Think Before You Sink (by Rex)
Hi folks! Rex your trail blazing canine friend here again. Because my sniffer is closer to the ground than most of yours, I’m closer to the real dirt out here in West Bragg Creek. Springtime means dirty paws and dirty bikes. I feel bad bringing all that nice sticky Bragg Creek dirt home with me when it should stay where it was made. Sometimes we come back early from my run because of the deep ruts we’re making in the trail. We don’t want to make more work for the volunteer trail crew. I’ve also noticed that humans like to go around puddles and soft spots, widening the trail or making new trails – that just makes dog and bike traps to fix.
This is when I see my human using his talking thingy to look for a dry trail to go on. It seems to work because I don’t have to have as many baths when I get home. We ran into one of the nice trail hosts who also knows where to find dry trails. They’ve been bracing for lots of trail damage from humans not knowing where to ride or walk. She suggested using trails on sunny south facing slopes until the other trails have a chance to dry out. She showed us a poster with BCT’s new trail mantra “Think before you sink” to get people thinking about being good trail stewards. Seems easy enough to me. Besides, I hate getting mud stuck between my paws and on my tail. The mud flying off the tires of my human’s bike into my face isn’t a picnic either.
If you all take a minute to check trail conditions and get recommendations from the trail hosts, this will mean a lot less work for BCT volunteers in the long run. You will also get a very enthusiastic tail wag from me!
Before I head out for my walk, I just want to give a big “woof out” to all the winter trail groomers who made it possible for so many humans and their dogs to get out and enjoy nature. Sure the trails were busy but this was a great place to get away from COVID-19.
Smell you on the trails! Spring is in the air!
Boomer Groomer Moving On
Jeff Hughes, a local resident, has spent the last 7 years cross-country ski grooming and leading Winter Operations with BCT, exemplifying how ‘giving back’ begins in your own backyard. Thanks to Jeff and his commitment, the trails exceed our expectations with every adventure. We thank him for his passion and drive, and wish him the best of luck in future endeavours. If you happen to catch Jeff out on the trails during a backcountry ski, or on his infamous unicycle, give him a shout-out for the amazing legacy he leaves behind!
info@braggcreektrails.org
braggcreektrails.org
