White Blazes As Visible When Going South?

[Kepley]

Kind of a strange question, but I think it is legit. I am going to attempt a SOBO thru hike this year and I want to know, are the white blazes more difficult to see going south compared to north? Do south bounders get lost more frequently than north bounders?

[Tinker]

I've done sections of the trail in both directions. I find that the blazing is a bit better for nobo hikers than sobos. The blazing varies depending on the individual doing it.

[Wobegon]

I think I heard south bounders get into a habit of lookin back every once in a while to see the better defined white blazes for the northbounders.

[Torch09]

From my experience as a flip-flopper, I can say that the Trail does seem to be better blazed going NoBo. That's not to say, however, that southbound blazing is bad. The only areas where I had any problems, I couldn't find many blazes on either side of the trees.

[Pedaling Fool]

I think I heard south bounders get into a habit of lookin back every once in a while to see the better defined white blazes for the northbounders.

As a NOBO I had to do that quite a bit when I hadn't seen a blaze for a while.

I think most NOBO'ers see the trail as being better blazed for SOBO'ers and most SOBO'ers see the trail as being better blazed for NOBO'ers.

[ki0eh]

I suspect the reason for the perceived difference in blazing in one direction vs. the other is just that there's typically more of a crowd to follow going nobo so there's more people to see any blaze at the most likely confusing spots, especially road crossings and towns.

[fredmugs]

I have done the majority of my section hikes SOBO and it is not blazed as frequently and there have been times I have turned around to find a blaze.

It's crazy how when you don't see a blaze for 2 mintues you start thinking you missed a turn somewhere.

[Cookerhiker]

Like many others above, I've done section hiking in both directions. I haven't had problems with blazes in the middle of the forest. Rather, I've found that transition areas - turns, road crossings, junctions - are sometimes less well-marked for SOBOs.

One example: Davenport Gap after crossing under I-40, I couldn't pick up the Trail going into the woods and thought it followed a road instead.

[max patch]

No difference.

[Monkeywrench]

Blazing is done in one direction at a time, i.e. paint blazes while hiking north-bound, then turn around and paint blazes hiking the same section south-bound, so there should be no difference.

Don't know about other maintaining clubs, but we also try to avoid painting both the south- and north-bound blazes on the same tree, so if the tree is lost in a blow-down, you don't lose both blazes.

[tiptoe]

In my section hiking, I've gone both north and south. I think there are fewer blazes for the southbounder. Many times, when I haven't seen a blaze for a while I've turned around, and voila -- just what I was looking for.

[The Solemates]

the AT is so well tread you dont even need blazes at all...

[Kerosene]

Definitely better blazed heading north, but that doesn't mean that I've had a lot of problems going south. I've had issues with poor blazing going in both directions, however. I don't have more of a problem with inconsistent blazing, where suddenly there is no blazing for half a mile after a section that had every switchback double-blazed. It's really only an issue when there are intersecting trails and roads in an area.

In October 2008 I was hiking from Damascus to Erwin while a few SOBO thru-hikers were passing through. Three times I encountered thru-hikers re-joining the AT after taking a wrong turn, and a fourth time I was hiking with a guy and we both missed the turn-off from the field north of US-19E due to a missing blaze. I think the long-time hikers had become somewhat inured to blazing and missed some obvious turn-offs, whereas I was still sensitive to everything as I had only been out a few days.

[Sly]

Don't know about other maintaining clubs, but we also try to avoid painting both the south- and north-bound blazes on the same tree, so if the tree is lost in a blow-down, you don't lose both blazes.

That only makes sense but it's quite frequent you see blazes on both sides of a tree. I believe proper blazing is in alternate directions about every eighth miles apart. If you fail to see one blaze ahead in a matter of minutes, there's usually one behind. There's absolutely no reason to always be able to see a blaze.

[Cookerhiker]

the AT is so well tread you dont even need blazes at all...

.... There's absolutely no reason to always be able to see a blaze.

Except in the winter with 10" of freshly fallen snow obscuring the footpath such that all you see are trees and snow. Devoid of underbrush to mark the passage between trees, the Trail can be difficult to find. That's when it helps to have your map & compass. At least you can follow the contour & slopes of the mountains in the absence of leaf cover.

And that doesn't even consider how further confusing things are from drifts.

This is not hypothetical for me; in '05, I got lost several times on such a stretch in SW Virginia.

[weary]

That only makes sense but it's quite frequent you see blazes on both sides of a tree. I believe proper blazing is in alternate directions about every eighth miles apart. If you fail to see one blaze ahead in a matter of minutes, there's usually one behind. There's absolutely no reason to always be able to see a blaze.

The rules say that maintainers should paint blazes so that as a hiker passes one, he can see another blaze -- but no more than one. It's a rule that is frequently violated, but still a good rule.

The rule against not painting north and south blazes on the same tree has two reasons. If a tree blows over, you don't want to lose guidance for both directions. An equally important reason is to force maintainers to pick the best tree for blazing in both directions, which requires them to walk in both directions and avoid the temptation to skimp.

Often an ideal blaze tree for a north bounder, is not an ideal blaze tree for a southbounder, since rocks and other trees sometimes block ones view in one direction, but not both. But maintainers, being human, sometimes skimp, though I always tried not to.

[10-K]

Except in the winter with 10" of freshly fallen snow obscuring the footpath such that all you see are trees and snow. Devoid of underbrush to mark the passage between trees, the Trail can be difficult to find. That's when it helps to have your map & compass. At least you can follow the contour & slopes of the mountains in the absence of leaf cover.

And that doesn't even consider how further confusing things are from drifts.

This is not hypothetical for me; in '05, I got lost several times on such a stretch in SW Virginia.

What I think is fun is popping out of the woods on to a snow covered mountain top of just rock with no cairns, blazes painted on the mountain top - and 10" of snow.

Anyway, the trail is blazed well except where it isn't.

[The Solemates]

Except in the winter with 10" of freshly fallen snow obscuring the footpath such that all you see are trees and snow. Devoid of underbrush to mark the passage between trees, the Trail can be difficult to find. That's when it helps to have your map & compass. At least you can follow the contour & slopes of the mountains in the absence of leaf cover.

And that doesn't even consider how further confusing things are from drifts.

This is not hypothetical for me; in '05, I got lost several times on such a stretch in SW Virginia.

certainly blazes help in the winter, but still arent needed in my opinion. most trails i hike dont have what some call 'adequate' blazing, and are much less traveled than the AT.

I cant speak to the trail north of VA in winter, but I've hiked all of the AT below VA in winter and have never had a problem following the trail, and believe that blazes are not necessary.

[Bare Bear]

Same in my experiience, but never enough when you get lost

[Kaptain Kangaroo]

Anyway...you don't follow the blazes...you follow the trail........

Occassionally you will look for a blaze to confirm that you are on the right trail, & then it doesn't matter where they are...a blaze behind you is just as useful as a blaze in front of you.

It really makes no difference.....