Trails

In this episode of the "I Can't Sleep" Podcast, fall asleep learning about trails. Trails? Yep, there are a lot of them and more uses than I thought. Better than that is you'll learn nothing about them because you'll be asleep before you get to the end. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast,

Where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice.

I'm your host,

Benjamin Bostor.

Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled,

Trail.

A trail is usually a path,

Track,

Or unpaved lane or road.

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland,

Path or footpath is the preferred term for a walking trail.

The term is also applied in North America to routes along rivers and sometimes to highways.

In the US,

The term was historically used for a route into or through wild territory used by immigrants,

E.

G.

The Oregon Trail.

In the USA,

TRACE is a synonym for trail,

As in Natchez trace.

Some trails are single use and can only be used for walking,

Cycling,

Horse riding,

Snowshoeing,

And cross-country skiing.

Others,

As in the case of a bridleway in the UK,

Are multi-use and can be used by walkers,

Cyclists,

And equestrians.

There are also unpaved trails used by dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles,

And in some places,

Like the Alps,

Trails are used for moving cattle and other livestock.

Usage In Australia,

The term TRACK can be used interchangeably with TRAIL,

And can refer to anything from a dirt road to an unpaved pedestrian path.

In New Zealand,

The terms TRACK or WALKWAY are used almost exclusively,

Except in reference to cross-country skiing.

Walkways vary enormously in nature from short urban strolls to moderate coastal locations to challenging tramps hikes in the high country mountains.

Walkway is used similarly in St.

John's,

Newfoundland,

Canada,

Where the Grand Concourse is an integrated walkway system.

In the United Kingdom,

The term TRAIL is in common usage.

Longer distance walking routes and government-promoted long-distance paths,

Collectively known as national trails,

Are also frequently called WAYS,

As in the Penine Way and South Downs Way.

Generally,

The term FOOT PATH is preferred for pedestrian routes,

Including long-distance trails and is also used for urban paths and sometimes in place of pavement.

TRACK is used for wider paths,

Wide enough for vehicles,

Often used for hiking.

The terms BRIDAWAY,

BYWAY,

RESTRICTED BYWAY are all recognized legal terms,

And to a greater or lesser extent in general usage.

The increased popularity of mountain biking has led to a proliferation of mountain bike trails in many countries.

Often these will be grouped to form larger complexes known as trail centers.

In the early years of the 20th century,

The term AUTO TRAIL was used for a marked highway route,

And TRAIL is now also used to designate routes,

Including highway routes,

Designated for tourist interests like the CABOT TRAIL in Nova Scotia,

Canada,

And the QUILT trails in the U.

S.

The term TRAIL has also been used by developers and urban planners for a variety of modern paved roads,

Highways,

And boulevards in these countries.

And some highways continue to be officially called a trail,

Such as the Susquehanna Trail in Pennsylvania,

A designation that varies from a two-lane road to a four-lane freeway.

A particularly usual use of the term is in the Canadian province of Alberta,

Which has multi-lane freeways called trails.

TYPES SEGREGATED TRAIL Trail segregation,

The practice of designating certain trails as having a specific preferred or exclusive use,

Is increasingly common and diverse.

For example,

Bike trails are used not only on roads open to motor vehicles,

But also in trail systems open to other trail users.

Some trails are segregated for use by both equestrians and mountain bikes,

Or by equestrians only,

Or by mountain bikes only.

Designated wilderness area trails may be segregated for non-wheeled use,

Hence permit backpacking and horses,

But exclude mountain bikes and motorized vehicles.

Often trail segregation for a particular use is accompanied by prohibitions against that use on other trails within the trail system.

Trail segregation may be supported by signage,

Markings,

Trail design and construction,

Especially selection of tread materials,

And by separation between parallel treads.

Separation may be achieved by natural barriers,

Including distance,

Ditching,

Banking,

Grading,

And vegetation,

And by artificial barriers including fencing,

Curbing,

And walls.

BICYCLE TRAIL Bicycle trails encompass a wide variety of trail types,

Including shared use paths used for commuting,

Off-road cross-country trails,

And downhill mountain bike trails.

