PART THREE: Trails, Greenway, and Outdoor Recreation Terms

Compiled and edited by Jim Schmid

Many of the glossary terms and definitions provided here were compiled for and published in Trails Primer: A Glossary of Trails, Greenway, and Outdoor Recreation Terms and Acronyms, 2001, Jim Schmid, editor, south Carollina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Columbia, SC.

The terms are listed in alphabetical order, so definitions of interest can be found quickly.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Rabies: An infectious disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mammal. Symptoms appear anywhere from three weeks to a year after being bit and include headache and fever, cough and sore throat, loss of appetite and fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Once symptoms appear, it is too late for treatment. If bitten by a rabid mammal get to a doctor immediately.

Radiant Heat Loss: Is when heat radiates out from your body into your clothes. Vapor barriers reflect the heat back to your body. Radius: An arc or curve that connects two straight trail segments in order to provide smooth horizontal and vertical alignment.

Rail Corridor: The path of a railroad right-of-way, including the tracks and a specified tract of land on either side of the tracks (generally one hundred feet wide).

Rail-Trail (Rail-to-Trail): A multi-purpose public path (paved or natural) created along an inactive rail corridor.

Rail-with-Trail: Any shared-use path that is located on or directly adjacent to an active railroad or fixed route transit corridor.

Railbank(ing): Retaining a rail corridor for future railroad uses after service has been discontinued. The National Trails System Act, Sec. 8d, provides for interim public use of the corridor, allowing the establishment of recreational trails.

Railing: Horizontal or diagonal structural member which is attached to vertical posts for the purpose of delineating trails, protecting vegetation, providing safety barriers for trail users at overlooks, and assisting users when crossing bridges or using steps.

Ramp: A sloped transition between two elevation levels. Has a specific meaning under Americans with Disabilities Act.

Rapids: An area of broken, fast flowing water in a stream, where the slope of the bed increases (but without a prominent break of slope which might result in a waterfall), or where a gently dipping bar of harder rock outcrops.

Rappel (Roping Down): Self-belaying down a length of rope to get down from a steep climb.

Ravine: Deep, narrow gouge in the earth's surface, usually eroded by the flow of water.

Read(ing): To study the terrain and obstacles to determine a course or possible locations for a trail through the area.

Real Property: Real estate; land and anything growing on it or attached to it, such as trees, fences, and buildings.

Rebar: Steel reinforcing rod that comes in a variety of diameters, useful for manufacturing pins or other trail anchors.

Reconnaissance (Recon): Scouting out alternative trail locations prior to the final trail route location being selected.

Reconstruct (Reconstruction, Renovate): To replace or rebuild a trail structure (switchback, waterbar, bridge, etc.) that is no longer safe to use.

Record of Decision (ROD): Also called a decision memo. The portion of a Final Environmental Impact Statement that identifies the proposed action, signed by the appropriate deciding officer. (NEPA process.)

Recreation: The refreshment of body and mind through forms of play, amusement, or relaxation; usually considered any type of conscious enjoyment that occurs during leisure time.

Recreation, Passive Outdoor: Recreational uses conducted almost wholly outdoors that generally do not require a developed site, including hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and birdwatching.

Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS): A means of classifying and managing recreational opportunities based on physical, social, and managerial settings. Each of the following six ROS classes is defined in terms of its combination of activity, setting, and experience: Primitive, Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized, Semi-Primitive Motorized, Road Natural, Rural, and Urban.

Recreational Corridors: Purchased/protected primarily for recreation, although these corridors contain at least a minimal natural buffer affording some ecological and/or habitat benefits.

Recreational Stock: Pack and saddle stock used primarily for transporting recreationists and their gear. Both commercial pack stock and individual stock are included. Usually horses and mules, but also llamas or goats.

Recreational Trails Program (RTP): First established in 1991 and then reauthorized as part of TEA-21, RTP returns a portion of federal gasoline taxes, generated by non-highway recreation, to the states, which in turn provide grants for trail-related purposes to private organizations, state and federal agencies, and municipalities (www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrail.htm).

Recreational Use Statue (RUS): State law (in all 50 states) designed to limit the liability of public organizations, easement donors, landowners, and others who open their lands for public recreation use without charge.

Register, Trail: Along long-distance trails you may find "trail registers" at overnight stops that allow users the chance to make comments to those behind them, and read comments from those ahead. Registers can be an important safety measure to pinpoint the location of trail users.

Registration, Trail: A voluntary survey form filled out and left at a trailhead drop box or office that allows managers to obtain use characteristics.

Rehabilitation (Rehab): All work to bring an existing trail up to its classification standard, including necessary relocation of minor portions of the trail.

Relief: Elevations or depressions of the land.

Relocation (Relo, Realignment, Reroute): To alter the path of an existing trail to better follow land contours, avoid drainage sites, bypass environmentally sensitive areas, improve views, or for other landowner or management reasons.

Remove: To move from a position occupied; to take away.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Allows a number of consultants to bid on a project by outlining their plans and associated costs. A detailed RFP will help weed out unqualified consultants.

Research: Systematic inquiry into a subject in order to discover new information or revise facts and theories. Research follows a scientific method and must be repeatable.

Reserve(s): Large protected areas that serve as primary sites for the conservation of biological diversity, natural resources, and in some cases for important archaeological and historic sites.

Resource Advisory Council (RAC): A group established pursuant to 43 CFR 1780 and other authorities to advise the Bureau of Land Management on resource management issues.

Rest Area: A level portion of a trail that is wide enough to provide wheelchair users and others a place to rest and gain relief from the prevailing grade and cross slope demands of a path.

Rest Area Interval: The distance between rest areas.

Rest Step: An uphill hiking technique where with each step, the rearmost leg is locked completely straight for the time that it takes to transfer weight to the leg that has just been moved forward. While the leg is locked in this fashion, the muscles are given a very short moment of complete rest.

Restoration: The process of repairing or returning damaged areas back to their original state.

Restore: To bring back to a former, normal, or productive condition by repairing or rebuilding.

Restrictions, Road or Trail: Limitations placed on the use of a road or trail.

Sample codes: S-seasonal closure, Y-closed yearlong to motorized vehicles, R-restriction on types of traffic allowed on road or trail, L-limitations on vehicle dimensions, weight or speed, N-no restrictions applied, B-no bicycles, E-no equestrians, M-no motorized vehicle, P-permit required for use.

Restroom (Comfort Station, Pit Privy, Vault Toilet, Composting Toilet, Chemical Toilet, Port-a-John, Latrine, Bathhouse): Facility for human waste disposal that may or may not meet public health standards.

Retaining Wall (Revetment, Cribwall, Cribbing): Structure used at a grade change to hold the soil on the up-hill side from slumping, sliding, or falling; usually made of log or stone. Also used to provide stability and strength to the edge of a trail.

Retaining Wall, Sutter: A patented prefabricated component retaining wall using rebar, "H" posts, and 2-inch lumber. For information call Sutter Equipment at 415-898-5955. Revegetation: Process of restoring a denuded and/or eroded area close to its original condition.

