[pct-l] Posting request to Blog

[Barry Teschlog]

Erin Wrote:
Hi - I just hiked several days down-mountain from Timberline Lodge to
Cascade Locks and while we really need the rain, I am not complaining about
the weather.  I hiked alone and wanted to ask about horse/ equine trails -
what makes a trail a horse trail?  There was a section before the Sandy
River (possibly the fork/ junction with old OSD) that was cautioned re:
horses and stock / hikers - what makes a horse trail a horse trail?

ErinReply:  
A trail suitable for stock is constructed and maintained to different standards than one intended for hikers only.  

One specific example on the layout and construction is the trail grade.  The PCT, for example, is limited to about a 10% grade average, with short sections of up to 15%.  If the grade is too steep, it's unsuitable for horses, either because the horse will have difficulty getting up or down the grade, or the effort expended will result in damage.  Compare and contrast the PCT to the AT - the AT is hiker only, doesn't have switchbacks to reduce grade, often times is straight up / straight down a hill side, is steep, etc.

Another example on layout and construction is steps and check dams.  Generally, they're avoided if possible, but when necessary, on a horse trail, they should be, if possible, 8 feet from step to step so that a horse can have all 4 hooves on one platform before stepping up to the next one.  Note that checks are sometimes installed to correct / mitigate an erosion problem or trenched trail and may need to be closer.
Yet another example on layout and construction is the width of the trail.  If the trail is traversing a steep hillside, an equestrian trail should be wide enough, or have places built in, where it would allow horses going in opposite directions to pass, if possible.  An example of where this isn't possible on the PCT is approaching the Kendal Katwalk, about 5 miles north of Snoqualmie Pass.  There is a sign warning equestrians to dismount and scout ahead on foot to insure there isn't any horses coming as there is no room to pass.
On maintenance, when logging out a horse trail, any logs higher than knee high to the ground need to be cut back to a gap of at least 8 feet, to allow a pack train to pass.  Pack animals with panniers are quite the wide load.  On hillsides, on the uphill side, the log should be cut back far upslope on a horse trail due to the geometry of pack animals with panniers - they protrude quite far.
Similarly, when brushing, an 8 foot wide swath is standard on stock trails, and clearing branches and other obstructions to 10 feet high is standard - again, width is set by pack stock, and the height by a rider on saddle stock.
On hiker only trails, all of those maintenance clearing limits can be less and allow unimpeded travel.

As Sweet Goat Mamma mentioned - structures also matter.  On a hiker only trail, a steep narrow gorge, for example, could be bridged by a single log bridge with hand rails, while a horse bridge is a far more complex & expensive structure to construct.  On a hiker only trail, a pair of logs that have been hewn to fit together can form a low to the ground "bridge" over the boggy spot - this isn't a suitable structure on an equestrian trail.