The number of off-road cycle trails has increased significantly,

Along with the popularity of mountain bikes.

Off-road bicycle trails are generally function-specific and most commonly waymarked along their route.

They may take the form of single routes,

Or form part of larger complexes known as trail centers.

Off-road trails often incorporate a mix of challenging terrain,

Single track,

Smooth fire roads,

And even paved paths.

Trails with an easy or moderate technical complexity are generally deemed cross-country trails,

While trails difficult even to experienced riders are more often dubbed all-mountain,

Free ride,

Or downhill.

Cycling is particularly popular at ski resorts such as Mammoth Mountain in California,

Or Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia,

Where ski lifts are used to get bikes and riders to the top of the mountain.

Eurovelo bicycle routes are a network of currently 14 long-distance cycling routes criss-crossing Europe in various stages of completion.

More than 45,

000 kilometers was in place by 2013.

It is envisaged that the network will be substantially complete by 2020,

And when finished the Eurovelo network's total length will exceed 70,

000 kilometers.

Eurovelo is a project of the European Cyclists Federation,

ECF.

Eurovelo routes can be used for bicycle touring across the continent,

As well as by local people making short journeys.

The routes are made of both existing national bike routes,

Such as the Dutch LF routes,

The German D routes,

And the British National Cycle Network,

And existing general purpose roads together with new stretches of cycle routes to connect them.

Off-road cycling can cause soil erosion and habitat destruction if not carried out on established trails.

This is particularly so when trails are wet.

Overall though,

Cycling may have only as much impact as other trail users.

Cross-country skiing trail In cross-country skiing,

A trail is also called a track or a piste.

Recreational cross-country skiing is also called touring,

Especially in Europe.

Some skiers stay out for extended periods using tents and equipment similar to bushwalkers and hikers,

Whereas others take relatively short trips and from ski resorts on maintained trails.

In some countries,

Organizations maintain a network of huts for use by cross-country skiers in wintertime.

For example,

The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association maintains over 400 huts stretching across hundreds of kilometers of trails,

Which are used by hikers in the summer and by skiers in the winter.

Equestrian trail Horse riding and other equestrian uses of trails continue to be a popular activity for many trail users.

Horses can usually negotiate much the same grades as hikers,

But not always,

Although they can more easily clear obstacles in the path such as logs.

The Bicentennial National Trail,

BNT,

In Australia is the longest marked multi-use trail in the world,

Stretching 5,

330 kilometers from Cooktown,

Qld,

Through New South Wales to Healesville,

Victoria.

This trail runs the length of the rugged Great Dividing Range through national parks,

Private property,

And alongside of wilderness areas.

One of the objectives was to develop a trail that linked up the Brumby tracks,

Mustering,

And stock routes along the Great Dividing Range,

Thus providing an opportunity to legally ride the routes of stockmen and drovers who once traveled these areas with packhorses.

This trail provides access to some of the wildest,

Most remote country in the world.

The Bicentennial National Trail is suitable for self-reliant horse riders,

Fit walkers,

And mountain bike riders.

Within the United States National Trail Classification System,

Equestrian trails include simple day-use bridle paths and others built to accommodate long strings of pack animals on journeys lasting many days.

Trail design parameters for these uses include trail base widths and material,

Trail clear widths,

Trail clear height,

Access to water suitable for stock,

Not human,

Use,

And trail routing.

Footpath A footpath is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians,

Not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles and horses.

They can be paths within an urban area or rural paths through the countryside.

Urban footpaths are usually paved,

May have steps,

Are called alleys,

Lanes,

Steps,

Etc.

,

And may be named.

Other public rights of way such as bridleways,

Byways,

Towpaths,

And green lanes are also used by pedestrians.

In some regions of the United Kingdom such as England and Wales,

There are rights of way on which pedestrians have a legally protected right to travel.

National parks,

Nature preserves,

Conservation areas,

And other protected wilderness areas may have trails that are restricted to pedestrians.

Paths can be connected to form a long distance trail or way,

Which can be used by both day hikers and by backpackers.

Some of the trails are over 1,

000 miles long.

