Touch of Grey
03-24-2007, 15:03
First of all a BIG Thank You to the Trail Maintainers of whom there was a group a couple of weeks ago doing the first couple of sections in Georgia when I started my Thru-hike attempt March 12. These were college students who were working with a GATC member to remove downfalls and improve some of the trail.
Anyway, what I noticed in the first 30.5 miles between Springer and Neels Gap is there was some real issues at least for me in the trail markings. I realize in places like Blood Mountain that it gets some over usage from Scouting groups and Joe Q. Public in general and that they have a tendency to not stick to the established trails thus creating some of the issues.
But here goes anyway, (BTW this is not a bitch just an observation of different conventions used on different sections of the trail.) In some areas the trail was marked with the standard White Blaze. Yes at times it was hard to see the next one but again the trail is not that hard to follow for the most part. In other sections where some trail maintainance had gone on (racking of the trail and releaving of the water runoff issue for soil and trail erosion created some issues when your head is down as most hikers on the first sections have a tendency to do caused me to get confused as to what way to go.
At other times, there was a double blaze of sorts which once I thought about it made sense especially when you consider that the Benton McKaye Trail parallels the AT and there are several others trails which intersect the AT in Georgia alone. The convention noticed was the use of a diamond blaze above the normal rectangular whiteblaze which basically I took to mean that I was on the AT.
All of the Blue blazes I saw made sense for me and should have for everyone else too. But again the usage or convention within the 30 plus mile section from Springer to Neels had several conventions in use and lacked what I thought should have been some areas where double blazes indicating a change in direction should have been used.
Anyone else notice these things? I realize that each supporting club has the final say in what does or does not get used and or done but from my perspective it was confusing at times.
TOG:-?:-?
Anyway, what I noticed in the first 30.5 miles between Springer and Neels Gap is there was some real issues at least for me in the trail markings. I realize in places like Blood Mountain that it gets some over usage from Scouting groups and Joe Q. Public in general and that they have a tendency to not stick to the established trails thus creating some of the issues.
But here goes anyway, (BTW this is not a bitch just an observation of different conventions used on different sections of the trail.) In some areas the trail was marked with the standard White Blaze. Yes at times it was hard to see the next one but again the trail is not that hard to follow for the most part. In other sections where some trail maintainance had gone on (racking of the trail and releaving of the water runoff issue for soil and trail erosion created some issues when your head is down as most hikers on the first sections have a tendency to do caused me to get confused as to what way to go.
At other times, there was a double blaze of sorts which once I thought about it made sense especially when you consider that the Benton McKaye Trail parallels the AT and there are several others trails which intersect the AT in Georgia alone. The convention noticed was the use of a diamond blaze above the normal rectangular whiteblaze which basically I took to mean that I was on the AT.
All of the Blue blazes I saw made sense for me and should have for everyone else too. But again the usage or convention within the 30 plus mile section from Springer to Neels had several conventions in use and lacked what I thought should have been some areas where double blazes indicating a change in direction should have been used.
Anyone else notice these things? I realize that each supporting club has the final say in what does or does not get used and or done but from my perspective it was confusing at times.
TOG:-?:-?