Originally Posted by wintermute
you can get plenty of control from drop bars, just make sure they're nice and wide (44-46 mm). salsa bell laps are nice.
This would be way too wide for a 5'1" woman.
The smaller sizes of any bike tend to have a longer wheelbase (proportional to the size of the rider). The handling of a M size LHT is no sure indicator of the handling of a small version.
For just riding along trails, a drop bar, 26" LHT style of bike will be fine. I have taken my tourer over mountain trails and down extreme slopes that cause less experienced MTBers to bail out. The major variable is the style of tyres. Fit a knobbly, semi slick or narrow high pressure slick according to the conditions.