In the US and Canada where urban sprawls begin to strike even the most rural communities,

Developers and local leaders are currently striving to make their communities more conductive to non-motorized transportation through the use of less traditional trails.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has established the Active Living by Design program to improve the livability of communities in part through developing trails.

The Upper Valley Trails Alliance has done similar work on traditional trails while the Somerville Community Paths and related paths are examples of urban initiatives.

In St.

John's Newfoundland,

Canada,

The Grand Concourse is an integrated walkway system that has over 160 kilometers of walkways,

Which link every major park,

River,

Pond,

And green space in six municipalities.

Private paths can be located in different settings for various uses.

These can include disability and wheelchair accessible paths and sensory gardens and all of the above settings,

Gardens and design landscapes,

In private gardens and in public areas,

And at park visitors centers as natural history interpretive nature trails and design wildlife gardens.

A type of trail that was quite popular in the 1970s and 1980s but is less popular today is the exercise trail,

Also known as trim trail,

Which combines running with exercise stations.

Jogging or running paths.

Many runners also favor running on trails rather than pavement as giving a more vigorous workout and better developing agility skills,

As well as providing a more pleasant exercise environment.

Parks,

Including public spaces,

Urban parks,

Neighborhood parks,

Linear parks,

Botanic gardens,

Arboretum,

And regional parks.

Culture gardens and open air museums as sculpture trails and historic interpretive trails.

Urban pedestrian footpaths or trails are sometimes called alleys or lanes,

And in older cities and towns in Europe are often what is left of a medieval street network or right of ways or ancient footpaths.

Other paths also exist in some of the older North American towns and cities like Charleston,

South Carolina,

Newcastle,

Delaware,

And Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania.

Such urban trails or footpaths are narrow,

Usually paved and often between the walls of buildings.

This type is usually short and straight and on steep ground can consist partially or entirely of steps.

Some are named.

Because of geography,

Steps are a common form of footpath in hilly cities and towns.

This includes Pittsburgh,

Cincinnati,

Seattle,

And San Francisco in the United States,

As well as Hong Kong,

Quebec City,

Quebec,

Canada,

And Rome.

Stairway trails are found in a number of hilly American cities.

This includes the stairway trails in Bernal Heights,

East San Francisco.

Motorized trail.

Motorized trail use also remains very popular with some people.

Such terms as ORV,

Four-wheeling,

All-terrain vehicle,

And others actually have highly specific meanings.

In the United States,

This sport remains very popular.

The recreational trails program,

Defined as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991,

Mandates that states must use a minimum of 30 percent of these funds for motorized trail uses.

Off-road vehicle use on public land has been criticized by some members of the U.

S.

Government and environmental organizations,

Including the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society.

They have noted several consequences of illegal ORV use,

Such as pollution,

Trail damage,

Erosion,

Land degradation,

Possible species extinction,

And habitat destruction,

Which can leave hiking trails impassable.

ORV proponents argue that legal use taking place under planned access,

Along with the multiple environment and trail conservation efforts by ORV groups,

Will mitigate these issues.

Groups such as the Blue Ribbon Coalition advocate Tread Lightly,

Which is the responsible use of public lands used for off-road activities.

Noise pollution is also a concern,

And several studies conducted by Montana State University,

California State University,

University of Florida,

And others have cited possible negative behavioral changes in wildlife as a result of some ORV use.

Some U.

S.

States have laws to reduce noise generated by off-road and non-highway vehicles.

Washington is one example.

Water trail Water trails,

Also referred to as blueways or paddling trails,

Are marked routes on navigable waterways such as rivers,

Lakes,

Canals,

And coastlines.

For people using small,

Non-motorized boats such as kayaks,

Canoes,

Rafts,

And rowboats.

Some trails may be suitable for float tubing or developed in concert with motorized use.

They include signs and route markers,

Maps,

Facilities for parking,

Boat ramps or docks,

And places to camp and picnic.

There are also state programs and other promotion for water trails.

The American Canoe Association has compiled a database of water trails in the United States.

The National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Program has compiled a list of water trail resources,

Success stories,

And statewide contacts for water trails.

