[cdt-l] Mapping Project

[Jim Wolf]

This thread, it seems to me, raises several different issues. I’ll try to
separate them and add a few comments.

**  First, should there be a single defined trail?

Yes, without a doubt.  This is an essential premise of the National Trails
System Act, which provides the CDT’s legal underpinning. The specific route
that is “designated” to be the official route receives a substantial measure
of legal protection – most significantly, this route must be managed as a
nonmotorized travelway (with limited exceptions for segments on roads or on
grandfathered trails). In certain cases, side trails may also be designated
and will receive equivalent protection – for example, BLM has agreed in
principle to a side trail to Columbus NM (though there has been no
follow-through).

**  Second, is deviation from the designated CDT an accepted and appropriate
part of the Trail experience?

Again, definitely so.  One reason for this applies specifically to
border-to-border hikers, who must follow a schedule that takes account of
the snows of Montana and Colorado. Following designated routes at all times
is likely to cause the hikers to fall short of their goals – so cutoffs and
roadwalks may allow them to save days and weeks. (But it is too bad that
they often miss some great country, as in the San Juans or along the
Montana-Idaho boundary.)

Another reason is that the most scenic or desirable route may not be the one
that was selected through the formal bureaucratic process. This is largely a
matter of subjective judgment – and, in my case, it is reflected in many of
the alternate routes described in the CDTS guidebooks. The Gila Wilderness
should not be missed – but it is not on the Forest Service’s selected route.
In some places, the official route is a nonmotorized path that tracks the
Divide closely – but it would be more sensible to drop down where you can
find water even if that means sharing your way with vehicles.

Finally, the generally-accepted freedom to make your own route adds an
entirely new dimension to the distance-hiking experience. You have to pick
and choose, and you have the satisfaction (or learning experience) that goes
with the choice you have made.

**  Third, is there a need for the proposed mapping project?

Generally, there is no need. When the Forest Service or BLM officially
designates a route, they circulate documents that show where the trail is to
be located. They often follow up with their own surveys – though the results
seem not to be routinely available to the public. So, for administrative
purposes, the existing practices seem to be fully satisfactory.

The remaining question is whether the project is needed to assist CDT users.
Overall, hikers have sufficient information now – both from the CDTS
guidebooks and available printed and digital maps. The recent guidebooks do
include some GPS coordinates, but only in selected situations where a
significant route-finding issue can be anticipated. Something would be lost
if you could load the entire track of the Trail into a GPS, so that all you
would need to do is follow its yellow brick road.

The current guide and map information does have its limitations,
particularly where there are relocations that should be incorporated. Hikers
have been helpful in noting these discrepancies and sending in observations
that result in needed changes. Many hikers have indicated their satisfaction
in providing just this kind of information (and they can be sure it is
greatly appreciated).

However, there are sections of the designated route (such as Grays Peak in
Colorado and the northern Black Range in New Mexico) that are not covered by
most existing sources. Additional field work there might make a
contribution.

(CDTS thanks everyone who has written to us about their trail observations –
if you are planning to hike in 2007 and would like to lend a hand, please
get in touch.}

Jim Wolf





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