His mission is safer and more hiker friendly trails. Russ Treat reports he’s been building trails for 50 years and he’s put in 500 hours just in the last year building and improving Badger Mountain trails.
Trail Builder Russ Treat Wants Your Opinion on Improving Badger Mountain Trails (click to enlarge)
Treat says he is concerned about the numerous people who’ve approached him while he was working on Badger Mountain trails. They told him stories of falls, near falls and injuries while hiking this beautiful preserve. Treat is an independent citizen working to get feedback from hikers on how trails can be improved, made safer and more accessible. His survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is very informative.
Survey Responders are Adding Up
Over a hundred hikers have responded to the survey and Treat is hoping for many more to get an accurate reflection of what the public wants for Badger Mountain. Some of the questions have to do with improving the steps that make up the first part of the trail, a sometimes treacherous area that is uneven and dangerously slippery in wet or icy weather. Another option is a more gradual trail to bypass the steps altogether.
Some People Concerned Over Survey
Treat says some people are not happy that he is doing this survey. They want a more rustic, rugged trail with less human interference and construction. Others don’t want outsiders to interfere with the trail management that has been largely done by the Friends of Badger Mountain. Treat says his research, experience and feedback from people with even more trail-building expertise than himself leads him to believe the Badger Mountain Trails can be improved and more accommodating for the ever growing population that is using the mountain. He is especially concerned about first-timers, children and the elderly who would love to hike on Badger but worry about uneven surfaces and jagged rocks.
Hikers Taking the Survey (click to enlarge)
Treat hopes to assemble his data soon and present it to city, county and state representatives to try and work with volunteers in making the Badger Mountain Experience even better. Stay tuned for results!