Trail Blaze conventions...

[Touch of Grey]

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:-?:-?

[hammock engineer]

This isn't an AT observation, just one from the northern part of the LT. There is a section that has a trail with blue-ish blazes following the same trail as the white blazes. Some trees had both blazes. Made for some fun navagation in the dark.

I am no trail expert, but it seems to me that there is so many different people mantaining and painting blazes that I think it is near impossible to get everyone to use the same convention.

[Dances with Mice]

Hey, ToG: Thanks for checking in. Good topic!
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.The drainage of big water bars can look sort of like a trail, especially when new. But they're only a couple of feet long. You looked up and figured it out, I assume. Nobody's gotten lost following a water bar yet. ...or at least we haven't found them...


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.
Correct. Several trails will run concurrent with the AT for various lengths. Both markings have to be used to assure hikers of both trails that they're on the right path.


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. Unless there's an intersecting trail or some reason to take an alternative path, most turns or switchbacks aren't marked with the double blaze because the pathway is obvious. But what may be obvious to a maintainer who is familiar with the trail may not be as obvious to someone hiking the Trail for the first time. Do you remember the location of any particularly confusing turns?

Besides Blood, I mean. That area has so many side trails it almost needs neon signs to mark the AT. That should be aleviated now that there's a permanent privy and hopefully side trails off into the woods should get less use and begin to naturalize.

[saimyoji]

Ever see anything like this?
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15426&catid=searchresults&searchid=7280

[Joshrm78]

Last month did some hiking in PA after snow fall we had about 4 inches and it was getting dark a few times i had to look at the map because parts of the trail were poorly marked.