Share the Trails!
I’ve been traveling a lot to some beautiful parts of the United States, and I’ve had some really nice runs in some wonderful places. (e.g., This morning’s run next to the Vermillion River in Western Montana.) However, I have never seen anything as nice as what we have in Sacramento and the surrounding area. The American River Parkway is a treasure. The multi-use trails in the foothills spoil us. In our area, different user groups have banded together to advocate trail development, protection and maintenance. In other parts of the US, I find myself sharing the beauty with speeding cars and trucks.
Yesterday, the Bee’s Sam McManis had an excellent article and description of one of those local multi-use trails: The Olmstead Loop trail. His story includes an account of a somewhat tense interaction with horseback riders that brought back memories of several encounters of my own with horse people. One time stands out in my mind. While running with a friend near Cool we came across a horse and rider. The rider demanded that we get off the trail so she could pass. At that moment, we were surrounded by an ocean of poison oak. A testy conversation followed.
Most of my encounters with horsemen and women have been fine. Most of these horses are amazing animals. However, some riders give me the impression that their horses have no business being on a multi-use trail. Is it too much to ask for folks to only bring horses that are well trained (or at least well socialized) onto these trails?