Barr Trail woes

As Earth Day approaches, it's time to think about how to be more conscientious about our favorite places... like the Barr Trail. A group of dedicated people has spent years fixing the lower section of the trail from the old Incline turn-off to the bottom. Some of the hardest work: installing fences to prevent trail-users from cutting switchbacks and causing erosion.

Gail Allen, who started the informal group she called the "Trail Dogs," says runners, mostly, have been ignoring the switchbacks recently, perhaps in their haste to get back to their car after a workout. New social trails have emerged through the trees the group planted.

If you're a switchback cutter, you know who you are. If you aren't, Allen thanks you. And she wants both of you to help when she sets work-days this summer to fix this section of trail again. Watch this blog and Out There for dates to volunteer.