Day 16: With decent weather for a few days and nothing on my schedule, I've been able to get out to enjoy some autumn hiking, including a six-mile loop in Pack Forest which took me up the Reservoir Trail and down the more popular Hugo Peak Trail. The Reservoir Trail tends to be quite muddy lower down, and in an effort to provide better footing, Pack has seen fit to mount 2 x 4 fencing on the surface of the plank "bridges" which span the soggier areas. While this installation may be marginally better than a slick board when wet, even a light frost renders it treacherous. I have gone "skating" across the grid many a time, even when taking utmost care. Ordinarily, I would not contemplate stepping off the official path, but here, my safety takes precedence over other considerations and like most other people who hike these trails, I will walk alongside the boards, preferring muddy boots to possible injury. However good Pack's intentions were, this innovation goes into the category of "it seemed like a good idea at the time," and needs reevaluation.
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