Reversionary Interest (Reversion): The right of a property owner to the future enjoyment of property presently in the possession or occupancy of another. For example, a railroad company could acquire a right-of-way easement that states upon cessation of use as a rail line that the property would revert to the original owner or heirs.

Rhizome: A below ground stem capable of growing a new plant. Ridge: A hill that is proportionally longer than it is wide, generally with steeply sloping sides. Ridgeline: A line connecting the highest points along a ridge and separating drainage basins or small-scale drainage systems from one another.

Ridgerunner: A person paid to travel and oversee a specific section of trail.

Rigging, Cable: Cable works and hoists used to lift and move large, heavy rocks or logs.

Right of First Refusal: A property interest in which the holder of the right has first option to purchase the property at the price of a bona fide offer made to the property owner by a third party. If not exercised within a set time period after the offer is made, it expires, and the owner is free to sell to the offeror.

Right-of-Way: A linear corridor of land held in fee simple title, or an easement over another's land, for use as a public utility (highway, road, railroad, trail, utilities, etc.) for a public purpose. Usually includes a designated amount of land on either side that serves as a buffer for adjacent land uses.

Right of Way: The right of one trail user or vehicle to proceed in a lawful manner in preference to another trail user or vehicle.

Rill: A steep-sided small channel resulting from accelerated erosion; the most common form of erosion.

Riparian: A habitat that is strongly influenced by water and that occurs adjacent to streams, shorelines, and wetlands.

Riparian Vegetation: Plant species growing adjacent to freshwater courses, including perennial and intermittent streams, lakes, and other bodies of fresh water.

Riparian Zone: The land and vegetation immediately adjacent to a body of water, such as a river, lake, or other natural perpetual watercourse.

Riprap: A layer of large stones (12x12x6 inches or larger) placed randomly on a bank to provide support and prevent erosion; also the stone so used.

Risk Management: An element of safety management that evaluates the effects of potential hazards on safety by considering acceptance, control, or elimination of such hazards with respect to expenditure of resources.

River: A large natural stream of water. Road: A vehicle route which has been improved and maintained by mechanical means to ensure relatively regular and continuous use. A way maintained solely by the passage of vehicles does not constitute a road.

Road Base: A mixture of sand, clay, and gavel commonly used underneath asphalt on paved roads and trails. For trails, this material can be compacted into a fairly hard surface, yet it remains soft enough to be comfortable for trail users.

Road-crossing: Intersection of trail and road traffic-maybe the most dangerous parts of a trail since they are sometimes located on ridge tops, blind hills, or hairpin turns.

Road-to-Trail Conversion: Involves narrowing an old logging road to provide a meandering trail with a solid trail tread for users.

Rock: Soil particles greater than 3 inches in diameter.

Rock, Igneous: Rock produced through the cooling of melted mineral matter. When the cooling process is slow, the rock contains fair-sized crystals of the individual minerals, as in granite.

Rock, Metamorphic: A rock that has been greatly altered from its previous condition through the combined action of heat and pressure. For example, marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone, gneiss is one produced from granite, and slate is produced from shale.

Rock, Sedimentary: A rock composed of particles deposited from suspension in water. Chief groups of sedimentary rocks are: conglomerates (from gravels); sandstones (from sand); shales (from clay); and limestones (from soft masses of calcium carbonate).

Rock Art (Petroglyph or Pictograph): An archaic to modern cultural site type consisting of incised or painted figures such as people, animals, plants, or abstracts on a rock surface.

Rock Bar (Pry Bar): A four-foot bar of steel weighing 16 to 18 pounds with a beveled end used to move rocks.

Rock Scramble: Extremely steep trail or section that requires climbing rather than hiking.

Rod Sounding: Driving a steel rod or pipe into the ground to determine the location of firm soil or rock.

Roller-coaster: Section of trail with constant ups and downs.

Root: The part of a plant/tree, usually underground, that anchors the plant/tree. Can be a hazard to trail users when they protrude through the tread surface.

Root Ball (Root Wad): Earth and soil that is lifted up when a tree and its roots fall over.

Rubble: Rough, irregular fragments of broken rock or concrete.

Runoff: Water (not absorbed by the soil) that flows over the land surface and ultimately reaches streams.

Rural: Usually refers to areas with population less than 5,000.

Rural Area: Outside the limits of an incorporated or unincorporated city, town, village, or any other designated residential or commercial area such as subdivision, a business or shopping center, or community development.

Rut: Sunken groove in the tread, perpendicular to the direction of travel, and less than two feet in depth.

Saddle: Ridge between two peaks.

Saddle Notch: A half-circle notch cut in the bottom of a log to fit over a log in the course below.

Safety Harness: A body belt or strap, usually made of nylon, for use while working near steep drop-offs. Must be of approved construction and design, and in good repair, and attached to a secure anchor point with carabiners and approved climbing rope.

Sand: Soil particles ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter; individual particles are visible to the unaided human eye. Usually sand grains consist chiefly of quartz, but they may be of any mineral composition.

Sapwood: Wood just under the bark of a tree. It is only a few years old. This wood is usually a light color and not as strong or dense as the heartwood.

Saw: Cutting tool that comes in a variety of styles used for cutting limbs, branches, trees, or lumber.

Scale: The proportionate size relationship between an object and the surroundings in which the object is placed. The relationship of the length between two points as shown on a map and the distance between the same two points on the Earth.

Scenery: The aggregate of features that give character to a landscape.

Scenic Area: An area whose landscape character exhibits a high degree of variety and harmony among the basic elements which results in a pleasant landscape to view.

Scenic Quality: The degree of harmony, contrast, and variety within a landscape.

Scenic Quality Evaluation Key Factors: The seven factors (land form, vegetation, water, color, adjacent scenery, scarcity, and cultural modifications) used to evaluate the scenic quality of a landscape.

Scenic View (Vista): A long-distance view that is pleasant and interesting.

Scenic Viewpoint: A designated area developed at a key location to afford trail users an opportunity to view significant landforms, landscape features, wildlife habitat, and activities.

Scoping: The process of identifying the range of considerations, issues, management concerns, preliminary alternatives, and other components of an environmental impact statement or land-use planning document. It involves internal agency and external/public involvement.

Scour (Scouring): Soil erosion through the force of moving water.

Screamer: A long fall.

Scree: Gravel-size loose rock debris, especially on a steep slope or at the base of a cliff, formed as a result of disintegration largely by weathering.

Screening: Full or partial concealment of unsightly views to render them unnoticeable from the trail, by means of natural objects, plantings, fences, or other appropriate means.

Sea Level: The ocean surface; the mean level between high and low tides. Sea level is used as a reference point in determining land elevation.

Secondary Trails: Short trails used to connect primary trails or branchings of primary trails. They encourage movement between two primary trails or facilitate dispersal of use through secondary branching.