Shared Use Trail Shared use may be achieved by sharing a trail easement,

But within it maintaining segregated and sometimes also separated trail treads.

This is common in rail trails.

Shared use may also refer to alternate day arrangements,

Whereby two uses are segregated by being permitted on alternate days.

This is increasingly common in long-distance trails shared by equestrians and mountain bike users.

These two user communities have similar trail requirements,

But may experience encounters with each other on the trail as difficult.

The Trans-Canada Trail can be used by cyclists,

Hikers,

Horseback riders,

And walkers,

As well as cross-country skiers,

Snowmobilers,

And snowshoers in winter.

In the United States,

The East Coast Greenway,

3,

000 miles from Key West to the Canadian border,

And the September 11th National Memorial Trail,

A 1,

300-mile triangular loop connected to three 9-Eleven memorial sites,

Are two long-distance,

Multi-use paths for cyclists,

Runners,

Walkers,

And even equestrians.

In Belgium,

Ravel,

French for Rousseau Atom de Voile Autonomous Network of Slow Ways,

Is a Walloon initiative aimed at creating a network of itineraries reserved for pedestrians,

Cyclists,

Horse riders,

And people with reduced mobility.

The network makes use of tow paths on riverbanks and disused railway or vicinal tramway lines.

Old railway lines have been leased by the Walloon government for 99 years using infatuitic lease contracts.

Where necessary,

New paths are created to link parts of the network.

In England and Wales,

A bridleway is a trail intended for use by equestrians.

But walkers also have a bridleway,

And Section 30 of the Countryside Act 1968 permits the riding of bicycles on public bridleways,

Though the Act says that it shall not create any obligation to facilitate the use of the bridleway by cyclists.

Thus,

The right to cycle exists even though it may be difficult to exercise on occasion,

Especially in winter.

Cyclists using a bridleway are obliged to give way to other users on foot or horseback.

The seawall in Stanley Park,

Vancouver,

British Columbia,

Canada is popular for walking,

Running,

Cycling,

And inline skating.

There are two paths,

One for skaters and cyclists,

And the other for pedestrians.

The lane for cyclists and skaters goes one way in a counterclockwise loop.

Foreshore Way,

Also Ocean Way,

Is a term used in Australia for a type of greenway that provides a public right of way along the edge of the sea open to both walkers and cyclists.

Forest Road A forest road is a type of rudimentary access road built mainly for the forest industry,

Although in some cases they are also used for backcountry recreation access.

There is open access to most forestry commission roads and land in Great Britain for walkers,

Cyclists,

And horse riders and since the Countryside Bill of 1968,

It has become the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Britain.

The commission works with associations involved in rambling,

Cycling,

Mountain biking,

And horse riding to promote the use of its land for recreation.

The trails open to the public are not just forest roads and a notable example of the commission's promotion of outdoor activity is the Seven Stains Project in Scotland,

Where seven purpose-built areas of mountain bike trails have been laid including facilities for disabled cyclists.

Hollow Way A hollow way,

Also Hollow Way,

Is a sunken path or lane,

I.

E.

A road or track that is significantly lower than the land on either side,

Not formed by the recent engineering of a road cutting but possibly of much greater age.

Various mechanisms have been proposed for how hollow ways may have been formed,

Including erosion by water or traffic,

The digging of embankments to assist with the herding of livestock,

And the digging of double banks to mark the boundaries of estates.

These mechanisms are all possible and could apply in different cases.

Rail Trail Rail trails or paths are shared-use paths that make use of abandoned railway corridors.

They can be used for walking,

Cycling,

And horse riding.

They exist throughout the world and the following is a description of trails in Australia.

Following the route of the railways,

They cut through hills,

Under roads,

Over embankments,

And across gullies and creeks.

Apart from being great places to walk,

Cycle,

Or horse ride,

Rail trails are linear conservation corridors protecting native plants and animals.

They often link remnant vegetation and farming areas and contain valuable flora and fauna habitat.

Bineries and other attractions are near many trails,

As well as B&Bs and other great places to stay.

Most trails have a gravel or dirt surface suitable for walking,

Mountain bikes,

And horses.

