Quote:

Ron
Better hiking trails and bike paths the being parceled out and lost forever.

Amen to that. Much like many of the logging roads in the PNW have provided access to recreational opportunities. Pretending that "going back to the good ol' days" is going to happen is crazy. Progress moves forward, not back. Like it or not.

For the Salmonberry Trail the infrastructure is way more flexible that for a rail ROW. Lighter weight and greater length bridges are not a problem as are sharp curves and elevation changes. Spanning over problem areas can be achieved and even if there was a future washout of the trail the likelihood of a biker/walker being able to stop in time is much better that when is served as a railroad.

Also, a quad could "run" the trail for a "inspection" much faster than a hi-rail would have. Not much to inspect or have to worry about 286K loads and forces coming into play. A roll of caution tape can warn of hazards or close a section of the trail in no times. Not as awesome as setting out torpedoes, but that just gets us back to the good ol' days again!