User Behavior at Pinnacle Peak Essay Example for Free

User Behavior at Pinnacle Peak Essay Pinnacle Peak Hiking Area is a multipurpose, exercise trail used for both hiking and equestrians. It is a 1. 75 mile one-way trail in Rio Verde, Arizona with breathtaking views of the Sonoran Desert from every direction. Because the trail is not a loop, there is a lot of traffic on the trail, especially during the fall and winter seasons and on weekends. Families specifically enjoy this trail because there is no way for their children to get lost; there is one way in and one way out, no confusing side trails for anyone to take. There are a few areas where people are tempted to cut corners when there is a lot of traffic on the trail. This is quite dangerous as the entire trail is up a mountain and someone could very easily slip and fall. To help prevent people from cutting corners, the management has strategically laid rocks and logs along certain corners so it is a lot harder for people to step outside these boundaries. Parking for Pinnacle Peak is a disaster. There is very little parking in the designated parking lot, and so people have to park on the street and walk a fairly far distance before they even reach the trailhead. Like the trail, there is only one way in and one way out; there is no going around the busy street full of cars. On weekends when the trail is extremely busy, the parking situation is chaotic. People are out of breath walking uphill before they even reach the trailhead. At the trail head there is a large shaded area, decorated to match its desert surroundings, for people to stretch, rest, drink water, and have snacks both before and after their hikes. I found this extremely inviting and welcoming to users of all ages and hiking abilities. However, the trail itself is quite uninviting. The trail is unsuitable for both hikers and equestrians to be using at the same time. It is very rare that you will see horses on the trail; even without the horses, the trail is not nearly wide enough for the amount of hikers it sees each day. Several people would rather run than walk Pinnacle Peak, and some like to enjoy their time in nature while slowly strolling the trail. As mentioned before, families love this hike, and enjoy brining their children out to enjoy it with them. Unfortunately, with the amount of people Pinnacle Peak attracts, there are often times when people will have to either step aside, or stop and wait for other hikers/runners to pass by. The waiting is annoying and inconvenient, especially for those fully dedicated to their workout, and needing to complete their hike without a single stop. Pam Carothers (2001) states in the article â€Å"Social Values Versus Interpersonal Conflict among Hikers and Mountain Bikers† that recreation conflict is a major issue, whether it is on a hiking trail or on a lake. Interpersonal conflict between hikers and mountain bikers may be related to speed, lack of courtesy, crowding, or safety concerns. Safety issues, for example, have been linked to trail design (blind corners) and the behaviors of some mountain bikers who ride too fast for existing conditions† (page 48). The same idea may apply to runners versus hikers, and those who are on the trail to exercise, versus those on the trail to en joy the scenery. The only possibility to helping with the â€Å"waiting† situation would be a wider trail, however that process would be very long and tedious, as well as expensive. Management has provided two rest areas throughout the trail in which people can step aside, let people pass, grab a drink of water, and enjoy the scenery, all while staying out of other hikers ways. A few more rest stops/pull out areas could help out with the congestion and waiting, as well as people cutting corners and possibly injuring them selves. Before you reach the trailhead, there is an information center with brochures, safety packets, and attentive volunteers wanting to answer any questions you may have about the trail, scenery or surrounding wildlife. John Loleit, Recreation Coordinator at Pinnacle Peak says, â€Å"Year round, you have a good chance of spotting wildlife, especially in the early morning and at dusk†. The information center also has bright, detailed pictures of harmful insects, animals, and plants to keep an eye out for on the trail. Next to the information center are bathrooms, very well kept all year long with accessible stalls and water fountains. Because the trail is technically used for equestrians, too, some sort of horse facilities would be appropriate. Water troughs, large areas to park trailers, and hitching posts would all be extremely helpful for those with horses. Maybe with these extra facilities, the trail would attract more equestrians. As mentioned earlier, this site is very popular to families. Children are always playing on the rocks and benches at the beginning of the trail and rest area. In most cases this would be dangerous and unacceptable, however Pinnacle Peak is very â€Å"kid friendly†, and everything is set up for the safety of the hikers. Several runners cut across the trail on busy days when there are packs of people crowding certain areas. Even with the logs and rocks blocking off the corners, it is difficult to avoid this situation. Large groups of hikers love to stop and take pictures together with the beautiful desert scenery in the background. And who could blame them? Pinnacle Peak does an amazing job in taking advantage of its many views. No matter where you are on the trail, you will have a breath taking view of either Four Peaks or Tom’s Thumb, and at the right time of day, the mixture of pinks and reds of the setting sun. I noticed right away that Pinnacle Peak’s trail is not â€Å"horse friendly†, even though it is supposed to cater to equestrian needs as well as pedestrians. The trail has several stairways made of logs and rocks, both very difficult for horses to climb. The trail, along with the lack of horse facilities, probably discourages many equestrians from attending Pinnacle Peak. Many horse owners live in the area around Pinnacle Peak; if they built a few facilities and fixed the trail to work with horses, they would be seeing a large increase of attendees. I also noticed that the trail was built in such a way that it works perfectly with the contours of the mountain. There are stretches of both smooth surfaces and uphill climbs, tight curves and long straightaways. They definitely used the area to the best of their ability when planning out how the trail would run. By completing this project I learnt the importance of planning ahead and taking into consideration how people interact with their environment. I think that when it comes time to plan an event, facility, or specific environment, researching other competitors is crucial, to see what works, what doesn’t work, and what you are going to do to be proactive against certain issues. I expect to use this information professionally to help plan ahead for any event or facility in my future. The more knowledge and little tips I build now, the more prepared I will be for my professional career.