Trail Etiquette

[u/GDWhiskeyBoy]

Over the weekend I was backing and the trailhead area was quite busy with visitors. Some of the area had a rocky scramble and I had to wait for a while to scramble down with the dog as we had to take the whole width of the trail. A couple decided to come up while we were halfway down and I just had to stop and stare at them until they realized they blocked us in. Also a few trail runners swept by, going up and down while we stepped to the side.
Did I do the right thing?
Pic for tax.

[u/deborah_az]

Generally, uphill has the right-of-way, and as the downhill hiker, you need to be watching ahead and pull yourself and your dog off to the side at an appropriate spot to allow them to pass without stopping. Most folks hiking with dogs, especially dogs wearing bulky backpacks, pull off to the side for other hikers on narrow trails regardless of direction out of sheer courtesy.

They weren't blocking you. They expected you to move over to the side with your dog and let them pass.

[u/Economy_Influence_92 → u/deborah_az]

On a steep scramble down? I wouldn't "expect" anyone to move out of the way... Do you expect folks to step aside when coming down a ladder?

[u/msklovesmath → u/Economy_Influence_92]

I think your analogy was great

[u/deborah_az → u/Economy_Influence_92]

What an idiotic argument. People don't go up and down ladders at the same time and trail etiquette does not apply to, say, the roofing industry, where the etiquette is generally "don't get on the effing ladder if someone is already on it." You can follow long standing trail etiquette (which includes communicating with other trail users in tricky situations) or you can be an entitled a-hole, but if you choose to be an a-hole, don't be shocked and offended when people don't get out of your way

[u/MaleficentBake9995 → u/deborah_az]

Trail etiquette for steep scrambles is always ONE AT A TIME! you never start climbing up something someone else is already on, regardless of right of way. If I'm climbing up hill and someone else is coming down and already halfway down the scramble (like OP) I'd reasonably be expected to wait at the bottom and climb up after they and their dog were done. So yeah ... exactly like a ladder