Sarge502
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So as often when I have interest in visiting a OHV park, I research, watch videos, study maps etc. in advanced. I may eventually hit up some of the badge trails at Stony if I can possibly work it into my potential Gulf Shores vacation trip this coming summer.
In any case, I'm trying to understand the park system. A lot of simple things don't make sense to me. The hills/trails have name and/or number, which I get. But there's a lot I don't understand compared to other places. All three badge of Honor trails for example, don't make a lot of sense (in different ways).
First of all; Switchback to Who's Your Daddy #500. The naming of that doesn't quite make sense. According to maps and other info on the park. Switchback and Who's Your Daddy are two separate hills/trails. Just as others are with their own name/number. Why combine them for the sake of the badge trail name? I initially thought; well it's possibly referencing specifically the route from Switchback leading "TO" Who's Your Daddy(hence the "to" in the combined title/name). Switchback does lead to Who's Your Daddy in a sense so I figure, OK. But it also leads to Gutbuster which is literally right next to Who's Your Daddy along with a few other of steep inclines on the exact same hillside (Screwdriver, Crawl Mama) all right next to each other. So why single out Who's Your Daddy? Also where does the #500 come from? There's no #500 on any map I've ever seen. Also even if my guess about the name being the idea of combining the "route" from Switchback "TO" Who's your daddy, like I assume, #503 would actually make more sense then #500, being that 503 is the trail that leads "TO" Who's Your Daddy after immediately exiting Switchback. So regardless it just seems like people just threw some shit together to make the full name of that badge trail. Even #'s 501 or 502 would make a little more sense than 500, considering those two trails lead to Switchback in the beginning. Just don't get it.
Other issue is....Map has black as main roads, then green - easiest, blue -advanced, red - extreme; as difficulty levels. Ok cool, I get it. Pretty straight forward. Yet on another badge trail Trail #404. (At least on this one the name makes sense). But the start of 404 (which is a blue trail mind you) comes immediately AFTER the hill known as "Baldie". Every review and video I've ever seen clearly shows Baldie itself as being harder than the actual trail 404. Yet on the map, the section for Baldie (which is labeled) is shown as a main road (in black) like it's no big deal. Yet 404 is blue right afterwards. Wouldn't you think that would be blue as well or maybe red? How much sense does that make? Someone not doing research like me or one who's not been there wouldn't know otherwise until they found out.
Lastly is Gutbuster #508. Another badge trail. This one is isn't too bad I guess considering #508 (trail) is next to Gutbuster (hill). But again why combine them? Gutbuster is a hill, 508 is a trail. Was just Gutbuster alone not good enough for the sake of the badge name?
Not a major deal, I'm just trying to understand the rhyme or reason or lack there of. Not throwing shots at Alabama or anything. I'm from Kentucky and by no means are we the smartest at things. But just seems like nobody has any kind of organizational skills down there. Besides the lack trail clear trail markings on most I've seen and heard. Even the very few trail signs they do have, look like the local kindergarten class workshop put them together.
In any case, I'm trying to understand the park system. A lot of simple things don't make sense to me. The hills/trails have name and/or number, which I get. But there's a lot I don't understand compared to other places. All three badge of Honor trails for example, don't make a lot of sense (in different ways).
First of all; Switchback to Who's Your Daddy #500. The naming of that doesn't quite make sense. According to maps and other info on the park. Switchback and Who's Your Daddy are two separate hills/trails. Just as others are with their own name/number. Why combine them for the sake of the badge trail name? I initially thought; well it's possibly referencing specifically the route from Switchback leading "TO" Who's Your Daddy(hence the "to" in the combined title/name). Switchback does lead to Who's Your Daddy in a sense so I figure, OK. But it also leads to Gutbuster which is literally right next to Who's Your Daddy along with a few other of steep inclines on the exact same hillside (Screwdriver, Crawl Mama) all right next to each other. So why single out Who's Your Daddy? Also where does the #500 come from? There's no #500 on any map I've ever seen. Also even if my guess about the name being the idea of combining the "route" from Switchback "TO" Who's your daddy, like I assume, #503 would actually make more sense then #500, being that 503 is the trail that leads "TO" Who's Your Daddy after immediately exiting Switchback. So regardless it just seems like people just threw some shit together to make the full name of that badge trail. Even #'s 501 or 502 would make a little more sense than 500, considering those two trails lead to Switchback in the beginning. Just don't get it.
Other issue is....Map has black as main roads, then green - easiest, blue -advanced, red - extreme; as difficulty levels. Ok cool, I get it. Pretty straight forward. Yet on another badge trail Trail #404. (At least on this one the name makes sense). But the start of 404 (which is a blue trail mind you) comes immediately AFTER the hill known as "Baldie". Every review and video I've ever seen clearly shows Baldie itself as being harder than the actual trail 404. Yet on the map, the section for Baldie (which is labeled) is shown as a main road (in black) like it's no big deal. Yet 404 is blue right afterwards. Wouldn't you think that would be blue as well or maybe red? How much sense does that make? Someone not doing research like me or one who's not been there wouldn't know otherwise until they found out.
Lastly is Gutbuster #508. Another badge trail. This one is isn't too bad I guess considering #508 (trail) is next to Gutbuster (hill). But again why combine them? Gutbuster is a hill, 508 is a trail. Was just Gutbuster alone not good enough for the sake of the badge name?
Not a major deal, I'm just trying to understand the rhyme or reason or lack there of. Not throwing shots at Alabama or anything. I'm from Kentucky and by no means are we the smartest at things. But just seems like nobody has any kind of organizational skills down there. Besides the lack trail clear trail markings on most I've seen and heard. Even the very few trail signs they do have, look like the local kindergarten class workshop put them together.
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