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pyoder10
05-17-2006, 00:14
Hey, first time hiker with a few questions about the different color blazes on the AT.
I know that white means the regular trail, blue means for water and yellow means for roads, are there any other types of blazes?

Also, say I take a blue blaze towards water and I then want to get back to the main trail, do I have to backtrack through that same blue trail I took or would there be another marked trail back to the main trail?

Basically a summary of the whole blaze system would help

thanks

hikerjohnd
05-17-2006, 00:24
Ok - White is the AT - Blue indicates side trails, not necessarily water. Other trails intesect with the AT and can be blazed in any color or shape (the Benton MacKaye trail is blazed in white triangles I believe...) Yellow blazes are not "blazes" - yellow blazing refers to the yellow lines on the road.

All you need to know is the color and shape of the blazes on the trail you are hiking - follow those and you get where you're going!

Rainman
05-17-2006, 00:32
You have it basically correct. Usually a blue blazed trail to water or a shelter is "one way" and you will have to go back to the main trail the same way you came. Sometimes you will find two different blue blazed trails to a shelter, one for Northbound (NOBO) and one for Southbound (SOBO). These are not all that common.

You will also encounter many other blazes along the way for various trails that intersect the AT or run loops around or through it (such as the new Benton McKaye Trail). These trails usually have very distinct blazes to avoid confusion.

Sometimes there will be so many blazes that you will wonder what the trail maintainer was thinking. Sometimes there will be so few blazes that you will wonder what the trail maintainer was thinking (or even if there is one).

For the most part the AT is not an orienteering exercise. There are innumerable other threads on this site dealing with maps and navigation, so I won't get into that here.

The ATC and most of the maintaining clubs also have excellent sites with good information about the blaze system. The best way to learn about the blazes is to take some short section hikes. That is how I did it.

Good luck!

Old Hillwalker
05-17-2006, 08:28
Be aware that the AT corridor boundary is marked by numerous yellow blazes and aluminum boundary monuments. While doing a corridor check I ran into two people following the boundary and bitching about how thick the trail was:-?

weary
05-17-2006, 09:20
Hey, first time hiker with a few questions about the different color blazes on the AT.
I know that white means the regular trail, blue means for water and yellow means for roads, are there any other types of blazes?

Also, say I take a blue blaze towards water and I then want to get back to the main trail, do I have to backtrack through that same blue trail I took or would there be another marked trail back to the main trail?

Basically a summary of the whole blaze system would help

thanks
A blue blaze generally means a side trail that is maintained by the same maintaining club that also maintains the Appalachian Trail. Some lead into and out from shelters, and some to water, but most lead to scenic overlooks, historical sites, waterfalls and other things that the maintaining club thinks a hiker will find interesting.

A double blaze of any color indicates a turn in the trail is coming up. Originally these were one blaze above another. Some clubs however, offset the top blaze to indicate the direction of the turn -- to help those who remember that an offset top blaze is the right direction, and to confuse those who don't remember.

Whether one follows the blazes is up to each user of the trail. To qualify for a 2000-miler patch, ATC says applicants should walk "every mile" of the trail. But if you don't care about a patch, you are free to hike the maze of trails that sometimes clogs the corridor anyway you like.

I tend to take all the blue-blazed side trails on the theory that some maintainer created them to augment the hiker experience and it would be impolite to ignore his hard work and blue-blazed invitation.

Weary

Jaybird
05-17-2006, 09:29
Hey, first time hiker with a few questions about the different color blazes on the AT.I know that white means the regular trail, blue means for water and yellow means for roads, are there any other types of blazes? Also, say I take a blue blaze towards water and I then want to get back to the main trail, do I have to backtrack through that same blue trail I took or would there be another marked trail back to the main trail?Basically a summary of the whole blaze system would helpthanks


Yo pyoder10:


Blue blazes also can mean SHELTER!

Most times...Blues blazes mean a trail or path other than your White Blaze...as you said: water, alternate trail/route,etc...

i saw a new one (for me) ..i spotted birght, yellow blazes that marked a side trail (Central VA).

i've also seen RED BLAZES, ORANGE BLAZES & GREEN BLAZES (to mark connecting trails). :D

icemanat95
05-17-2006, 09:34
re: your signature "If a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him...is he still wrong?"

Being wrong is a default condition ofr the male of the human species regardless of whether a woman is physically present or can see or listen in on what is said via electronic recorded media, etc. Further,the internal dialogue in a man's head is also assumed to be wrong, whether spoken, written or exposed by any means at all including body language, facial expression theoretical psychic transmissions withint this or any other dimension or state of being.

Mr. Clean
05-17-2006, 19:39
Here in New Hampshire/Maine, white means AT, blue connects with the AT, and a yellow blaze doesn't touch the AT at all. There are all sorts of double blaze systems, but generally two blazes means a change in the trail, usually a big change in direction, but also coming upon another trail. Double blazes tell me "look out, somethings different".
I maintain a yellow blazed trail to a summit overlooking the Wildcats and Carters, with Mt. Washington peeking out between them.

ZZXF
05-17-2006, 20:30
You may also see black or "ghost" blazes, where the trail has been re-routed and they covered the white blazes of the old trail with black paint.

Once I accidentally followed a blue blazed trail for a mile before I realized the blazes were blue -- they looked really white!

strnorm
05-17-2006, 21:08
I spent all day on the trail today between wind gap and deleware water gap,with nothing happening didn;t enen see a bear.got in car to go to snyderville diner to eat,didnt go a mile until a tree fell on the car destroyed the hood, so be careful out there

wilderness bob
05-17-2006, 21:20
Pyoder10,
To answer your question about getting back on the trail after taking a blue blaze, yes there are ways to get back to the trail without back tracking. They are sometimes posted in your hiker hand book however, for the most part you walk back to the trail the same way you got off of it.
The AT is marked as you know, with white balzes. The thing to remember is that the AT is the trail that has the most wear and tear, likely used most of the time and is the one most well maintained (dead fall removed, less dead fall, most likely the AT). Also look for the trail with the most treking pole marks. One last thing, you can always back blaze. That is just turn around from where you came from and look for blazes going the other way. Good luck and have fun, WB

Ridge Rat
05-18-2006, 01:52
PA is horrible about the white blazes in some points though. The State gamelands are also marked by white blazes on the trees. One day earlier this year while the trail was still not stamped out again and the leaves and such were so thick that you just had to look for blazes to find the trail I followed the gameland border north of Port clinton for almost 20 minutes until I found on the next tree a sign saying it was the border of the state gameland. I felt really stupid and had to backtrack a bit to find the trail again. Be aware. Follow the nicely maintained trail and not just the white blazes. Thank god no one else was out there to call me out on my blunder. Would have felt even more sheepish if there was someone.

Jaybird
05-18-2006, 06:18
............ There are all sorts of double blaze systems, but generally two blazes means a change in the trail, usually a big change in direction, but also coming upon another trail. Double blazes tell me "look out, somethings different"...............


Mr.Clean:

ANd you have to be VERY CAREFUL @ the double blazes...& question them often....sometimes...they are marked WRONGLY! (probably painted on by a newbie trail maintainer..with good intentions..BUT..) :D