After our recent run to Miller Rock on June 15th, I decided to re-visit the trail rating issue.
The
problem is that all resources (guide books, web sites, clubs, etc) use
a different set of standards to rate trails. This can be an issue,
especially if you'd like to attempt a trail that's on the 'edge' of
your ability. Having a 'standard' trail rating system makes sense so
that everyone knows what their getting in to.
The other parts of
this issue are time and mother nature. Depending on the last time the
website, guidebook, or other resource was updated, the stated trail
could be rated much differently. Heavy rains, snow, mudslides, and even
county road workers can all affect the rating of a trail. I've been on
trails that used to be an Easy (4) and are now a Moderate (6).
Conversly, if heavy trail maintenance has been performed, a once
moderate trail can become very easy.
While we'll never solve the
time & weather issues, we can solve the standardized rating issue.
The Colorado Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, Inc (CoA4WDi) has
proposed such a system . What's really great about this rating system is
that it describes what features exists on a trail to determine the
rating. This helps to make rating trails much more objective and easy
for everyone to understand. The Colorado FJ's and Dirtopia.com both use
this system when rating trails, and hopefully more organizations will
begin to use it as well.
To help in determining what ratings from
different organizations mean, I've updated the Rating Cross Reference
from CoA4WDi's site and included it here:
NOTE:
The
rating of a trail can and will change based on a variety of factors.
Rain, snow, mud and other weather events can dramatically change the
difficulty of a trail. A trail resource (such as a book or website) may
not reflect the current condition of a trail. Please evaluate each
trail and obstacle before attempting anything you’re not comfortable
with.