Section 4(f) of the US DOT Act: Section 4(f) resources consist of publicly owned parks, recreation areas, wildlife refuges, and public and private historic sites. Section 4(f) land cannot be used for US DOT-funded projects unless it is determined that no feasible and prudent alternative exists.

Section 8(d): Common reference to U.S.C. 1247(d), the section of the National Trails System Act which provides for interim trail use when a surplus railroad line is placed in the federal railbank.

Section-hiker: A hiker who is hiking an entire trail over a period of years.

Sediment: Soil particles that have been transported away from their natural location by wind or water action.

Sediment Deposition: The accumulation of soil particles on the trail tread and banks.

Sedimentation: Deposition of material carried in water; usually the result of a reduction in water velocity below the point at which it can transport the material.

Seen Area: That portion of the landscape which is visible from roads, trails, rivers, campgrounds, communities, or other key observation positions.

Seep (Seepage): An area where water slowly passes out of the ground to the surface; groundwater emerging on the trail tread or bank. In general, seeps have less water flow than a spring.

Segment (Passage): A portion of a trail. Changes in geographic features, jurisdiction and/or political boundaries often distinguish segments (passages).

Seldom Seen Distance Zone: Portions of the landscape which are generally not visible from key observation points, or portions which are visible but more than 15 miles distance.

Setting Bed: A layer of aggregate (either crushed stone or crushed gravel), or mason's sand, mortar placed on solid rock, or a compacted subgrade of existing ground or fill. Depending on the setting bed, material, and subsurface conditions, the setting bed may be from 4 to 12 inches deep.

Shank: A metal or nylon plate installed in the instep of a shoe or boot to provide support.

Shared Use: A process where land managers and trail user groups work together to identify common goals and share in the process to achieve them. It means sharing of knowledge, tools, trailheads, grant funds, labor, and other resources in an area. In some instances it means sharing the same trail, but doesn't always require multiple-use trails.

Shear: Force parallel to a surface as opposed to directly on the surface. An example of shear would be the tractive force that removes particles from a trail as flow moves over the surface of the slope.

Sheath: Protective covering made of leather or plastic used to cover sharp blades of tools while in storage or when the tools are transported.

Sheetwash: The widespread removal of surface debris by the steady and continuous flow of water on low gradient slopes. Generally at slow speeds and over long periods.

Shelter (Adirondack, Lean-To, Stone, Log): Open front structure that includes a sleeping platform and roof; popular as an overnight facility on long-distance trails, especially in the East.

Shim(s): A short, thin wedge of wood or metal used to fill a space. Used to bring a ledger, stringer, or tread to level. Also used as a verb: to shim. Shore: That part of the land in immediate contact with a body of water including the area between high and low water lines.

Shoreline: The line of contact between a body of water and the land.

Shoulder: Usually paved portion of a highway, which is contiguous to the travel lanes, allowing motor vehicle use in emergencies. They can also be for specialized use by pedestrians and bicyclists.

Shovel: A tool with a broad scoop and a long handle for lifting and moving loose material.

Shrub: A woody plant that usually remains low and produces shoots or trunks from the base; it is not usually tree-like or single stemmed.

Shuttle: Leaving a vehicle at both ends of a point-to-point trip or pre-arranging a shuttle to pick you up at the end of the trip or to drop you off at the beginning.

Shy Distance: The distance between the trails edge and any fixed object capable of injuring someone using the trail, or between oncoming trail users such as bicyclists.

Side Trails: Dead-end trails that access features near the main trail.

Sidehill: Where the trail angles across the face of a slope. The tread is often cut into the slope.

Sidehilling: Process of excavating or cutting a bench across the slope.

Sideslope: The natural slope of the ground measured at right angles to the centerline of the trail, or the adjacent slope, which is created after excavating a sloping ground surface for a trailway, often termed a cut-and-fill-slope, left and right of the trail tread.

Sidewalk: A paved strip (typically concrete four feet in width) which runs parallel to vehicular traffic and is separated from the road surface by at least a curb and gutter. Sidewalks are common in urban areas and in some suburban residential areas.

Sight Distance: The visible and unobstructed forward and rear view seen by a trail user from a given point along the trail.

Sign (Signage): A board, post, or placard that displays written, symbolic, tactile, or pictorial information about the trail or surrounding area. Signage increases safety and comfort on trails. There are five basic types of signs: Cautionary, Directional, Interpretive, Objective, and Regulatory.

Sign, Cautionary: Warns of upcoming roadway crossings, steep grades, blind curves, and other potential trail hazards.

Sign, Directional: Gives street names, trail names, direction arrows, mileage to points of interest, and other navigational information.

Sign, Interpretive: Offers educational information that describes and explains a natural or cultural point of interest on or along the trail.

Sign, Objective: Provides information about the actual trail conditions, including grade, cross slope, surface, clear trail width, and obstacle height. This allows users to make more informed decisions about which trails best meet their trail needs and abilities.

Sign, Regulatory: Tells the "rules of the trail" by prohibiting certain uses or controlling direction of travel.

Significant: As used in NEPA, requires consideration of both context and intensity. Context means that the significance of an action must be analyzed in several contexts such as society as a whole, and the affected region, interests, and locality. Intensity refers to the severity of impacts.

Sill: A crosswise member at the top of an abutment or pier that supports the stringers, beams, or trusses of a bridge or boardwalk.

Silt: Noncohesive soil whose individual mineral particles are not visible to the unaided human eye (0.002 to 0.05 mm). Silt will crumble when rolled into a ball.

Silt Fence: Temporary sediment barrier consisting of filter fabric, sometimes backed with wire mesh, attached to supporting posts and partially buried.

Single-Jack Hammer: A short handled hammer with a 3- to 4-pound head. Can be used alone to drive timber spikes, or with a star drill to punch holes in rock.

Single-Track Trail: A trail only wide enough for one user to travel. Requires one user to yield the trail to allow another user to pass.

Single-Use Trail: One that is designed and constructed for only one intended use (i.e. hiking only).

Sinkhole: A natural occurrence when the limestone crust of the earth collapses and creates a crater. Old sinkholes are often filled with water and resemble ponds.

Sinks: A term given to areas where underground rivers emerge at the ground surface. Areas surrounding sinks are generally lush with vegetation.

Site: A parcel of land bounded by a property line or a designated portion of public right of way.

Skew Angle: Less than at a right angle to a trail. Usually an oblique angle of 45 degrees or less.

Skiing, Cross-country, (Nordic): In simplest terms Ð skiing across the countryside.

Skirt: To construct a trail around a mountain, often at an even grade, instead of climbing over the mountain.

Skyline: Rigging system with a highline by which a load is moved via a pulley, pulled by a separate rope.

Slab: A verb, describing the way that a sidehill trail maintains a more-or-less constant elevation rather than following the ups and downs of the ridge. Example: "The trail slabs to the north for 3 miles."

Slackline: Rigging system with a highline, which is lowered to pick up a load, then tightened to move the load.

