Trails that are not maintained deteriorate due to overuse

To The Daily Sun,

I'm appalled at the fact that any newspaper would submit an article by a citizen without vetting the facts. In Friday's Daily Sun, an article was written for the Outdoors column. It began well, with sweet esthetics about mountains. The huge picture of Little Haystack Mountain showed a wonderful trail that is maintained by the West End Trail Tenders, started by Guy Waterman. I noticed the impeccable maintenance to keep people on the trail and the beautiful steps going up to the summit. Those are not natural. They were put there by the trail crew to protect the environment. That is done by trail crews not only here but all around the country, and all over the world. Trails that are not maintained deteriorate from erosion due to overuse.

Our Belknap trails are loved by a large number of people who are tired of the eroded trails in the White Mountains. These numbers do take away the serenity feeling written by the author of the article written for The Sun. The trails are becoming eroded and must be maintained to prevent future erosion to protect them and to make safer ways for hikers. If a trail is too steep, it erodes quicker, down to bedrock where the water is flowing anyway, and it becomes slippery and dangerous for hikers, and must be rerouted.

The Belknap Range Trail Tenders (BRATTS) are attempting to improve the trails in the Belknap Range that were originally (traditionally) made by people just wanting to go to the summit the quickest way possible, straight up the fall line, which makes it difficult to maintain when more and more hikers are enjoying the outdoors. The BRATTs were approved to maintain these trails by the state, and were even given an award for volunteers, by the state. Gunstock requested and approved the work done by BRATTS, and we have been given permission to work on trails on the private lands that some of the trails traverse.

I have been many places around the United States and other countries where trails are closed due to safety issues. Why should it be any different here? If someone wants to use the closed trails, they are not stopped from doing so; in fact, bushwhacking is also traditional. But to open up a closed trail spells danger to those hikers who are not aware of the dangers above. Feel free to wander, but please don't lead others astray!

Peggy Graham

Belknap Range Trail Tenders

Sanbornton