Good trail etiquette means more fun for all users

With hundreds of miles of trails in and around the Valley for hikers, mountain bikers, runners and folks on horseback, it would seem that there is plenty of room for everybody.

Unfortunately, some trail users feel like others are stepping on their toes.

"I'm happy to say we don't experience a lot of conflicts out there," said Claire Miller, a park ranger in the Phoenix Sonoran Desert Preserve. "Every so often we'll hear a complaint. Maybe somebody's horse got spooked who calls to say some guy on a mountain bike just flew right past them. Those kinds of things.

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"We try to get the word out about who yields to who, and what proper etiquette is in a situation."

Miller said an internationally accepted "triangle" of trail etiquette provides guidance about who has the right of way.

- Mountain bikers yield to runners, hikers and horses.

- Runners and hikers yield to horses.

- Horses are not required to yield to any group.

Also, it is generally accepted that those going uphill get the right of way over those going downhill.

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However, some users evidently go by their own rules.

Mountain bikers in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve recently began encountering large rocks that appeared to have been intentionally placed on trails. Eric Shunk, who has been riding those trails since the 1980s, began noticing unusually placed rocks soon after last year's monsoon storms.

"Somebody thought it was a perfect opportunity to put big rocks in the middle of the trail so it looked like the storms moved them," Shunk said. "At first I was like, am I imagining things?

"I was riding there pretty consistently and you start to know what should and shouldn't be there. I'd clear them out, and two days later they were right back there again."

Shunk started to get angry, and so did other mountain bikers who posted photos of the rocks on social media. A hiker who lives near the preserve came forward and said he placed the rocks in an attempt to keep people on marked trails.

Shunk said he rarely has experienced conflict on trails, which made the mystery rocks that much more frustrating.The mountain bikers were less than convinced, but a parks spokesperson said that the matter "resolved itself."

"Generally speaking, everybody out there seems to be pretty friendly and decent to each other," he said.

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"I told rangers and posted about the rocks on some mountain-bike forums, and people said, 'We're mountain bikers. They're rocks. Just ride over them.' It wasn't that I was really concerned about my safety. It was the idea that somebody was out there doing it intentionally."

Rebecca Roush, a trail runner and an endurance equestrian rider from Mesa, has seen the triangle of etiquette from a couple of sides. She said that on a smooth trail her mount, Mimosa, will move at 15-20 miles per hour.

"If a mountain bike is coming from the other direction, somebody is going to have to stop quick," she said.

Roush said a little common courtesy and communication can go a long way toward avoiding conflicts.

"It can be challenging because when people come up on a horse, they have no idea what the experience level of the rider or the horse is. What I've found is that you need to make the assumption that the horse may be brand new to it and will get freaked out if you run or ride up on them.

"It's important to communicate when coming up from behind as soon as you think you're in earshot, maybe even before, because the horse will hear you coming before the rider does. Just communicate that you'd like to pass at the next opportunity, and when there's an opening ask if it's OK to go.

"Then ask if it's OK if you leave them behind and ease away."

That last part might not seem important, but Roush said horses are pack animals and the horse might want to tag along with a mountain biker, which could be unsettling for the mountain biker.

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"My horse wants to chase them down like another horse," Roush said. "She wants to keep them in sight. Mountain bikers usually don't seem to mind, but if they're fearful, they can get angry."

She said most mountain bikers understand that they are supposed to defer to runners, hikers and horses. She said that a few who did not know what they were supposed to do stopped and asked her.

"Communication is so important," she said.

Miller agreed and said users listening to music should consider doing so with one ear bud only.

"You will not only hear other users, you might also hear that rattlesnake rattling," she said.

Some mountain bikers affix bells to their bikes so others will hear them coming.

"I'm not such a fan of the kind that jingle all the time," Miller said. "The ones like you had on your bike as a kid that go zing-zing work great."

A more modern technology — activity-tracking apps — may be leading to breaches in trail etiquette. STRAVA, for example, is popular with bicyclists in particular, but also is used by runners. It allows them to compare data with other riders or runners, even professionals. In some instances, pressing to set a personal record can lead to lapses of etiquette.

Miller said she hasn't noticed an uptick in bad behavior related to such apps, but Shunk believes they contribute.

"It's a really interesting question," Shunk said. "When STRAVA first came out, it seemed like a cool thing, but then the competitive nature kicks in and everybody is trying to set PRs. I was doing it at first, but then I just felt like it changed my purpose for being out there.

"I gave up on it just because of that. I've definitely seen people not following the rules and you wonder if it's because of that. I think now there are two types of riders out there, the people who care about STRAVA placement and the people who don't.

"My buddies and I are definitely in that group that doesn't care, and we kind of make fun of those that do. Is it really that big of a deal? But there also are a lot of people out there who care about it, but they're still cool and following the rules and know that it isn't that big of a thing."

It also is worth noting that mountain bikers often pitch in when parks are looking for help building and maintaining trails.

Shunk pointed out that mountain bikers helped repair trails damaged by heavy monsoon rain last year in South Mountain Park. Miller said mountain bike groups often "adopt" trails.

The Mountain Bike Association of Arizona, a racing organization, requires that members and teams vying for state series championships do a minimum amount of volunteer and/or trail work to qualify.

"We have very positive relationships with different user groups, but the mountain bikers in particular are a pretty good group," Miller said. "I think they understand the value of being able to take care of the trails and the habitat. There's a lot of trail mileage out there, and it's hard to keep up with it all."

Of course, right of way and mystery rocks aren't the only messy issues on the trail.

There's also a stink over pet poo.

"Oh gosh," Miller said. "That is an ongoing battle. You would hope that dog owners would be responsible for that."

The, um, evidence is piling up against them. She said some dog owners leave the waste, or pick it up with a bag and leave the bag on the trail or pitch it into the desert. Worst of all?

"They'll smoosh a rock on it," Miller said. "It's like, 'Really?' You see it all out there."

Pet owners often ask Miller why horses can leave droppings on the trail but they have to pick up after their dogs. She said horse manure breaks down quickly and blows away because horses eat hay, grass and grain. Because of dogs' diets, their droppings decompose much more slowly.

"Every parks and recreation management agency is battling it," Miller said. "In Jefferson County, Colorado, they have a campaign: 'There's No Poop Fairy.' The message is that nobody magically picks up after your dog for you.

"I have a flier I'm holding right now that says, 'It's your doody.' Everybody is trying to find a creative way to get the message across."

Trail etiquette tips

•Mountain bikers yield to all other trail users.

•Runners and hikers yield to horses.

•Make your intentions known to others.

•If listening to music, take one earpiece out.

•If going downhill, yield to those coming up if possible.

•Be courteous, even if other users are not.

•Avoid wet trails to reduce rutting and erosion.

•Pick up after pets.

•Don't place rocks in trails.