Slackpack (Slackpacking, Slackpacker, Barebacking, Barebacker): Hiking a section of a long distance trail without a backpack by either leaving it in a safe place or having someone shuttle it up the trail for you.

Slackwater: Floodwater with little or no velocity. It is formed when water in creeks, streams, or rivers backs up into low terrain, creating a temporary ponding condition.

Slalom: Zigzag descent on skis or mountain bike.

Slash: The branches, bark, tops, cull logs, and broken or uprooted trees left on the ground after logging has been completed.

Sledgehammer: A long handled heavy hammer with a 6- to 8-pound head, usually held with both hands.

Sleeper (Sill): A horizontal log or timber laid in a shallow trench to support a plank or log.

Slide: Material that has slid onto the trail tread from the backslopeÑpossibly in quantities sufficient to block the trail.

Slip: The downslope movement of a mass of soil under wet or saturated conditions; a micro-landslide that produces microrelief in soils.

Slope: Rising or falling natural (or created) incline of the ground. The term is generally used to refer to the hill and not the trail.

Slope, Cross: The slope that is perpendicular to the direction of the trail.

Slope, Cut: The exposed ground surface resulting from the excavation of material on the natural terrain.

Slope, Fill: The exposed ground surface resulting from the placement of excavated material on the natural terrain.

Slope, Running: The average slope of a contiguous section that is in the same direction as the trail; measured by averaging the values of slop measurements taken periodically at different points along the trail.

Slope, Running Cross: The average cross slope of a contiguous section of a trail; measured by averaging the values of cross slope measurements taken periodically at different points along a given section of trail.

Slope, Percent: Number of feet rise (vertical) divided by feet of run (horizontal) times 100 to get percent slope; example: 15-feet of rise over 100-feet of run is a 15% slope.

Slope Measurements: Measurements taken on the ground or parallel with the slope of the ground. Slope measurements provide a true indication of the quantities of materials needed for construction. Maps and construction drawings for roads and utility lines are measured horizontally. Measurements taken electronically are also measured horizontally. Slope measurements can sometimes be as much as 10 percent greater than horizontal measurements.

Slough (pronounced "Sloo"): Ingress, egress, or backflow from a creek or river. Usually areas full of soft, deep mud.

Slough (pronounced "Sluff"): Material from the backslope that has been deposited on the trail bed and is higher than the center of the trail tread.

Slump (Slumping): When the trail bed material has moved downward causing a dip in the trail grade.

Smart Growth: Growth management policies and programs to support and encourage growth in existing communities, and in communities with infrastructure and other services that can accommodate that additional growth, while limiting development in agricultural and other areas.

Snowmobile: A motorized vehicle that operates on skis, pontoons, tracks, rollers, wheels, air cushion, or any other device which is designed for travel in, on, or over snow.

Social Trail (Wildcat, Way, Informal): Unplanned/unauthorized trails that develop informally from use and are not designated or maintained by an agency; often found cutting switchbacks or between adjacent trails.

Sod: Plugs, squares, or strips of turf with the adhering soil.

Soft Surface Trail: An unsurfaced natural trail or a trail surfaced with compacted earth, crusher fines, bark, or gravel.

Soil(s): The surface material (mineral materials, organic matter, water, and air) of the continents, produced by disintegration of rocks, plants, and animals and the biological action of bacteria, earthworms, and other decomposers. The four fundamental groups of soils are: gravels, sands, loams, and clays.

Soil Auger: T-shaped tool with a spiral tip for turning into soil to probe its content.

Soil Cement (cement-treated base): A mixture of pulverized soil combined with measured amounts of portland cement and water and compacted to a high density. As the cementing action occurs through hydration, a hard, durable semi-rigid material is formed. It must have a seal coat to keep out moisture and a surface that will withstand wear.

Soil Compaction: A decrease in the volume of soil as a result of compression stress.

Soil Map: A map showing the kinds of soil types and their boundaries in all the detail significant to soil use and management.

Soil Profile: Site-specific arrangement of soil layers from surface to bedrock.

Soil Stabilization: Measures that protect soil from the erosive forces of raindrop impact and flowing water. They include, but are not limited to, vegetative establishment, mulching, and the application of soil stabilizers to the trail tread.

Soil Stabilizer: Material, either natural or manufactured, used to hold soil in place and prevent erosion due to water, gravity, or trail users. Stabilizers include soil cement, geogrid, etc.

Sonotube(s): Hollow cardboard cylinders used for forming round concrete columns. The sonotube is removed after the concrete sets.

Spall(s): Stone chip or fragment; to break up into chips or fragments. Spalls are wedged between stones that have been placed without mortar. They have a function similar to that of shims used in wood or metal construction.

Specifications: Written provisions and requirements for the performance of work and type of materials to which trails (tread, clearing, grade) and trail structures (bridge, culvert, puncheon) are built and maintained according to type of use.

Specifications, Special Project: Specifications that detail the conditions and requirements peculiar to an individual trail project, including additions and revisions to the standard specifications.

Specifications, Standard: A book of specifications approved for general application and repetitive use.

Specifications, Supplemental: Approved conditions and revisions to the standard specifications.

Spelunking: Entering caves or caverns for the purpose of recreation or exploration. Spike (Camp): To campout while working on a trail.

Spillway: A constructed passage for surplus water to run over or around a dam.

Spine Trail: A regional trail that acts as a "backbone" to a regional trail system.

Sponsor: Organization or government agency that will sign agreements and contracts and be responsible for a trail or greenway project.

Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV): A street legal, high clearance vehicle used primarily on-highway but designed to be capable of off-highway travel.

Sprawl, Urban: Low-density land-use patterns that are automobile-dependent, energy and land consumptive, and require a very high ratio of road surface to development served. Scattered, untimely, and often unplanned, urban development that occurs in urban fringe and rural areas without provisions for facilities and services and is characterized by strip development.

Spring: A saturated zone at or near the ground surface where voids in the rock or soil are filled with water at greater that atmospheric pressure. Seep or spring sites are typically characterized by riparian vegetation and soil formed in the presence of water. Water may or may not be discharging from these sites, depending on the underlying geology, water source, season, or long term climatic trends. A seep is a small spring.

Spur Trail: A trail that leads from primary, secondary, or spine trails to points of user interestsÑoverlooks, campsites, etc.

Square Notch: A notch cut in a log to fit snugly against a square notch cut in another log, the square cut end of another log, or a plank. The portion of the notch in contact with the other log is cut as a flat, uniform plane. The ends or ends of the square notch are perpendicular to the flat plane.

Staging Area: An area where users can congregate, park, and begin or end a trip. Designed and managed for day use, whereas a trailhead usually caters to those embarking on an overnight or long-distance trip.

Stakeholder(s): Group or individual who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of the organization's mission; examples include managers, employees, policy makers, suppliers, vendors, citizens, and community groups.

Stakes, Grade or Slope: Temporary stakes set by the trail locator to establish the elevation and cross section of the completed tread.

