My cousin told me to skip the switchbacks on a trail in Colorado and go straight up

It was a huge mistake that wrecked my knees and took way longer. I should have just followed the actual route. Anyone else get bad trail advice that backfired?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara3451mo agoMost Upvoted

Trust the trail builders, man.

grant_torres1mo ago

Totally... those folks put in serious work to make things flow right. It's easy to just ride a trail without seeing the planning behind every turn and feature. They know the dirt, the drainage, and how a line should feel when you're moving fast. Second-guessing their layout usually just leads to a worse experience for everyone.

kevin_murray8821d ago

Building on that, Tara, it's not just about trusting them blindly either. It's about respecting the knowledge they bring from years of digging, riding, and watching how water moves through the woods. I've seen guys spend a whole weekend moving a rock three inches because that tiny change made braking way smoother. If a trail builder puts a tight switchback in a certain spot, there's probably a reason like keeping speed up or avoiding a root that'd pop you off your line. Trying to cut your own line around it usually just messes up the flow for everyone behind you. Ever seen a trail get blown out because one person couldn't trust the builder's line?