Trail Reroutes...

Thousands of people walking through the woods with 30-50 pounds on their backs can take its toll on a hiking trail - Combine that with rains and the footsteps of other forms of wildlife and the trail bed can drop down even lower in the ground disturbing the root systems of trees. When it gets too bad, then the A.T. clubs will often choose to reroute the trail through a different path in the forest. But there's more too it than just digging a new trail.

The process, as explained to me by one of the A.T.'s senior trail maintainers is roughly as follows:

- The local club ties ribbons along trees along the new proposed path in the woods.
- The Appalachian Trail Conservency, the group that oversees the A.T. as a whole then follows along the trail making changes that it wants to ensure a consistency in path 'experience' for the hikers.
- Then the Forest Service has to approve this path making changes as needed.
- Then, the state archeologist has to walk the proposed path to make sure that no historically important areas are being disturbed.
- Finally, a botanist has to walk the trail - 4 times, once for each season, to make sure there are no rare plants or flowers that are being disturbed by the proposed trail or shelter.
- When the final inspections have been done, the trail is then dug by the local trail crews and the blazes are painted, distances taken and maps updated.

The whole process takes about three years.