Stakes, Line: Temporary stakes set by the trail locator to establish the centerline of the trail.

Standard(s): A statement and/or illustration describing a design recommendation or principle that recommends a preferred development technique for use as a rule or basis of comparison in measuring maximum or ideal requirements, quantity, quality, value, etc.

Standards, Design: Values selected and documented from the design criteria that become the standards for a given trail or greenway project.

Star Drill: A foot-long tool, weighing about a pound, used with a single-jack hammer to punch holes in rock or open a seam/crack.

State Land: Lands administered by any one of several state agencies.

Station: One hundred feet measured along the centerline of the trail or road; used in surveying and construction.

Stationary Sound Test: A test procedure, approved by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAEJ1287 Jul98), to readily test vehicle sound levels in the fields.

Statute: Law passed by Congress or a state legislature that declares, commands, or prohibits something.

Steel Rungs: Placed on rock faces or ledges to provide ladder-like access in steep terrain.

Step: Structure (stone or wood) that provides a stable vertical rise on the trail, usually in sets.

Step, Pinned: Step held in place on a ledge or a rock slab by steel pins set in holes drilled in the rock.

Stepping Stones: Large rocks (preferably greater than two hundred pounds) set in boggy areas or shallow stream crossings to provide passage for hikers.

Steward: The person taking responsibility for the well-being of land and water resources and doing something to restore or protect that well-being.

Stewardship: Taking responsibility for the well-being of land and water resources and doing something to restore or protect that well-being. It usually involves cooperation among people with different interests and sharing of decision-making. It is generally voluntary. It is oriented towards assessment, protection, and rehabilitation of trails and greenways as well as sustainable use of renewable resources.

Stile: A step or set of steps for hikers to pass over a fence or wall without allowing livestock to escape.

Stob (Stub): Projecting (and hazardous) piece of a branch, root, or sapling not cut flush with the trunk or ground.

Stolon: An above-ground stem capable of growing a new plant.

Stone: A rock put to human use.

Straw Bale: Temporary barriers made from bales of straw that are sometimes installed across a slope or around the perimeter of a construction site to intercept and detain sediment transported by runoff.

Stream: Small body of running water moving in a natural channel or bed.

Stream, Alluvial: Any stream whose banks are subject to attack, allowing soil, sand, or gravel to build up in one area while washing it away in another.

Stream, Ephemeral: A temporary or short-lived water flow only in direct response to a heavy rain. Most of the year it's a dry bed.

Stream, Intermittent: Channels that naturally carry water part of the year and are dry the other part.

Stream, Perennial: Stream channels that carry water year round.

Stream Crossing: A trail crossing a body of running water at grade without the use of a developed structure or bridge.

Streamflow: The movement of water through a channel.

Stringer(s): The lengthwise members of a structure placed parallel with the centerline of the tread, usually resting on sills, which spans wet areas and supports the decking.

Structure: Anything constructed or erected that requires location on the ground such as a bridge, wall, steps, etc. on or near a trail.

Stuff Sack: A water-repellant or waterproof bag with a drawstring, used for compact storage of gear.

Sub-base: On paved trails the sub-base lies between the sub-grade and the trail surface, and serves as a secondary, built foundation for the trail surface (concrete or asphalt). The purpose of the sub-base is to transfer and distribute the weight from the trail surface to the sub-grade. The sub-base consists of four- to six-inches of graded aggregate), which provides bearing strength and improves drainage.

Sub-grade: The native soil mass that makes up the primary foundation of the trail that supports the tread surface. Topography, soils, and drainage are the key factors comprising the sub-grade.

Subsoil: The soil below the surface soil in which roots normally grow. It has been carried over from early days when "soil" was conceived only as the plowed soil and that under it as the "subsoil."

Substrate: Underlying layer of loose/soft material below topsoil and overlying bedrock.

Subsurface Rights: The right to use or control land below the trail surface. Subsurface rights may be leased for water, sewer, or fuel pipelines; or electrical, telephone, or fiber-optic cables.

Suitable Material: Rock that can be accommodated in the trail structure, and soil free of duff with a recognizable granular texture.

Summit: The highest point (top) of a mountain.

Super-Elevated (Superelevation, Bermed, Banked): Slope or bank of a curve or climbing turn expressed as the ratio of feet of vertical rise per foot of horizontal distance. The outside edge of a trail is raised or banked for the purpose of overcoming the force causing a vehicle (bicycle or OHV) to skid when maintaining speed in a curve.

Surface (Surfaced, Surfacing): Material on top of the trailbed or base course that provides the desired tread. It can lessen compaction of soil, provide a dry surface for users, and prevent potential erosion and abrasion. In addition to concrete and asphalt, trails can be surfaced with dirt, rock, gravel, sand, mud, snow, grass, and other substances.

Survey, Trail: A physical field assessment of the trail or proposed trail, to determine alignment, maintenance tasks, hazards, impact, etc., prior to work, or as part of ongoing trail maintenance.

Survey, Visitor: Most frequently used method of obtaining detailed information on visitor characteristics, attitudes, and preferences. Consists of two parts: 1) contacting a sample of visitors (either at trailheads or at home): and 2) obtaining visitor use information by either interviewing visitors or asking them to respond to a questionnaire.

Suspension Bridge: A bridge that has its treadway suspended from two or more cables securely anchored at the ends.

Sustainability: Community use of natural resources in a way that does not jeopardize the ability of future generations to live and prosper.

Sustainable Development: Development that maintains or enhances economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which people and economies depend. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable Natural Surface Trail: A trail that supports currently planned and potential future uses with minimal impact and negligible soil loss while allowing the naturally occurring plant systems to inhabit the area, recognizing required pruning and eventual removal of certain plants over time. The sustainable trail will require little rerouting and minimal maintenance over extended periods of time.

Swale: A linear low-lying natural topographic drainage feature running downhill and crossing the trail alignment in which sheet runoff would collect and form a temporary watercourse. A low-lying ground drainage structure (resembling a swale) can be constructed to enhance drainage across the trail.

Swamp: An area of wet, spongy land; bog, marsh.

Swedish Safety Brush Axe (Sandvik): A machete-like tool with a protected short, replaceable blade and a 28-inch handle used to cut through springy hardwood stems.

SWECO Trail Dozer: SWECO builds the 450 and 480 trail dozers specifically for trail construction. The dozers are 4' wide by about 11" long and 6" high. They weigh about 8,000 pounds, are powered by turbo diesel engines, and have hydraulic controls with full hydrostatic drive. The 6-way floating blade and rock rippers allow for the removal of most rock and roots from the trail bet, leaving a smooth and sustainable finished trail surface.

Switchback: A sharp turn in a trail (usually constructed on a slope of more than 15%) to reverse the direction of travel and to gain elevation. The landing is the turning portion of the switchback. The approaches are the trail sections upgrade and downgrade from the landing.

Sylvan: Of, found, or living in the woods or forest.

