New additions to the Mt. Olympus trail --- Huge Cairns??? --- Opinions?
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Check out this story.... |
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While it's too late to save Mount Olympus, I eagerly await your option on how the upcoming Division Wall adopt a crag should be done, and what you were taught about belay platforms. |
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sfotex wrote:While it's too late to save Mount Olympus, I eagerly await your option on how the upcoming Division Wall adopt a crag should be done, and what you were taught about belay platforms.First off, Rule #1. Don't be a dick. Secondly, just because an area is beyond saving, doesn't mean we should further destroy the area. There are many hikes and destinations I love far more than Olympus but that doesn't mean I want to see the area ruined in the name of "safety." Third, I have never climbed there so an opinion on the needs of the area would be inappropriate. |
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Kyler R wrote: First off, Rule #1. Don't be a dick.Do you mean the person that sits at home and is critical of volunteers performing much needed trail work on a heavily used, unmaintained trail, or the person that points out that the original poster is being a dick? Why don't you go up there and see what was done before offering up your option? |
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sfotex wrote: Do you mean the person that sits at home and is critical of volunteers performing much needed trail work on a heavily used, unmaintained trail, or the person that points out that the original poster is being a dick? Why don't you go up there and see what was done before offering up your option?Classic. And well said. |
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First of all, I also have never had an issue following the olympus trail, although the top scrambly section could confuse your average first time non-climber. However, I think with or without this cairns people are still likely to get lost. Some people aren't prepared, so they get lost. Cairns are used all over the place for directional purposes, and are very useful. These might be totally overkill as far as sizing goes, but it won't ruin my experience. |
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Just saw those pictures. WOW. My wilderness experience on Olympus is RUINED now. Might as well stay inside and do some e-hiking on the Nintendo Wii. |
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I hiked Olympus with my brother on Friday, the day before they started the trail work. We actually saw the forest service folks headed up as we were hiking down. |
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First, the Mt. Olympus trail may be in wilderness but it is urban wilderness which attracts a whole host of issues. Second, there are certainly sections of the trail that need some help for the first time hiker. As such, I do not mind some improvements. Especially, if it reduces the number of calls to SAR. |
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Allen Sanderson wrote:Hopefully, between the FS and Mtn. Club crews some real thought was put into the cairn placements. That said the picture of the one cairn does seem rather large.The cairns were purposefully made large so they can't be accidentally or purposely dismantled with ease. Small cairns function well but as you know a line of small cairns is usually just to show where the last guy got lost on the mountain. |
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Allen Sanderson wrote:However, I have kicked over a lot cairns in my time because they are IMHO typically not needed or poorly thought out and thus of little use.Based on your statement, I think you mean IMO. Otherwise you wouldn't have knocked down what others thought valuable enough to take the time to build. IMHO of course. Pt |
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Allen Sanderson wrote:I have kicked over a lot cairns in my time because they are IMHO typically not needed or poorly thought out and thus of little use.Are you sure you're not confusing cairns for pins? Tom- |
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I get lost a lot. Every time I see a cairn I think "thank god!" Please don't kick over cairns that mark the right way. |
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Pontoon wrote:I get lost a lot. Every time I see a cairn I think "thank god!" Please don't kick over cairns that mark the right way.I rarely knock over cairns unless I know they are going the wrong way or aren't necessary. People like to build them next to obviously trafficked trails. I climbed Wham Ridge a few weeks ago and the descent/3rd class ascent had a single big cairn that marked the place to start traversing off and conversely the right gully to go up. Used in moderation they're very helpful and don't intrude on the wilderness experience. Seeing twelve different trails because of the lack of cairns somewhere is worse than a single delineated one. It's the same reasoning the USFS builds trails in wilderness in the first place. Just imagine if the Mount Olympus trail stopped at the wilderness boundary. |