Section 2
The path as a built object
Cutting, drainage, maintenance and who does it.
The Pacific Crest Trail in southern Oregon.
Photo: The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in southern Oregon · Wikimedia Commons
- A path is dug, not wornSustainable trail is cut at a grade and outsloped to shed water; a path that was only walked into existence erodes into a gully.
- Every trail problem is a water problemWater bars, drainage dips and turnpiking exist because moving water is what destroys a path, not feet.
- Volunteers hold most of it togetherLong trails are maintained largely by organised volunteer sections, which is why condition varies by club rather than by terrain.