System: Set of interconnected components that function as a whole and thereby achieve a behavior or performance that is different than the sum of each of the components taken separately.

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Tableland: High flatland or plateau.

Tack: Bridles, saddles, and other equipment used on horses and pack stock.

Tackifier: Material sprayed onto a soil surface to bind soil particles and prevent erosion.

Tailings: The dump at a mineral processing plant; material remaining after metal is extracted from ore.

Taking: A real estate term traditionally used to mean acquisition by eminent domain but broadened by the US Supreme Court to mean any government action that denies viable economic use of property.

Talus: Large rock debris on a slope or at the base of a hill or cliff. The rocks are larger and have sharper edges than those found on scree slopes.

Tamping: Using a narrow machine compactor, a tamping bar, or the handle of a shovel or other tool to compact earth backfill around a post, pole, or pile.

Technical: Section along a trail that is difficult to navigate; used by mountain bikers to describe difficult to ride sections of trail.

Technical Assistance: Help (advice and knowledge; usually not financial) offered by federal and state agencies to local groups developing trails and greenways.

Technical Trail Feature (TTF): An obstacle on the trail requiring negotiation, the feature can be either built or natural, such as an elevated bridge or a rock face respectively.

Tent Pad(s): An area the size of a tent where soil and gravel are built up inside some cribbing (log or stone) to improve drainage.

Tent Platform(s): Wooden platform (single, double, or group tent sizes) used to minimize damage to fragile alpine or wetlands areas, or to reduce impact on heavily used, erosion-prone campsite(s).

Tent Site(s): A designated flat, dry spot where a tent may be pitched. Site may have a central fire pit and pit toilet.

Terminus: Either the beginning or end of a trail.

Test Boring: A deep, narrow hole drilled into the ground with a power auger. A record is kept of the types of soils encountered and their depth.

Test Hole(s): Dug by hand or with a backhoe, test holes are wider than test borings, allowing the soil strata on the sides of the hole to be easily seen.

Texture: The visual manifestations of the interplay of light and shadow created by the variations in the surface of an object or landscape.

Texture, Soil: Relative proportions of the various size groups of individual soil grains in a mass of soil. Specifically, it refers to the proportions of clay, silt, and sand in soil.

Texturing: The act of placing natural features (rock, logs) back into a trail to help control speed or user conflict.

Thru-Cut Climbing Turn: A turn which is constructed on a sidehill of 20% or more when measured between the exterior boundaries of the turn, and which cuts through the sidehill grade as it changes the direction of the trail 120 to 180 degrees.

Thru-Hiker: Someone who attempts to cover a long trail, such as the Appalachian Trail, in one continuous trek.

Tie Log: Structural member notched into the horizontal facer and wing walls used to secure the facer and wings by utilizing the mass of the backfill.

Tight and Technical: A type of trail design that allows for tight turns and slow speeds, while using natural features as technical obstacles.

Timber: Wood that has been sawn or hewn into a square or rectangular cross section that is at least 3 inches thick.

Timber Carrier: A tool, with a long handle and hooks, which allows two people on each side of the carrier to transport logs or timber.

Title: Rights of ownership of property; paper that indicates ownership.

Title Search: A legal review of deeds of record in the chain of title to a piece of property analyzing all encumbrances or prior sales of the property to make sure that a piece of real estate can be sold without anyone else claiming rights to it.

Toe: The break in slope at the foot of a bank where the bank meets the bed.

Toenail(ing): Joining two pieces of wood by driving nails at an angle to the surface of one piece and into the second piece.

Top Bank: The break in slope between the bank and the surrounding terrain.

Topo (USGS Topographic, Contour) Map: Maps published by the United States Geological Survey, indicating built and natural features (buildings, roads, ravines, rivers, etc.) as well as elevation changes and land cover. Available from many government offices, outdoor shops, and map stores; or from digitized versions on the Internet.

Topographic: Of or having to do with topography or the physical features of a place.

Topography: The elevation and slope of the land as it exists or is proposed. It is represented on drawings by lines connecting points at the same elevation. Typically illustrated by dashed lines for existing topography and solid lines for proposed.

Track: Mark left by something that has passed along; footprint or wheel rut. A pair of parallel metal rails on which trains run.

Track, Fitness (Jogging Track): Path or course laid out for exercise (walking, jogging, running). Usually no more than a mile and laid out in an oval.

Track Tie Memory: On rail-trails the removed railroad cross ties can leave an imprint (or memory). To remove this "memory" the ballast needs to be graded and compacted before laying a trail surface.

Trail: Route on land or water with protected status and public access for recreation or transportation purposes such as walking, jogging, motorcycling, hiking, bicycling, ATVing, horseback riding, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, and backpacking.

Trail, Backcountry: A primitive trail (can be open to motorized or nonmotorized users) in an area where there are no maintained roads or permanent buildings.

Trail, Dendritic: Resemble linear trails except that they have many branches which are, for the most part, unconnected to each other, and which terminate in dead ends.

Trail, Designated: A trail that is approved and maintained by an agency either seasonally or yearlong.

Trail, Destination: A trail that connects two distinct points (a trailhead and a point of interest) the destination. The trail user returns by the same route.

Trail, Extended: Trails over 100 miles in length (as defined in the National Trails System Act).

Trail, Frontcountry: Less emphasis is put on minimizing contact with signs of the civilized world. The main objective is to provide enjoyable trail experiences within the vicinity of developed areas by utilizing the scenic and interpretative features of semi-urban, rural, and natural environments.

Trail, Linear: Trails that start and return exactly along the same route and have a beginning and an end.

Trail, Long Distance: In general a trail best characterized by length (more than 50 miles), linearity (follows a linear feature), and diversity (geographic and political).

Trail, Loop(ed): Trail or trail systems designed so that the routes are closed circuits connecting a number of points of interest, giving users the option of not traveling the same section of trail more than once on a trip.

Trail, Out-and-Back: A one-way trail on which you travel to a destination then backtrack to the trailhead.

Trail, Recreation: A trail that is designed to provide a recreational experience.

Trail, Stacked Loop: Trail or trail systems designed with many loops "stacked" on each other, giving users the option of not traveling the same section of trail more than once on a trip.

Trail Access Information: Objective information reported to trail users through signage, about the grade, cross slope, tread width, and surface of a trail.

Trail Angel: Name given to anyone who goes out of their way to help out a trail user by offering food, shelter, or a ride into town out of the goodness of their hearts rather than for profit or gain.

Trail Care Crew (TCC) Program: Subaru/IMBA sponsored two-person crews that travel and teach trail users and managers how to design, build, maintain, and manage trails that are environmentally sound and fun to use.

Trail Community: Includes those with an interest in, or relationship to a particular trail (long distance or system): volunteers, landowners, government agency personnel, and the officials and citizens of local communities through which the trail passes or trail system is located. For example, there is the Appalachian Trail community.

Trail Magic: The special things that happen and the generosity that trail users experience while on a trail trip.

