Portions of the AT not White Blazed?

[saimyoji]

I've been reading George Steffano's hike journal, here's an excerpt:

Maine Junction is the point where the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail diverge. The Long Trail is older than the AT, and takes precedence over the younger trail at their junction. Like that of the AT, the Long Trail's route is marked with white paint blazes, while the side trails for both are marked with blue blazes. The 1.3 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Maine Junction to Vermont Highway 100 are a blue-blazed side trail of the Long Trail, the only section of the entire AT which is not white-blazed.

Is this last sentence still true? A part of the AT is actually blue blazed?

[UCONNMike]

It could be a side trail, that leads back to the AT, maybe casue the original section was shut down? That could be it, but I'm not sure, it's a good question

[A-Train]

Every mile in 2003 was white blazed. I know there were some re-routes implemented in the past 5 or so years around the Long Trail junction. I'm sure our resident BB expert Wolf could tell you for sure.

[hungryhowie]

Until 2001, the trail followed a different route down to the Inn at Long Trail, and a different route up to Maine Junction. In order to assure permanent protection, the trail was rerouted around a ski area on Killington Peak. The "old" AT is now a blue blaze, but many hikers take it down to the Inn at Long Trail and continue on it up to Maine Junction. The "official" AT, meanwhile, meanders across the road about 1-mile down toward Rutland. If a hiker were to take the "official" trail down to the road, hike/hitch/stay at the Inn, it is possible that he/she may take the blue-blazed trail up to Maine Junction inadvertently (or on purpose). I'm guessing this is what the hiker did, and just didn't realize it.

When I hiked in 2000, I hike the "official" trail, which is now the old trail. When I came back in 2001 to do the LT, I took the "old" trail again for old time's sake. Upon reaching Maine Junction, however, I realized that I had forgotten to refuel in town, so headed down the "official" AT back to the road to hitch into Rutland, and then back up the "official" AT to continue my hike.

On a side note, there are several short sections in the Whites that aren't white blazed. It's the same kind of thing there, older trails taking precedence over the newer sibling.

-howie

[saimyoji]

As per expertise ala WF: "The A.T. and the Long Trail are contiguous from the Massachusetts-Vermont border to Maine Junction. Both are white blazed in this section. The official A.T. is never blue blazed. "

I can't comment.

[saimyoji]

Until 2001, the trail followed a different route down to the Inn at Long Trail, and a different route up to Maine Junction. In order to assure permanent protection, the trail was rerouted around a ski area on Killington Peak. The "old" AT is now a blue blaze, but many hikers take it down to the Inn at Long Trail and continue on it up to Maine Junction. The "official" AT, meanwhile, meanders across the road about 1-mile down toward Rutland. If a hiker were to take the "official" trail down to the road, hike/hitch/stay at the Inn, it is possible that he/she may take the blue-blazed trail up to Maine Junction inadvertently (or on purpose). I'm guessing this is what the hiker did, and just didn't realize it.
-howie

Well, George did his hike in 1983, so.... Quite a bit different then I guess.

[Lone Wolf]

I know Jack *****t.

[Jack Lincoln]

I know his brother, Bull!

[SavageLlama]

Howie is right about Maine Junction. The official AT (and Long Trail) now crosses Route 4 about a mile below the Long Trail Inn. But I definitely recommend stopping in for a Vermont Black & Tan! (Guinness and Long Trail Ale) Best beer you'll have on the trail. Might want to try some of the Inn's infamous Guinness stew while you're at it.

I thru-hiked the Long Trail a few months ago and can also attest that the LT is contiguously white-blazed from end-to-end (Mass to Canada).

[zephyr1034]

Due to bureaucratic silliness on the part of the National Park Service, the Trail route is not blazed through the town of Harpers Ferry. Going north, one has to pass Jefferson Rock, descend the steps, go right on High Street, left on Shenandoah Street, cross Potomac Street to the Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge across the Potomac, all without the benefit of blazes. Fortunately, the consequences of becoming lost in Harper's Ferry would not be severe.

