shp 2011 signs & blazes - amc boston2nd ed., appalachian trail conference ... title: microsoft...

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

SIGNS & BLAZESSIGNS & BLAZES

Bill MossBill Moss

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

WHY?WHY?

• Safety

– Warnings

– Tell you where you are

• Environmental

– Keep you on the trail

– Prevent erosion

– Prevents littering (poorly placed corpses)

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

WHAT DO THEY TELL YOU?WHAT DO THEY TELL YOU?

• National Standards exist, but…

– Only the Appalachian Trail is reliable

• Appalachian Trail (AT)

– Blazed in white paint – 6”x2”

– 100’ – 200’ apart

– Always on the right side of trail

– Blazes could be on trees or rocks

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

OTHER BLAZESOTHER BLAZES

• Approach Trails - Blue

• Private Trails - Orange

• Other/Unconnected Trails - Yellow

• Ski Trails - Generally not hiking trails

– Triangles or Diamonds

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

MORE THAN ONE BLAZE?MORE THAN ONE BLAZE?

• Turns– Two blazes, one atop

the other

– Not in line

– Direction of turnindicated by upperblaze

• Junctions– Two blazes, one atop

the other

– In line

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

SignsSigns

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

ABOVE TREELINEABOVE TREELINE

• Cairns (a.k.a. Rock Piles)– 18” – 10’ high

– May be 50’ or less apart

• Finding Cairns in white-out– One person stays

– One person goes aheadwith a line

– IF YOU CANNOT FINDTHE NEXT CAIRN

TURN BACK!

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

TRAIL SIGNSTRAIL SIGNS• Posted by Group That

Maintains Trail– Helps you know what trail

you are on

• WMNF– AMC

• White signs, Green lettering,Symbol

– Randolf Mountain Club• White signs, Black lettering

• NH State Parks– Brown signs, yellow letters

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

OTHER SIGNSOTHER SIGNS

• Mass. Audubon– Blue going away from

trailhead

– Yellow returning

• Massachusetts’ Mid-StateTrail– Triangle shaped markers

• Proper preparationincludes learning whomaintains the trail you aretaking!

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

OTHER SIGNSOTHER SIGNS

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

SUMMARYSUMMARY

• Trails can lead to great pleasure

• Improper reading of the trail leads totrouble

• Report trail problems to maintaining group

• Tell people where you are going

• Always know your location on trail

– Map & Compas

– GPS

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club

ADDITIONAL READINGADDITIONAL READING

• AMC Trail Building & Maintenance, 4th ed.

• AMC White Mountain Guide

• Randolph Paths, RMC, 8th ed.

• Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills, 7th ed.,The Mountaineers

• Appalachian Trail, Design, Construction, Maintenance,2nd ed., Appalachian Trail Conference

© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club© 2011 Appalachian Mountain Club