2_E3_POSTCONFERENCE.magazine | Page 12

TrAiL raTiNgs

Green circles , blue squares , and black diamonds . A squiggly line , an even more squiggly line , and a line that looks like someone ’ s having a heart attack . Although these may seem like completely different things , they all share the same kind of sentiment — trail difficulty ratings .
Trail ratings are a way to rate the difficulty of a particular section of the trail so the driver can have an idea of what to expect if they decide to continue forward . However , trail ratings can be inconsistent as there are no standards on what makes a trail a blue square , a squiggly line , an upside-down triangle , or a Jolly Roger skull and crossbones .
Recent weather can play a huge role in trail difficulty . Rain and snow can make the easiest trails hard and the most difficult trails impassable . It ’ s so important to do your own research like calling the local ranger station , understanding how the seasons affect certain trails , and if you ’ re lucky , watching a recently uploaded video of the area you ’ re planning to visit to give you a very close , boots-on-ground , view of the trail conditions .
12 GOING FURTHER TOGETHER