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Showerthought: Marked trails are ruining the real backpacking experience
I've seen too many new trails in my area get full signposts and painted blazes on every tree. It turns a route into a sidewalk and kills the need to actually read a map. Last trip, I ignored the markers and bushwhacked parallel to the trail, which felt way more authentic. We're training a generation of hikers who can't navigate without hand-holding.
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troyp377mo ago
You're right about hurting the place you love... that's a really good point I didn't fully consider. I guess I just miss the feeling of figuring it out myself, but maybe there's a better spot for that. Going off trail right next to a path is probably the worst way to do it.
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henderson.margaret7mo ago
Wait, you made your own trail right next to the marked one? That's how erosion starts and plants get trampled. I once followed a guy doing that and we ended up in a patch of poison oak, no fun. Those markers help stop people from wandering into delicate spots. It feels wild until you realize you're just hurting the place you love. There's a reason parks put up signs, to keep both hikers and nature okay.
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the_alex7mo ago
Margaret's right about the damage, but sometimes those markers get blown down or washed out after storms. Following a dead-end trail wastes more time and causes more trampling when groups spread out searching.
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