You can't say that about the portion of the GSMNP between Newfound Gap and Davenport Gap, close to 40 miles. Last I heard, that wasn't blazed either. Since the adjoining portion between Newfound Gap and Fontana Dam IS blazed in white, I don't imagine that the Park Service is responsible.

[Lone Wolf]

Newfound to Davenport is 30 miles and is blazed.

[Mountain Dew]

I remember seeing white blazes in Harpers Ferry. Have you ever hiked through there ?

[kncats]

The last time I was in Harper's Ferry the blazes were along the sidewalk and curbs.

[The Old Fhart]

hungryhowie-“On a side note, there are several short sections in the Whites that aren't white blazed. It's the same kind of thing there, older trails taking precedence over the newer sibling.”

I don’t know of any section in the Whites that isn’t white blazed. If you read the trail signs in the Whites they will have the local trail names (that might date from the 1800s) first but they also always have the A.T. listed second. The USFS, with its gutted budget, tries its best to maintain the A.T. through the Presidentials but this, coupled with the severe weather above tree line, can lead to white blazes being missing or obliterated in sections. This doesn’t mean the trail isn’t white blazed or marked, it is just not marked or white blazed the way you’d expect.

When I first did Maine about 15 years ago I did find one section where there wasn’t a white blaze for 0.75 miles which made me a little nervous until I looked behind me and noticed a white blaze for the opposite direction. It was white blazed, the blazes were just a great distance apart. Eleven years later when I thru hiked, the blazing and the trail in Maine was excellent.

So what I’m saying is don’t confuse the lack of seeing a blaze with the trail not being blazed. The A.T. is white blazed and signed from end to end. Sometimes the signage and blazing isn’t perfect but it is there if you look for it. Some of the previous posts made it sound like you would see other colors substituted for the white blazes but I haven’t seen that. You can see some other colors in addition to the white blazes in some areas (black-orange in D.O.C., Hanover area) but it is always white blazed.

[Footslogger]

I don’t know of any section in the Whites that isn’t white blazed.

=====================================
Yes ...the Whites are blazed but I gotta tell ya, some of those blazes are a tad obscure if you're headed northbound.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[wacocelt]

Hiking SoBo you quite often have to look back over your shoulder to make sure you're still on the trail.

[DebW]

The AT above Tline in the Presidential Range is sometimes blazed both yellow and white. The Gulfside Trail which the AT follows north of Mt. Washington was blazed yellow and still is. But white blazes have been added. So you may see 2 yellow blazes and then a white one and then another yellow one. But never white and yellow at the same place. A little confusing, but every signpost will show which way the AT goes. Perhaps they are just letting the yellow blazes fade off the rocks.

[rickb]

If memory (aided by my 1983 Data Book) serves George was 100% correct.

The AT route heading north from the Inn at the Long Trail (US 4) was also part of the Long Trail and was blazed white for the next .6 miles to the junction where the AT and the Long Trail split. What to do there? In 19AT3, the Long Trail turned to the left with the white blazes, and the AT turned to the right with blue blazes. These blue blues continued for a good while-- if George wrote that the went all the way to Gillford Woods State Park/VT 100, I would't doubt it.

Howie- George didn't take the wrong Trail. George is writing about the AT stretch between Gifford Woods and the the intesection with the long trail. Even today, they is only one path you can take between those points.

------

My theory on the yellow blazes in the White Mountains of which Deb speaks is is that they are nothing more than the product of impure (finally a good use of that word) white paint. That's my theory anyway. EDIT: But I sure wouldn't testify to that! Deb is probably 100% correct.


Rick B
ME=>GA 19AT3

[Youngblood]

It has been a few years and memory is fading on some of the details, but I thought that in the Whites, that at times I had to get my maps out at trail junctions to see which trail the AT used because I couldn't locate any white blazes. Is my memory letting me down or where the white blazes there and I just didn't see them? ... I was under the impression that you couldn't count on using white blazes on the AT in the Whites.

Youngblood

[poison_ivy]

I'm with Youngblood. There are portions of the AT in the Whites that are blazed yellow above treeline. The white blazes are really few and far between in some areas (I'm thinking around the presidentials & possibly along the Twinway.)

- Ivy