Yes: 46% Trail running has a lot of benefits that you can’t get from running on the road. The peace and serenity from a trail run can leave you feeling calm and refreshed yet at the same time, it can be one of the best and most taxing cardio and leg workouts that you’ve ever had. It’s a comforting feeling knowing, that once you start your run, you don’t have to worry about cars, traffic lights, and loud noises. You can let your mind wander, and immerse yourself in a world of nature, surrounded by woods. As soon as your foot hits that dirt, the rhythm and sound of your breath become one with your wooded environment. Each foot strike is a concerted effort to move over logs, rocks, or streams. Your ears enjoy the soft sounds of leaves blowing, streams babbling, and the cadence of each step. You’ll surely hear the scampering of the squirrels to keep you on your toes, and to let you know that you’re not alone. —Jody Trainham, via e-mal
Trail running is easier on my body, more relaxing to my mind, more soothing to my ears, and more pleasing to my eyes. —John L., via e-mail
No: 54% I love the energy of a good road race, because I am able to share my love of running with others. Crowds are cheering, and you can feel the excitement of running in a large pack with like-minded people. It’s an exciting celebration of a sport that often feels too solitary. —Jim Ricketts, Charleston, W.Va.
I run everyday, but I don’t live near any wooded trails. Without my daily road run, I get extremely grumpy, so I’ll choose to appreciate what’s accessible. —Alan Gallant, Charlotte, N.C.
Yes: 68% From an ecosystem standpoint, the forests of the East would definitely benefit from the reintroduction of a large predator, as right now our forests are dominated by overpopulated herbivores like the white-tailed deer. As coyotes have dispersed from the West, they have hybridized with wolves and domesticated dogs, resulting in what is called the Eastern coyote, a larger animal than those in the west, and one that tends to more frequently hunt in packs. The Eastern ‘Yote has assumed the mantle of top predator, but there is for sure room for wolves or mountain lions in the ecosystem.
Overpopulation of herbivores has a detrimental effect on the re-growth and development of forest habitat, and it’s likely that relieving some of that browsing pressure would bring about numerous ecosystem changes that the Appalachian region has not experienced since all large predators were hunted to localized extinction over the last few hundred years. It would be wonderful to see. —Jesse P. Cecil, via e-mail
Yes they should be re-introduced, but only after we can figure out what will allow them to survive. I remember we tried to re-introduce wolves to the Smokies a while back, and unfortunately, they all died. —Jon, Knoxville, Tenn.
No: 32%
I’d love to hear wolves howling in our backyard forests, but I believe the East Coast has been too over-developed to successfully support them. It would be unfair to re-introduce a species if we cannot give them the proper habitat to not only survive but also thrive. I regularly read about farmers struggling to protect their animals from the increasing number of coyotes. I don’t want wolves to be reintroduced and suddenly be considered another nuisance species. They need freedom to roam, and I don’t think we have the space here.
—Dan Wilkinson, Danville, Va.
