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