DEAR MISS MOUNTAIN MANNERS – An Advice Column on Multi-Use Trail Etiquette

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: When I got to my favorite Jeffco Open Space Park for a hike, the parking lot was full. What should I do? Feeling Shutout

Dear Shutout: You could walk close to home instead of driving to a park. Do not park on the road shoulder leading to the park. Download, sign up, then check the LotSpot parking lot app to find a park not currently overcrowded.  Come at a time when the park is less crowded such as weekdays, before 9 am or after 3 pm.

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: My friends and I (there are 10 of us) want to go for a hike in a JCOS park. Where should we go? Friendly

Dear Friendly: Keep the number of friends in your group to four – in total, or split into smaller well-spaced groups.  Walk single file when passing others, and wear your masks. You may need to step off the trail momentarily to maintain social distancing, being careful not to step on any emerging flowers or grass shoots.

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: I am an expert mountain bike rider – how do I get around slow hikers, horses, and other bikers? The Expert

Dear The Expert: JCOS Park trails are, for the most part, open to all users. There are a few trails in the parks that alternate users on certain days—refer to the website maps at Jeffco’s Parks & Trails web page.  Pedestrians and equestrians have the right-of-way. Slow down and stop if you have to. Announce your presence loud enough for them to hear (there are older, hard of hearing persons on the trail or runners and hikers with earbuds) and, as a courtesy, alert them with sufficient time for them to find a safe place to get off the trail. Use your face mask when approaching other trail users. With horses, move extra slowly or stop, use a calm voice so that you don’t scare the horses, and listen to the rider – they know their horse best and not all horses react the same way. If you want to ride fast, use designated biker-only trails or biker-only days.

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: I usually pass a lot of other hikers on the trails. What are the proper passing procedures? Faster than you

Dear Faster than you: Wear your mask when approaching other trail users. Clearly and politely announce your presence with enough time and space for them to react. Stay as far to your side of the trail as possible for social distancing.

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: My dog is really well trained and will stay with me.  Why do I have to keep him on leash? Dog Trainer

Dear Dog Trainer: Not all dogs are as well trained as yours.  When others see your dog off leash, they think it’s OK for their dog to be off leash also.  The leash is safer for your dog and the environment.  In an instant, a dog can suddenly get bitten by a concealed rattlesnake (this has happened very recently, resulting in the first canine death of the season). The nest of a ground-nesting bird could also be at risk.  There are many documented cases of dogs chasing after wildlife, which is illegal.  Finally, there are trail users who are afraid of dogs.  It is improper for you to negatively impact their enjoyment of the park by having your dog off leash. You love your dog? Stay connected!

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: If my dog poops at the beginning of a hike, I don’t want to carry the poop bag on the entire hike, so I leave it beside the trail to pick up on the way back.  Is this OK?  Dog Lover

Dear Dog Lover: Many people leave poop bags beside the trail and never pick them up.  Even if you do intend to pick it up when you return, this gives others the message that leaving bags full of dog poop beside the trail is the acceptable and proper behavior.  Many people never return for those poop bags or forget about them.  If you are close to the trailhead, you need to backtrack and dispose of the poop bag before commencing your hike.  You are out there for fresh air and exercise, right?

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: Why do dog owners have to pick up their poop but equestrians don’t?  Sensitive Nose

Dear Sensitive Nose: Horses are grass eaters, so their poop is grass and water and will quickly dissolve into the environment without harming it.  Dog poop comes from a diet consisting of many environmentally unfriendly ingredients, and does not readily decompose.  Furthermore, mounting and dismounting is one of the most unsafe times for equestrians.  If the horse is frightened (by a hiker, a runner, a biker, dogs, wildlife, wind and many other things) while the person is trying to mount or dismount, this can result in serious injuries or even death to the rider, and/or a loose frightened horse which can result in injuries to the horse or to others.  Therefore, the risk involved with the rider getting on and off to move the poop is not worth any benefit from removing the poop from the trail.  Horses do not warn their riders when they are going to poop – they just “doo” it without stopping, and often the rider isn’t aware of it.   Just step around the horse poop and be on your way.  Chances are the next time you venture along that trail, the poop will already be visibly decomposing.

Almost every group of people have some unwritten rules to help govern their activity and make things more pleasant for everyone. With COVID-19 we must fully observe the written as well as the unwritten rules for trail use. Bottom line: Courtesy and communication are essential at all times.

We look forward to your questions.

Miss Mountain Manners