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How common is it for paths and tracks to be blocked by a branch or log from a tree? I am increasingly coming across obstacles (always a branch of a tree) strewn across a path or track by some weirdo saddo with nothing better to do than claim ownership of said path in the middle of woods or moor by laying down tree branches to block oncoming cyclists from passing.
Quite common around my way. We seem to have a relatively persistent (if quite ineffectual) stickman in my local woods.
I tend to see the branches as bunny hop practice, and only move them if I think they're dangerous or too high to hop. Otherwise if I move every branch it seems to encourage him/her/them to lay more.
I had an amusing, though ultimately pointless, conversation with a dog walker in these woods recently.
I was cycling slowly along a flat bit of trail through the trees, and stopped to let him past....
Him - you shouldn't be cycling here.
Me - well yes, but technically you shouldn't be walking here either, as it's not a right of way shown on a map, just an enlarged deer trail that people have been using.
Him - but you shouldn't be cycling here.
Me - yes, we just decided that neither of us should really be here, but we are, and nobody's being hurt are they?
Him - you shouldn't be here.
Me - bu........ shrugs and cycles off down the trail.
Sometimes it's the wind that brings branches down blocking paths sometimes, or over-ambitious dogs realising the folly of the task they set themself.
See it a lot in a few places I ride, sometimes rather large branches too! I know some of them are natural falls from trees but a lot of the time you can see the drag marks and their haf-arsed job of covering their handywork up too.
Always seems to be more prevalent at this time of year too, guessing it's the kids venturing out further during the holidays that triggers it.
It's the dog walkers at Cwmcarn that make me laugh at the moment. They seem hell-bent on walking up the trails the opposite way to bikes despite the signs etc. Darwin in action.
I had an off and on over a cheeky footpath over a common being blocked by piles of logs and branches near me. I cleared, they reblocked. I cleared, etc.
Then I left a note saying that while what I am doing is technically trespass, a civil offence and the landowner would have to sue me for damages caused by my trespass; blocking a public right of way in a manner that prevents access for people with disabilities / in wheelchairs is a criminal offence, and if it persists I would inform the police.
I don't know if I was technically correct, but it stopped.
Couple of trails in Lordswood this happens on all the time. I'm failt sure I've spotted the person who does it, standard dog walker - he was in the trees with a couple of big branches in his hands. Stopped to ask him if he had seen anyone laying out branches, and I could see down the trail from that point onwards there weren't any more out...
He looked a bit sheepish, then tried blagging me & claiming the wind had blown them down that way, and people on bikes were tearing up the local landscape. Suggested he pointed his frustrations at the illegal MX riders as that's were 95% of the damage comes from.
Also pointed out its amazing how the wind managed to carry the logs & branches around, and just land perpendicular on the trail, every time 🙂
Strange behaviour.
If it's a dog walker complaining about erosion, I'd point out how much pollution is generated getting the dog food to their pooch.
theres x zillion tonnes of dog waste created each day, so that must have an origin.
And its not like they're out planting hemp as a carbon 'offset':)
I’m failt sure I’ve spotted the person who does it, standard dog walker
If its the historic one then pretty sure they live in one of the houses on the road the wood side of the motorway bridge.