Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Trail Marking using paint

At 12:09 PM -0400 9/4/02, Deanna German wrote:
> I've seen a few references to using paint to mark trail -- biodegradeable
> and/or chalk-based. I'm REALLY interested in this and need more info. Brand
> names? Where to buy?

I bought mine from a surveyor supply company over the net, last year. 
Got my ride ribbon from Gemplers this year and they may have the 
paint too, their catalog is huge.  It's meant to be sprayed upside 
down, doesn't get on your hands.  I have a sprayer for these big cans 
with a trigger so it can be sprayed from horseback, but didn't really 
use it.

> I need to contact the park offices soon and find out what they will or won't
> let us use and want to have all of my ducks in a row before I call. This is
> the same park office that objects to volunteers doing anything other than
> basic trail maintenance with clippers or pruners, but then goes in with a
> bulldozer, indiscriminantly tearing down trees and backfilling over culverts
> with clay soil. (doh!) Good thing our volunteers put in three new bridges,
> brush-hogged around bogs and boggy trail and fixed another bridge before
> they were told not to drive their equipment into the park.... yes, it is
> easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

We buy (expensive) boxes of diatomaceous earth--the stuff used in 
swimming pool filters.  This stuff has some weight to it and doesn't 
blow around much.  We have a daily breeze that is a factor, every 
afternoon.  The DE is not offensive to the environment except it can 
do a number on ants.  We use it to do arrows and Jim's infamous "12 
dots".

> So I need some time to convince them that our intentions are pure and that
> we are not trying to add permanant markings.
>
> (And, yes, we are working with the park to try and convince them that the
> same trail maintenance techniques that work for snowmobile, hiking and
> cross-country skiing trails don't necessarily work for horse trails!)
>
> Deanna (lacking both a really tall horse or a horse that will allow me to
> stand in the stirrups long enough to tie or clip something to a tree)

We have bought the heavy duty senior citizens jar/etc. grabbers, with 
rubber tips--the heavy duty ones hold up well, and can be used either 
to place clothespins or to grab branches.

With the Arundo, pulling a branch down isn't always a good idea. 
Remind the riders to look up if you mark above.  We tie our ribbons 
on, ever since the first (or second?) year when the clothespins were 
stolen and the ribbons dropped on the ground.  We didn't begrudge 
them the clothespins, but wanted our ribbons to stay in place.  There 
are homeless living in the riverbed in certain places.

We also have an Arundo eradification project going on, with state 
money.  Our 50 milers couldn't have helped but notice the large 
patches where it has been removed.  Cottonwood and other natural 
riverine species will fill in, if they keep after it.  It grows back 
really quickly, which is why trails that we trimmed 3 weeks before 
the ride may not be ideal by ride time.

Lynne

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