Trail Name: A chosen or given nickname a trail user adopts while on an extended trail trip to identify themselves when making register entries, often based on personality, lifestyle, or traveling style.

Trail Protection: Implies that where a trail is threatened by development or where the route is constantly being rerouted, specific measures are invoked to guarantee a permanent or protected status. When a trail is adequately protected, development cannot dismember it or destroy its values to trail users.

Trail System(s): A collection of individual trails that may or may not be connected to one another, whereby each retains its distinctiveness, and yet belongs to the system by association with a federal, state, local, or bioregional context.

Trailbed: The finished surface on which base course or surfacing may be constructed. For trails without surfacing, the trailbed is the tread.

Trailhead: An access point to a trail or trail system often accompanied by various public facilities, such as a horse or OHV unloading dock or chute, parking areas, toilets, water, directional and informational signs, and a trail use register. Designed and managed for those embarking on an overnight or long-distance trip, whereas a staging area caters to trail day use.

Trailway: The portion of the trail within the limits of the excavation and embankment.

Trample (Trampling): To tread heavily so as to bruise, crush, or injure; refers to the process of vegetation being destroyed by trail users.

Transportation Enhancement: Projects that include: providing bicycle and pedestrian facilities; converting abandoned railroad rights-of-way into trails; preserving historic transportation sites; acquiring scenic easements; mitigating the negative impacts of a project on a community by providing additional benefits; and other nonmotorized projects.

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (SAFETEA, TEA-21): Federal legislation authorizing highway, highway safety, transit, and other surface transportation programs from 1998 through 2003. It provides funding opportunities for pedestrian, bicycling, and public transit facilities, and emphasizes intermodalism, multimodalism, and community participation in transportation planning initiated by ISTEA.

Travelway: The trail as a whole, including the trail tread and the cleared areas on either side of the trail.

Traverse: To cross a slope horizontally going gradually up and across in lieu of the more direct up and over approach.

Tread (Treadway): The actual surface portion of a trail upon which users travel excluding backslope, ditch, and shoulder. Common tread surfaces are native material, gravel, soil cement, asphalt, concrete, or shredded recycled tires.

Tread Creep: When the loose soil of the trail tread moves (sags or slides) down the side of the hill because of erosion or use.

Tread Lightly!: Educational program designed to instill outdoor ethics of responsible behavior when participating in outdoor activities (www.treadlightly.org). Tread Width: The width of the portion of the trail used for travel.

Tree: Any woody plant that normally grows to a mature height greater than 20 feet and has a diameter of four inches or more at a point four feet above the ground.

Tree Line (Timber Line): The farthest limit, either in altitude on a mountain, or the farthest north in the northern hemisphere, in which trees are able to grow. Beyond this line, the environment is too harsh for trees to survive.

Trek: To hike a long way. Trekkers are long-distance hikers.

Trekking Pole(s): Telescoping hiking poles used in pairs. Each pole, when planted, reduces weight on the legs and back thereby reducing fatigue, increasing speed, and providing stability when hiking with or without a backpack.

Trench: Badly eroded trail in which the user travels in a ditch that may be knee deep or deeper.

Trespasser: Person who uses property without the owner's implied or stated permission and not for the benefit of the property owner. Due the least duty of care and therefore pose the lowest level of liability risk.

Trestle: Mid-span support for a bridge.

Triangulation: System of equating compass and maps to a known landmark.

Tributary: A river or stream feeding into a larger waterway or lake.

Trio Maintenance: Three-step function of removing slough, berm, and brush. Also called fire line trail maintenance.

Triple Crown Trails: The Appalachian Trail (2,167 miles long), the Pacific Crest Trail (2,650 miles), and the Continental Divide Trail (approximately 3100 miles) are known as the "Triple Crown" of long-distance trails.

True North: The direction toward the geographic North Pole. Most maps are oriented to True North.

Tumpline: A strap slung over the forehead, to anchor a backpack.

Turnout: A place where the trail is widened to permit trail traffic traveling in opposite directions to pass.

Turnpike (Turnpiking): Technique of raising the trail bed above wet, boggy areas by placing mineral soil over fabric between parallel side logs or rocks (along edge of tread). The tread must be "crowned" and ditches dug alongside the logs or rocks to provide drainage.

Twist: A defect in lumber and timber caused by a tree growing with a twisted grain. The result is a piece of lumber or timber with surfaces at one end that are not in the same plane as the surfaces at the other end. Occasionally, usable short lengths with little twist can be cut from the original piece. More commonly, the original piece is useless.

Understory: All forest vegetation growing under the canopy or upper layers of forest vegetation.

Undulating Trail: One that follows a wavelike course, often going in and out of gullies.

Universal Design: Ensures the integration of all people, without separate or segregated access for people with disabilities..

Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP): An inventory process that can be used by trail managers to assess a trail to determine compliance with design guidelines and to provide objective information to trail users regarding grade, cross slope, tread width, surface, and obstacles.

Unravel: To lose material from the edges of a retaining wall (revetment, cribbing).

Upland: Land at a higher elevation than the alluvial plain or low stream terrace; all lands outside the riparian-wetland and aquatic zones.

Urban: Places within boundaries set by state and local officials having a population of 5,000 or more.

Use Volume: The total volume of visitor use each segment of a travel route/trail or use area receives.

User Fee: Any charge for use of services, facilities, trails, or areas. Examples include trail use fees, entrance fees, parking fees, shelter fees, or voluntary donations.

Utility: Public utilities (electric, telephone, fiber optic, water and sewage, and gas companies) and utility-like facilities (pipelines, roads, levees, canals)

Valley: A long, narrow land area lying between two areas of higher elevation, often containing a stream.

Vandalism: Malicious destruction or defacement of someone else's property.

Vegetation: Plant life; growing plants.

Viewshed: The landscape that can be directly seen under favorable atmospheric conditions from a viewpoint or along a trail corridor.

Visitor-Day: Twelve visitor-hours, which may be aggregated continuously, intermittently, or simultaneously by one or more persons at a given site. Used by agencies to count visits to developed sites, trails, and backcountry.

Visitor-Day, Recreation: 12 hours of recreation at a given site. One recreation visitor-day can be one person for 12 hours, or two persons present for 6 hours, and so on. Used by agencies to count visits to developed sites, trails, and backcountry.

Visitors: Total number of people that visit an area during some unit of time, usually a year. Used by agencies to count visits to developed sites, trails, and backcountry.

Visual Foreground-Middleground: The area visible from a travel route, use area, or other observation point to a distance of 3 to 5 miles. The outer boundary of this zone is defined as the point where the texture and form of individual plants are no longer apparent in the landscape. Vegetation is apparent only in patterns or outline.

Visual Quality: The relative worth of a landscape from a visual perception point of view.

Visual Resource(s): The visible physical features on a landscape (e.g., land, water, vegetation, animals, structures, and other features).

