"Where mountain bikers get into trouble is steep descents, where lack of skill or discretion (i.e. the sense to get off and walk) lead to locking the back wheel and sliding down."

The downhill part I instinctively understand, but how do they manage to get up steep ascents without losing traction on dry loose stuff and starting to throw rocks, dirt, etc? Or do they sometimes just have to get off and walk up as well? I've watched a lot of MTB's out on the local logging roads when I was still running. They can get pretty steep at times, and the bikers generally weave back and forth up the road, very slowly, to reduce the grade. I have often wondered how they would handle a narrow, equally steep trail, where weaving back and forth is not an option.

"I have often wondered how they would handle a narrow, equally steep trail, where weaving back and forth is not an option."

spinning with booty firmly planted on seat, even a SS must avoid the dreaded spinout 'til being forced to hike it

the other option is stupid pain, there is no real miles to cover with that doe

The whole Bikepacking and mountain biking thing is so foreign to me. Honestly, it just weirds me out - though I have nothing against it. I just moved from Vermont to SW Colorado. I can't get over the fact that the CT allows bikes (thankfully, for me personally, the wilderness areas don't). I finished the Long Trail just before leaving Vermont and I just feel like it would have been a very different experience if bikers were all over the place. Here in SW colorado, mountain bikers are everywhere. I haven't been hit yet and hopefully never will, but I do worry about it when coming around sharp corners. There have been some close encounters. Unfortunately for me (fortunately for the bikers!), very few trails in my area are hiking only; most allow biking, many allow dirt bikes, and all allow horses.

And the AT? That would be a travesty if people started biking it.

Edited by jleeb on 06/16/2012 18:59:53 MDT.

Came across this blog series, which appears to be describing the same trip as the one in the video above:

http://lacemine29.blogspot.com/2012/02/lost-coast-redux.html

There's a whole series following the linked post, goes most of the way through February 2012. Very cool stuff, great photography.

A few more points to consider in this discussion:

Trail design has much bigger influence on erosion and damage to neighboring vegetation than user type.

Keeping that in mind, if you are a hiker, do you only hike on properly designed and maintained trail? If not, you are doing more damage to the area than would be strictly necessary, which makes it hard to condemn people who travel by other means.

As far as busy trails go:

I know many areas in Wales have (voluntary?) restrictions on time of day for bikes on popular trails in peak season, same as dogs at beaches in many parts of the world. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. There are many trails or times of year/day that are not as busy. This is a good thing to consider for me too when I think of trail users whom I don't enjoy, like horses and motorized vehicles.

My bike for a recent fal trip on the Maah Daah Hey: