
At Trails Note, their motto is “Get there. Get back. Be safe.” It’s succinct and to the point. And TrailNote has an online alert program to help you achieve your goal of trail safety. The program allows you to:
- Give your trip details.
- Set your trip time and date.
- Select your return time and your contact list.
- Mark your location.
- Go on your trip.
Okay, technically you don’t need an online program for that last step. But
TrailNote seems like a promising application to take trail safety to the next level. And best of all…. It’s FREE!!
So
visit TrailNote.com, login, and check them out. Because it’s important to (Here comes another TrailNote motto.) “Protect your adventure today!”
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/05/14/trail-notes-stay-found/
An afternoon on the bike trail could extend your life!!
So often, we hear about all the ways to help us live longer, and they often involve sacrifice. I mean, who wants to stop eating fun food. Most people would say, “Go ahead & take a couple years off my life if I can keep enjoying the treats I love.”
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| Hit the trail and help your heart!! |
But now, we’re finding out that there’s a fun way to get healthier and fight heart disease.
According to a recent study, “Three hours of bike riding per week could cut your risk of heart attack and stroke in half.” Wow… talk about having your cake and eating it too. Riding bicycles (especially on trails) is a blast!! AND… it’s good for you. Talk about doubling your fun!
Thanks to People for Bikes for a great web page with the above bike facts and more. They made a nice graphic showing the benefits of bicycling. If you get a chance, check it out.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/05/12/bicycling-saves-lives/
Last year, we sent out special congratulations to Wisconsin for their great biking trails.
This year, we’ve chosen Minnesota to receive the trail award. Minnesota gets our trail kudos for the following reasons:
- American Trails elected Minnesota as the Best Trails State last year.
- Minnesota has more miles of paved trails than any other state.
- Minnesota has an awesome shared trails program that makes maximum use of their wonderful trails.
- In addition to great paved biking trails, Minnesota also has an abundance of mountain biking trails.
- The League of American Bicyclists has named Minnesota among the elite bicycle friendly states.
- Bicycling Magazine Chose Minneapolis as the #1 bicycling city in the nation.
If every state shared Minnesota’s support and enthusiasm for trails and biking, then we would have taken a huge step toward:
- lowering our dependency on fossil fuels
- improving our environment
- promoting family togetherness
- ensuring healthy and fit citizens
- enjoying, respecting, and utilizing the great outdoors
Congratulations to Minnesota for their well-deserved awards for being a great trail state.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/05/12/minnesota-trails-on-top/
Why so many mileage markers on trails? Do we really need that many? Aren’t they kind of a waste of money?
Actually, there’s a very good, common-sense reason for the abundance of mileage markers on trails, and it has very little to do with keeping you from getting lost or helping you know how much further you have to go.
The most important reason for all those mileage markers is for emergency services. Say someone has a heart attack on the trail, or you discover a forest fire. The mileage markers help you to identify exactly where you are so emergency personnel can easily and quickly locate you and/or the incident.
So the next time you’re on the trail, take note of those mileage markers. Sometimes they’re every mile and other times every half, quarter, or even tenth of a mile. You may find them on a signpost beside the trail (such as on the C & O Canal Towpath trail in Maryland) or set in concrete in the middle of the trail. (Such as on the St. Vrain Greenway trail in Colorado.)
Enjoy the trail, but always be aware of your surroundings.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/05/11/trail-mileage-markers/
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| Find other trail biking enthusiasts |
If you’re looking for a group to ride bike trails with, then you may want to check out the Meetup website.
You can find all kinds of different group rides and trail gatherings in your area or around the country.
It’s an especially good website for active travelers who want to join a group trail ride while on the road.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/05/10/bike-trail-meetups/
Happy Mother’s Day to one and all.
I won’t bore you with a long and drawn out post. It’s spring, and there are some great trails you should be riding. So I have two trail suggestions for Mom to enjoy her special day.
First, for those of you in Colorado, I just published a St. Vrain Greenway trail guide on Everytrail.com. It’s the best little trail you’ve never explored. It’s one the whole family can enjoy, so click on the link in this sentence and check it out.
Secondly, for all the rest of you, if you haven’t been to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy traillink website lately, it’s time for you to head on over there. Wherever you live or you’re visiting, they’ve got a trail nearby.
Enjoy the day and, as always, HAPPY TRAILS!!
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/05/08/mothers-day-trails/
