[OSM-newbies] howto mark a usable, but not designated mountain trail

[Jim Gibson]

>Hi
>
>Our recent mountain meanderings created an interesting mapping
>situation. At one point we knew very well, from the paper map we had
>with us and the GPS unit's breadcrumbs, that the designated trail was
>sending us to a junction 1km due north, only to then track back
>another 1km due south to a position roughly 300m to our east.
>
>As we were already nearing the end of the day and were tired, the
>prospect of saving ~2km of walking was too good to pass on, so we did
>the naughty thing and took a shortcut through the forest.
>
>I mapped it for two reasons:
>
>1. If someone happens to be there and needs to get out of the mountain
>quickly, this is the best way to do it.
>2. Now the mapped way is circular, otherwise it would have abruptly
>ended in the forest nothingness.
>
>The right kink shown at http://osm.org/go/Zc93G@e0M- (if it's not live
>yet, you should be able to see it by clicking the "+" on the map and
>then the "data" overlay) captures my dilemma. Following the marked
>trail we would have walked on due NW back to the guidepost, and
>rejoined the "Long Path".
>
>I currently chose to:
>1. break the way in two
>2. clearly mark the "shortcut" section as such (by name)
>3. not using the "foot=designated" tag for the shortcut.
>
>What's the right thing to do in a case like this? This is useful data
>for the map in case of emergency, but I don't want this to turn into a
>mainstream trail either!

I would not mark it at all, as it is not a geographic feature. My 
expectation looking at the map would be that there is a trail there, 
but there is not. A map should reflect what is actually present in 
the real world. There are an infinite number of possible 
cross-country tracks, and you shouldn't try to mark any of them.

If I have the same information that you did when you decided to take 
your shortcut, then I can decide for myself whether to travel through 
the forest on a cross-country route or go back via the trail. Looking 
at the map as it is now and planning a hike, I would assume there is 
a circular trail and might plan my trip accordingly but in error. I 
would be upset to come to the end of the trail and find that it is 
not the way it is pictured on the map. By trying to help people, you 
may end up just confusing them.

Thanks for bringing up the issue.

-- 
Jim Gibson
Jim at Gibson.org