ray_chen•7mo ago

Learned to read trail markers better after getting lost once

Now I always check for blazes at junctions.

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3 Comments

troywilliams7mo ago

Totally get this now. I used to just follow the obvious path. Then one time the trail faded out in a big meadow, spent an hour backtracking. Now I actually stop and look for the next paint mark or cairn before I move.

5

cora3757mo ago

Yeah no kidding... I've learned to scan way ahead for the next marker while I'm still on clear trail. Sometimes you gotta look for the worn spot in the grass where everyone turned, or a bent branch. Saves so much headache when the path just... vanishes.

8

paige5127mo ago

That 'path just vanishes' thing is so real! I got totally lost once when the trail disappeared into a creek bed. Now I always look for those bent branches or rocks stacked up. Last hike, I spotted a tiny ribbon on a tree way before the turn, and it saved me! Scanning ahead like you said is key.

4