Change The Color Of The Blaze: Poll

[Hill Ape]

whats the history of the white blaze? has it always been a part of the trail?

[MDSection12]

Can we just tie a piece of string between trees the whole way?

[max patch]

Good gawd no. I hate Clemson.

[max patch]

Great idea! Rifle can repaint all the blazes as part of his community service.

[Wolf - 23000]

With all the difficulty of finding white blazes in the snow I think the blazes should be changed to a different color. Someone's life could be at stake.
Is tradition more important?
I think using reflective paint would be a good idea too to help people find the trail at night if they're lost. IMO

Chair-man, I will address it as someone who has been there. I have winter section hiked the entire AT and LT including the New England states. The blazes can be harder to see either way in the snow. The blazes get cover up regardless of what color they are. Also what is the different if you are on the trail or route finding off trail? You still in the woods, you still have all your gear, food/water. You should be prepared either way. Getting out is really about route finding. Some times it can be harder to follow the trail, instead of making your own route.

Wolf

[Siarl]

Not no, but hell naw! dagnabbit no, dawgawnit no, hinde!, non!, absolutemente no!, de ninguna manera, shoot far no, you get the message. Go walk the mall. There's usually a map in the mall if you lose your way between JC Penneys and Sears. Good gawd.

[Odd Man Out]

Maybe I will go out and register Fuchsiablaze.net just in case.

[Chair-man]

The Old Jackson Road (AT out of Pinkham) had bright eyes on some of the blazes last time I was thru there after dusk.

I had to look up "bright eyes" and this is what I found. I've actually seen these in the woods here in FL. I guess the deer hunters use them to find their way out of the woods after dusk. I saw these orange tacks in the trees. I just never knew what they were called.

I'm a little surprised at the poll results so far. The entire Florida Trail is blazed with orange blazes and nobody seems to have a problem with that.

[max patch]

I think the thread is past of point of getting serious -- but what if we could get in a time machine and go back to when the AT was just finished. It has no history. We have no memories. We are getting ready to paint the first blaze. Knowing what we know now about paint and its various properties -- would we still choose white?

[Siarl]

Greens will blend with the natural color of the forest and grass during the spring and summer. Red and Oranges will blend with the colors during the Fall. Blues and Violets will be dark and blend with the shadows. That leaves White or Black. White was chosen and so in my opinion it should remain. Someone will always have something to say or reason to think that some other way is more intelligent. I'm in agreement with brain storming and finding better solutions for problems. I just don't see this as a problem.

[Chair-man]

Greens will blend with the natural color of the forest and grass during the spring and summer. Red and Oranges will blend with the colors during the Fall. Blues and Violets will be dark and blend with the shadows. That leaves White or Black. White was chosen and so in my opinion it should remain. Someone will always have something to say or reason to think that some other way is more intelligent. I'm in agreement with brain storming and finding better solutions for problems. I just don't see this as a problem.

You forgot yellow. I think a bright yellow would work well for an inexperienced hiker who is all wet and cold trying to find their way off a frozen snow packed mountain. Not everyone who hits the trail are pros like we have on here.

[canoe]

For the differant seasons you could go multicolor, say Chartruse,white,blaze orange. That would look good and easy to pick up in a snow storm

[rocketsocks]

I think the thread is past of point of getting serious -- but what if we could get in a time machine and go back to when the AT was just finished. It has no history. We have no memories. We are getting ready to paint the first blaze. Knowing what we know now about paint and its various properties -- would we still choose white?

Tin foil???.........

oops, just meant Tin

[4eyedbuzzard]

whats the history of the white blaze? has it always been a part of the trail?

I don't have a copy of the book in front of me, but Ed Garvey mentions a bit of history on it in Appalachian Hiker. It was definitely discussed and planned - even the size, shape, color, etc during the beginning years when MacKaye, Avery, Perkins, Welch and others "built" the AT.

[Hill Ape]

I don't have a copy of the book in front of me, but Ed Garvey mentions a bit of history on it in Appalachian Hiker. It was definitely discussed and planned - even the size, shape, color, etc during the beginning years when MacKaye, Avery, Perkins, Welch and others "built" the AT.

well then its good enough for me

[4eyedbuzzard]

Forgot to add - there were also local blaze tags made of brass and other different blazes that many of the individual hiking clubs used through the early years of the trail before the white blaze was finally adopted. They are prized as collectors items (people used to steal them), and I believe ATC has a collection. I'm guessing there might have been resistance to adopting the standard blaze by some of the local clubs, much the way AMC and some other clubs like to use both the AT name and the name of the original local trail the AT is routed over.

[Marta]

The hardest season in which to see the Trail, IMO, is in autumn, when freshly-fallen leaves obscure the path. Changing the color of the blazes wouldn't help.

[Grampie]

How about some pink blazes for the gay hikers.

[Abatis1948]

Blue, make them Blue. I like blueblazing

I voted no, but that was before I read Kayak's post. With you Kayak!

[Kingbee]

I've only seen one non-white blaze. A special blaze though.

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