In the USA,

The 27-mile-long Cheshire Rail Trail in New Hampshire can be used by hikers,

Horseback riders,

Snowmobilers,

Cross-country skiers,

Cyclists,

Or even dogsletters.

In Canada,

Following the abandonment of the Prince Edward Island Railway in 1989,

The government of Prince Edward Island purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system.

The Confederation Trail was developed as a tip-to-tip walking,

Cycling,

Graveled rail trail,

Which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months,

Operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association.

A considerable part of the Trans-Canada Trail are repurposed defunct rail lines denoted to provincial governments by CP and CN Rail,

Rebuilt as walking trails.

As such,

Much of the Trans-Canada Trail development emulated the successful Rails to Trails initiative in the United States.

The trail is multi-use and,

Depending on the section,

May allow hikers,

Bicyclists,

Horseback riders,

Cross-country skiers,

And snowmobilers.

Toe Path A toe path is a road or path on the bank of a river,

Canal,

Or other inland waterway.

The original purpose of a toe path was to allow a horse or a team of human pullers to toe a boat,

Often a barge.

It can be paved or unpaved and are popular with cyclists and walkers,

And some are suitable for equestrians.

In Scotland,

Equestrians have legal access to all toe paths,

And there is a campaign for similar rights in England and Wales.

In snowy winters in the USA,

They are popular with cross-country skiers and snowmobile users.

In Britain,

Most canals were owned by private companies,

And the toe paths were deemed to be private for the benefit of legitimate users of the canal.

The nationalization of the canal system in 1948 did not result in toe paths becoming public rights of way,

And subsequent legislation,

Such as the Transport Act of 1968,

Which defined the government's obligations to the maintenance of the inland waterways for which it was now responsible,

Did not include any commitment to maintain toe paths for use by anyone.

However,

Some ten years later,

British Waterways started to relax the rule that a permit was required to give access to a toe path,

And began to encourage leisure usage by walkers,

Anglers,

And in some areas,

Cyclists.

The British Waterways Act of 1995 still did not enshrine any right of public access,

Although it did encourage recreational access of all kinds to the network.

Although the steady development of the leisure use of the canals and the decline of commercial traffic had resulted in a general acceptance that toe paths are open to everyone,

And not just boat users.

The concept of free access to toe paths is enshrined in the legislation which transferred responsibility for the English and Welsh canals from British Waterways to the Canal and River Trust in 2012.

Not all toe paths are suitable for use by cyclists,

But where they are and the canal is owned by British Waterways,

A permit is required.

There is no charge for a permit,

But it acts as an opportunity to inform cyclists about safe and unsafe areas to cycle.

Some areas,

Including London,

Are exempt from this policy,

But are covered instead by the London Toe Path Code of Contact,

And cyclists are required to have a bell,

Which is rung twice when approaching pedestrians.

Parts of some toe paths have been incorporated into the National Cycle Network,

And in most cases this has resulted in the surface being improved.

In France it is possible to cycle,

Rollerblade,

And hike along the banks of the Canal de Midi.

A paved stretch of 50 kilometers from Toulouse to Avignonet-Lorraiguet,

And another 12 kilometers between Béziers and Porte-Aignes are particularly suited to cycling and rollerblading.

It is possible to cycle or walk the entire Canal de Dieu-Mer from Set to Bordeaux.

Other French canals provide walkers with many excellent routes,

As they are always accompanied by a toe path,

Which makes a pleasant off-road track and have the added virtues of flatness,

Shade,

And an abundance of villages along the way.

The walk in a canal can be monotonous,

So that a long trip beside a canal is better done by bicycle.

Reviews

The combination of boring topics and Benjamin’s soothing voice is a winner every single time! Thank you for putting me to sleep!

It was so interesting... then I woke up. What a great idea!
Thanks!

Awesome!

Very interesting loads of research, well done. This is very different very enjoyable thank you Namaste 🙏🏻 I intend listening to all your wonderful work......followed by sleep

Ok, that one was boring! Thank you!

The audio seem to break up several times through the session.

I fell asleep immediately. 💤💤💤