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Brushing a Trail

Brushing refers to the removal of (living or dead) limbs, bushes, and small trees from the trail corridor. The trail corridor should be clear four to six feet wide and at least eight feet overhead. When you are brushing or limbing, look with an eye to the future and ask yourself, "Is this small tree or limb going to be a problem 10 years from now?" If it is, cut it now while you have the chance. If you must cut down an entire tree, cut the stump as close to the ground as possible to avoid leaving dangerous spikes next to the trail. If the stump is in the treadway of the trail, dig out around it, cut it below the grade of the trail, and cover the roots with soil. This will remove the stump as a tripping hazard. Basic brushing tools are hand pruners, long handled loppers, bowsaw, a pole saw, and a small chainsaw if needed.

Limbing

When removing limbs from a tree, cut the limbs off flush with the tree trunk whenever possible. This prevents dangerous spikes next to the trail which can hurt hikers. It is also better for the tree, is standard good pruning practice, and leaves a more attractive trail. When cutting with a saw, make a shallow cut on the underside (or weight bearing side) first, then follow with the top cut. This prevents the limb from peeling bark off the tree as it falls. If a limb is too high or too large to cut at its base, try to cut it at a fork of the branch as close as possible to the trunk.

Trimming Up
Many limbs that clear the trail corridor in the summer will get weighed down with snow and block a trail in the winter. This is especially true of coniferous trees. When you are trimming a trail, try to imagine three feet of snow on the ground and a load of snow on the branches. (Or better yet, go out to inspect the trail after a heavy snowfall!) Use a pole saw to trim the trail up, following the same limbing guidelines as explained above.

Stashing the Cuttings

Cuttings should always be removed from the treadway of the trail, and whenever possible, branches, limbs, and especially small trees should be stashed out of sight of the hiker on the trail. Often a small clearing behind a tree or shrub will suffice to stash several armloads of cut limbs. Take special care that the cut, butt-end of a tree or limb is not visible from the trail.

Removal and Trimming of Young Trees

Young trees up to four feet tall will often grow along the sides of trails and invade the trail corridor. It is best to clear these trees when they are small, cutting them down entirely (see "Brushing a Trail" above for information on how best to do this.) If a small tree is just outside the trail corridor, but has limbs reaching into the trail, consider removal of the entire tree rather than pruning the limbs. The small tree will not be missed, and is a better alternative to leaving a denuded half of a tree which is unnatural and unsightly in appearance, and is unhealthy for the tree. If you decide to trim the tree, follow the "Limbing" practices above.

The Big Stuff

If you are comfortable using a chainsaw, cut downed trees and large limbs out of the trail corridor. They should be cleared back to the width of the trail, four to six feet wide. Roll the logs off the trail to the downhill side.

We're here to help!

If trail conditions are too much for you to handle, if you feel a situation is dangerous, or if you need advice on how best to clear a trail, give us a call at 231-347-0991 for assistance.

These guidelines were excerpted in part from:
A Handbook on Trail Building and Maintenance, Fifth Edition, 1996, by Stephen S. Griswold

Trail Tending: A Guide for Wonalancet Out Door Club (WODC) Trail Volunteers by Chris Conrad, 1998.