#!markdown
I am trying to take a step back and understand the parallels you are making
here, but I am having trouble. From what I can tell, you are arguing that the
logs and traps placed across trails by the Kraals fall in the same category as
any other trail building activity, but it is performed by a different user
group with a different goal in mind and thus held to a double-standard.
Firstly, if you look at the what the Kraals did as structure building, this
building is most certainly unauthorized. Unauthorized building on Fromme by
any user group gets removed and is not legitimate.
Secondly, recent trail building has been done in a context of safety and
sustainability (although you may disagree). Having obstacles across a trail
that come up in short visible notice result in heavy braking, which causes
erosion. Also, building must be done to ensure adequate notice to riders of an
obstacle coming up. Features built by mountain bikers that do not provide
enough expectancy are rectified or removed. To take your example of closing
off a braid, it would always be done in a manner that a user expects. A braid
would be closed off at the edge of the proper trail and not halfway down a
slope once a user has committed to a braid.
The placement of obstacles by the Kraals at blind locations was certainly
dangerous, unsustainable, unauthorized and led to poor user experience. What
the Kraals did was not good trail building. So I don't really see any double
standard here.
April 16, 2015, 1:03 p.m. - DMVancouver
#!markdown I am trying to take a step back and understand the parallels you are making here, but I am having trouble. From what I can tell, you are arguing that the logs and traps placed across trails by the Kraals fall in the same category as any other trail building activity, but it is performed by a different user group with a different goal in mind and thus held to a double-standard. Firstly, if you look at the what the Kraals did as structure building, this building is most certainly unauthorized. Unauthorized building on Fromme by any user group gets removed and is not legitimate. Secondly, recent trail building has been done in a context of safety and sustainability (although you may disagree). Having obstacles across a trail that come up in short visible notice result in heavy braking, which causes erosion. Also, building must be done to ensure adequate notice to riders of an obstacle coming up. Features built by mountain bikers that do not provide enough expectancy are rectified or removed. To take your example of closing off a braid, it would always be done in a manner that a user expects. A braid would be closed off at the edge of the proper trail and not halfway down a slope once a user has committed to a braid. The placement of obstacles by the Kraals at blind locations was certainly dangerous, unsustainable, unauthorized and led to poor user experience. What the Kraals did was not good trail building. So I don't really see any double standard here.