Visual Resource Management (VRM): The inventory and planning actions taken to identify visual values and to establish objectives for managing those values; and the management actions taken to achieve the visual management objectives.

Visual Resource Management Classes: Categories assigned to public lands based on scenic quality, sensitivity level, and distance zones. There are four classes (Preservation, Retention, Partial Retention, and Modification). Each class has an objective which prescribes the amount of change allowed in the characteristic landscape.

Volunteer: Person who works on a trail or for a trail club without pay.

Walking Distance: The distance which may be covered by a 5- to 10-minute walk, usually one-quarter to one-half mile, at an easy pace from the outer limit of a development to a transit station or activity center. Mostly used while referring to mixed-use development and trying to create a pedestrian-friendly environment.

Walkway: An area for general pedestrian use (other than a sidewalk or path) such as courtyards, plazas, and pedestrian malls.

Wane: A defect in a piece of lumber or timber, caused by bark that was not removed or a beveled edge.

Waney Edge: A term used at the sawmill to describe a board, plank, or timber of nonuniform width when one or two edges contain bark or irregular sapwood just below the bark.

Warp: Severe bend in a piece of lumber or timber making it unusable in its original length. Sometimes the warp occurs mostly at one point, usually a knot, and short usable pieces can be cut on either side of that point.

Wash: Removal or erosion of soil by the action of moving water. A natural watercourse, wet or dry.

Water, Surface: Water on the surface of the Earth exposed to the atmosphere, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Water Course: Any natural or built channel through which water naturally flows or will collect and flow during spring runoff, rainstorms, etc.

Water Quality: The chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water with respect to its suitability for a particular use.

Water Table: The level below the ground surface where groundwater will fill a test hole.

Water Trail (River Trail, Canoe Trail): A recreational waterway on lake, river, or ocean between specific points, containing access points and day use and/or camping sites for the nonmotorized boating public.

Waterbar: A drainage structure (for turning water) composed of an outsloped segment of tread leading to a barrier placed at a 45¡ angle to the trail; usually made of logs, stones, or rubber belting material. Water flowing down the trail will be diverted by the outslope or, as a last resort, by the barrier. Grade dips are preferred on multi-use trails instead of waterbars. Waterfall: Steep descent of water from a height.

Waterlogged: A soil condition in which both large and small pore spaces are filled with water. The soil may be intermittently waterlogged because of a fluctuating water table or it may be waterlogged for short periods after rain.

Watershed (Drainage Basin, Catchment Basin): A region or area bounded peripherally by a water parting formation (i.e. ridge, hill, mountain range) and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water.

Way (Vehicle Way): A route established and maintained solely by the passage of motor vehicles. It has not been improved and maintained by mechanical means to ensure relatively regular and continuous use.

Wayside(s): Site(s) along a trail that allows users a place to stop to sit, rest, eat, enjoy a view, or read an informational display. They can be located where there are noteworthy natural or cultural resources, attractive views, or a lack of other nearby facilities.

Weathering: The physical and chemical disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals.

Weed Cutters (Weed Whip, Swizzle Stick, Swing Blade): Tool with a serrated blade at the end of a wooden handle, used to clear trail corridors of succulent vegetation.

Weephole: Opening left in a retaining wall (revetment, cribbing) to allow groundwater drainage.

Weir: A depressed channel in a dam providing an outlet for the overflow water in a pond when the water level exceeds a desired height. They are usually concrete or timber, or a combination of the two.

Wetland(s): A lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, which is saturated with water, creating a unique, naturally occurring habitat for plants and wildlife.

Wheel Guard: Narrow logs, poles, or lumber installed along the edges of bridge or puncheon decking designed to help keep wheeled equipment (wheelchair, bicycle, OHV) from running off the edge of the structure.

Wheelbarrow: A shallow open box with a wheel in front and two handles in the rear; used for moving small loads.

Wheelchair: Mobility aid, designed for and used by individuals with mobility impairments; may be manually operated or motorized.

White-out: Extremely heavy snow conditions with near-zero visibility. May also refer to thick fog or low-hanging clouds that produce the same effect.

Wilderness: Undeveloped land and associated water resources retaining their primeval character and influence.

Wilderness Act of 1964 (16 U.S.C. 1131-1136): Act of Congress that established federal Wilderness Areas. As defined, Wilderness Areas are undeveloped federal lands without permanent improvements or human habitation that are protected and managed so as to preserve natural conditions. The Act prohibits the use of mechanized vehicles and construction in Wilderness Areas.

Wilderness Area: Uninhabited and undeveloped federal land to which Congress has granted special status and protection under authority of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Allows foot and horse traffic only; no mountain bikes, OHV use, hang gliders, or other "machines."

Wilderness Study Area (WSA): An area possessing wilderness characteristics as defined in the Wilderness Act. These areas are maintained in their original condition and evaluated for possible inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Wildland(s): Ecologically healthy lands that are in their original natural state.

Wildlife: Any undomesticated animal species living in its natural habitat including birds (raptors, songbirds, upland game birds), mammals (furbearers, big game, nongame mammals), reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Winch: Applicable to a broad array of devices that use a drum, driven by a handle and gears, around which a cable is wound, to provide mechanical advantage for moving heavy objects. Winching: Attaching a winch to a nearby tree and using a rope or chain to pull a vehicle through an otherwise impassable area.

Windchill: The cooling effect that results from windÑespecially dramatic if wearing wet clothes. Wing: Angled barriers at a bridge approach used to channel traffic and prevent trail users from inadvertently plunging over embankment.

Wing Wall (Wingwall): A structural component of a retaining wall, which is interlocked with the facer or front of the wall. The wing generally intersects with the facer at a 45¼ angle, but may be at an angle between 1 and 90¼. This component is anchored by tie logs and both assists the facer in retaining the fill material, and helps prevent flanking.

Wood Chips: Chipped wood, often available from tree trimming operations; produces a soft, spongy trail surface, and is used on many nature trails.

Year, Calendar (CY): The period of time between January 1 and December 31 of any given year.

Year, Fiscal (FY): Annual schedule for keeping financial records and for budgeting funds. The Federal fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30, while most state fiscal year's run from July 1 through June 30.

Yellow-Blazing: A long-distance trail user taking to the road instead of sticking to the trail. Yield: Being prepared to yield the trail to another user by slowing down, preparing to stop, establishing communication, and passing safely.

Yo-Yo(ing): Turning around after completing a long-distance trail trip and returning to the start making it a round-trip.

Yogi(ing): Trail users "yogi" when they entice a non-trail user out of something they need or want without actually asking for it. Named after Yogi the Bear from cartoon fame because of his habit of making off with people's picnic baskets.

Zero-Mile Mark: The point at which a measured trail starts.

Zipline: Rigging system with a taut, stationary wire rope highline for moving loads on a movable pulley.

Zoning (Laws): Specifying use or restrictions on land. Zoning can effectively protect trail corridors from development adjacent to the trail that might block views, destroy sensitive habitat, create traffic problems, and generally diminish a trail experience.

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