Backcountry/Sidecountry Pruning: OK or Not?

[Tin]

Yea after they fucked things up on Creamery, Gazelle, Fall Line, and Paradise just to name a few. They aren't completely innocent.

How dare you question MRG?! You shall be placed in the stockade at the base where children shall throw snowballs and scolding hot chili at you until you repent!

 

[thetrailboss]

How dare you question MRG?! You shall be placed in the stockade at the base where children shall throw snowballs and scolding hot chili at you until you repent!

:lol:


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[SkiFanE]

The problem arises when it is 20 guys with a little saw on their own 4 hour hikes. Each one of those guys cuts a little more "to improve the line". The next thing you know you have a section of forest 40 yards wide that is free of undergrowth.
In your Stowe example, the woods there were not unlike Sunday River at one time. However, I would venture a guess that there are more guys around Stowe with their saws have been at it a lot longer than those around SR. Around Stowe and Jay, the trimming has had time to mature and the woods look "naturally" free of undergrowth. Sure, at one time, there may have been some strips of completely naturally occurring lines but those have been linked and improved over the years into what you see today.
This situation is why some level of planning/coordination of these trimmed out areas around ski resorts isn't a bad idea. The easily accessible lines around resorts make them enticing for people to go out and "improve" them and IMHO are at the highest risk of being over-cut.
On the other hand, true back country stashes (those away from resorts and major trails like the Catamount trail) that are trimmed out have a pretty low risk of additional uncoordinated trimming.

Naw...not enough people at SR that do this. And my H looked at topo maps. found his own hiking route, found how to connect route to lift with minimal hiking out... He's cut a few trails, and he never finds tracks down them. There are no 20 groups of people in one spot. Maybe a few in a group with a mission. I cannot speak for what goes on on VT, just my observations, which are 20 years old. The woods seemed naturally thinner, and maybe instead it was groups of 20 thinning..just take lots of people to do it over the mountain.

 

[deadheadskier]

I moved to Stowe in 1995. Lots of cutting going on already in the Goat woods and Bench areas. The big difference in VT vs ME or NH is you encounter very little evergreen trees below 3000 feet. So, there is more opportunity for natural glades. That said, most that you would think are natural (like all you saw at Stowe) really aren't likely to be natural.

 

[deadheadskier]

I thought this was interesting. From about mile 12 to mile 15 on I89, the State of NH is cutting some sweet glades in the median and along the sides of the highway.

This is not like the clear cutting median projects seen on northern 93 in NH or route 6 on Cape Cod. This is clearing only the ground level brush and bottom branches of the trees up until about 8 feet of height.

Weird project

 

[Puck it]

I thought this was interesting. From about mile 12 to mile 15 on I89, the State of NH is cutting some sweet glades in the median and along the sides of the highway.

This is not like the clear cutting median projects seen on northern 93 in NH or route 6 on Cape Cod. This is clearing only the ground level brush and bottom branches of the trees up until about 8 feet of height.

Weird project

this is just wierd. The contractor on the rte 6 project made a mistake and has replanted trees at least.

 

[deadheadskier]

I noticed that too when down there last month. My aunt lives down there said it was in response to people complaining

 

[Newpylong]

I thought this was interesting. From about mile 12 to mile 15 on I89, the State of NH is cutting some sweet glades in the median and along the sides of the highway.

This is not like the clear cutting median projects seen on northern 93 in NH or route 6 on Cape Cod. This is clearing only the ground level brush and bottom branches of the trees up until about 8 feet of height.

Weird project

I also noticed that heading home from MA the other day - seems like a lot of work lol.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Have there been a lot of collisions with deer along that stretch? Cutting out the underbrush would make them more visible and potentially more avoidable.

 

[deadheadskier]

No clue if there's a deer run through there. If so, it would seem that better fencing would be a less costly and more permanent solution.

 

[dlague]

I never understood all the clear cutting or any cutting for that matter on highway medians or the sides. It has been fine for years and the last couples of years we have been spend 10's of millions doing this. I am sure money could be better spent!

 

[Jully]

Holy crap Maine has been cutting about a twenty foot buffer on either side of 295 and 95. Not thinning out, just slashing EVERYTHING. Say they're trying to reduce moose collisions, but I don't think that's going to be an effective solution. It's infuriating, damaging, and a massive waste of money in my opinion

 

[dlague]

Holy crap Maine has been cutting about a twenty foot buffer on either side of 295 and 95. Not thinning out, just slashing EVERYTHING. Say they're trying to reduce moose collisions, but I don't think that's going to be an effective solution. It's infuriating, damaging, and a massive waste of money in my opinion

Agree!

 

[from_the_NEK]

Agree!

I assume someone is selling the wood? Does the state get a cut of that?

 

[deadheadskier]

Holy crap Maine has been cutting about a twenty foot buffer on either side of 295 and 95. Not thinning out, just slashing EVERYTHING. Say they're trying to reduce moose collisions, but I don't think that's going to be an effective solution. It's infuriating, damaging, and a massive waste of money in my opinion

I assumed that the clearing was to create a buffer on the edges of the highway to prevent trees from falling in the roadway during storms.

Didn't realize it was for Moose avoidance.

 

[Jully]

I assumed that the clearing was to create a buffer on the edges of the highway to prevent trees from falling in the roadway during storms.

Didn't realize it was for Moose avoidance.

I've heard moose avoidance from a few different sources, though it's probably a little of both. However with over 400 moose collisions every year that's probably the driving force.

I've never noticed any tree issues during storms. Then again I don't exactly hear of a lot of moose collisions either in this area...

 

[dlague]

Some places in NH are being cleared in areas not know for moose. Could be dear but I do not see many being hit.

 

[Dickc]

I assumed that the clearing was to create a buffer on the edges of the highway to prevent trees from falling in the roadway during storms.

Didn't realize it was for Moose avoidance.

It actually helps enhance having the sun on the road in winter when the angle is low to help melt snow and ice. It also creates a better visibility zone for wildlife.

 

[thetrailboss]

It actually helps enhance having the sun on the road in winter when the angle is low to help melt snow and ice. It also creates a better visibility zone for wildlife.

Never thought about the sunshine on the highways. That's a great point.


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[mbedle]

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/05/15/maine-dot-clearing-extensive-swath-along-i-295-near-freeport/