Cumberland Trail Info

[Time Zone]

TJ, Cleaner, and John - I hope you all have expressed to the CT offices your concerns about the trail. IDK if they monitor these forums to see the kind of lousy reputation they are getting, but somehow they need to know that their stated goals for the trail aren't being met. New trail is being built, efforts at acquiring easements and right of way are still going on ... newly-built trail is indeed nice, but old trail is neglected. That, when added to other shortcomings (trailhead access and parking, camping prohibitions, un-filterable water, traversing hunting areas) - make it unappealing for many. I suppose some wanting a great challenge will find it a true wilderness experience.

[john844]

TJ, Cleaner, and John - I hope you all have expressed to the CT offices your concerns about the trail. IDK if they monitor these forums to see the kind of lousy reputation they are getting, but somehow they need to know that their stated goals for the trail aren't being met. New trail is being built, efforts at acquiring easements and right of way are still going on ... newly-built trail is indeed nice, but old trail is neglected. That, when added to other shortcomings (trailhead access and parking, camping prohibitions, un-filterable water, traversing hunting areas) - make it unappealing for many. I suppose some wanting a great challenge will find it a true wilderness experience.

Yes I provided multiple trail reports and they seemed very surprised each time. After submitting the first couple, they called to talk in person. I was left with the impression that they didn't believe me. I offered to help with some trail maintenance or to re-blaze a lot of the sections close to home. I was told they would be in touch, but I never heard back.

Honestly, I gave up after reporting the first 6 or 7 sections.

John

[Time Zone]

Yes I provided multiple trail reports and they seemed very surprised each time. After submitting the first couple, they called to talk in person. I was left with the impression that they didn't believe me. I offered to help with some trail maintenance or to re-blaze a lot of the sections close to home. I was told they would be in touch, but I never heard back.

Honestly, I gave up after reporting the first 6 or 7 sections.

John

I think a number of people have had similar experiences. It's probably an issue of control, sometimes just called bureaucracy. They have a certain way of doing things, want to be sure it's done by their rules, to their standards, under their watch, with the right approvals, and on their timetable. For which they get credit. They don't want to deputize random hikers to fix inadequate blazing. Same reason, essentially, that we'd not be welcome to fix potholes ourselves on city streets. Granted, re-blazing should require a much lower level of expertise and equipment, but I think the principle at play is basically the same.

Ironically I bet they'd be just fine if random hikers cleared blowdowns. That would probably be seen as a different matter.