re: switchbacks.
The trail designers, such as they were back in the day, were true masochists. Literally direct lines straight up a ridge or alongside a gully. Given that they are on the fall line, the trails become rivers during rains. Unbelievably painful to hike.
No Forest Service namby pamby shallow grades and switchbacks here! Typical: the Air Line trail, ~4500 feet up at a 21% average grade.
> No Forest Service namby pamby shallow grades and switchbacks here!
Having done trail maintenance for over a decade, describing switchbacks as namby pamby sounds childish and ignorant. I also disagree that early maintainers were masochists. I encourage you to rethink that the next time you’re out there.
Dude I am totally agreeing with you!!! Hiking is super tough when there are no switchbacks and trail just goes straight up! But that is the East - we could do with some basic trail design.