Double Blazes

[MEB]

Yesterday Skimom and I were hiking along the AT in Maine and in a couple of spots we noticed that there were double blaze marks on the trees. I have always been under the impression that the double blaze indicated a trail split of some sort but there were no other trails on the part we were on. We also thought that it might indicate the beginning of a switchback which proved to be sort of true on one but not the other.

Does anyone know what they mean???

-MEB

 

[sapblatt]

I have never been real sure on this, but I thought is signified a major turn in the trail. I suppose "major" is subjective and the different people that paint blazes would have different opinions of where to paint double blazes. Am I on the right track/trail?

 

[Tramper Al]

I follow blazes a lot. A double blaze generally indicates a point of interest ahead - as in 'pay attention'. Most often this is a turn in direction. Some turns are trail junctions, of course, but most are not. The turn need not be major (in sharpness or potential for confusion), and not all turns will be heralded in this way. On some trails the arrangement of the double blazes indicates the direction of the turn. For instance, blazes side by side but higher on the right would suggest a right turn coming up, and so on.

 

[SherpaKroto]

When indicating a turn, the slant can also indicate the direction of the turn. Tramper Al is right - not just for turns/junctions, but mostly so.

It could also mean that you are real tired, and seeing double (for me anyway)

So, the snowpack in the Bigelows has melted such that you can see blazes again?

 

[WhiteMTHike]

I think Tramper Al answered the question best. In my state (R.I.) I was on a trail following the blazes when I came accross a tree that had a double blazes side by side. Usually one blaze is higher than the other with the higher blaze being to the left or right of the lower blaze (indicating the direction of the turn) but these blazes were dead even with eachother. I consulted the section of the hiking book I had on this particular trail and it stated that a double side by side blaze indicated that the trail was a cross country ski trail as well as a hiking trail.

This wasn't an AMC trail but a trail operated by the state DEM. I guess it all depends on which trail system you are on and the way they blaze it.

 

[DougPaul]

There are a number of convetions for blazing...

(Nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from...)

For the AT: "Two blazes, one above the other, signal an obscure turn, change in route, or a warning to check blazes carefully". (AT guide to MA-CT.)

Doug

 

[MEB]

Hey Sherpak!

We were on the Crockers...still a lot of snow in Maine...if we had headed over to S Crocker as we had planned I'm sure we would have been seeing double by the end of the day! I hope to have a trip report up soon.

-MEB

 

[snowshoe]

Two blazes mean a turn. In NJ Whatever direction the top blaze is from the bottom means that is the way it turns. If it is to the right it is a right turn. Three blazes mean the start and end of a trail. Every club and park does it differently though.

 

[Bolivia]

Another option

They could have been an indication that the trail was being re-blazed. This is especially so if one blaze was obviously older (fainter or more worn) than the other.

No one has yet come up with rubber erasers to obliterate old blazes; although some maintenance folk will give the tree a loping swipe with an ax to completely cut the blaze off the tree.

 

[DougPaul]

No one has yet come up with rubber erasers to obliterate old blazes; although some maintenance folk will give the tree a loping swipe with an ax to completely cut the blaze off the tree.

And thereby make it look like an axe blaze...

I frequently spot old axe blazes on trails.

Doug

 

[David Metsky]

They could have been an indication that the trail was being re-blazed. This is especially so if one blaze was obviously older (fainter or more worn) than the other.

This is one of the many reasons that I don't like directional double blazes. When I've blazed new or reblazed old trails I just use two blazes directly on top of each other to indicate something major is coming.

-dave-

 

[bubba]

I've always thought that a double blaze indicated a change in direction, but I'd go with "heads up" too.

On the Finger Lakes Trail I've seen one of the double blazes with a top serif to the L or R (like a "7" or upside down "L"), sort of pointing which direction to go in. I find this somewhat insulting to my skill level, but the FLT is fairly flat and accessible without Mtns to cross. Consequently, lower forms of life may attempt to follow the trail who are in need of specific pointers.

And, if you really want to be insulted, go over to Allen Mtn! Florescent orange spray paint with real arrows --> so even a gerbil would not step off the trail onto private property.

 

[Papa Bear]

No one has yet come up with rubber erasers to obliterate old blazes; although some maintenance folk will give the tree a loping swipe with an ax to completely cut the blaze off the tree.

This is really bad.

On the AT I've always seen old blazes actually painted over with brown paint when a section is deactivated for a relo. And the better crews paint them over the whole way, not just the first 10 or 30 yards.

It's important that people don't get started down the wrong way and then suddenly see blazes, i.e the old trail. You could end up miles off the trail especially in places like Maine where relocatiosn have gone from valleys to ridge tops. Or in Vermont you might end up at the Inn at the Long Trail and have a Long Trail Ale. That would be terrible .

The AT has a voluminous manual on blazing. Trickier than you might think. (and I've still managed to get lost )

 

[Greg]

I agree with Dave.

Anything other than two blazes, one over the other, leads to confusion. Two blazes to me means "Hey, we've hit a trail junction", or possibly a sharp, confusing turn in the trail. All other systems of blazing seem to be open to speculation as to exactly we are supposed to be looking for.

 

[rhihn]

I've always thought that a double blaze indicated a change in direction, but I'd go with "heads up" too.

On the Finger Lakes Trail I've seen one of the double blazes with a top serif to the L or R (like a "7" or upside down "L"), sort of pointing which direction to go in. I find this somewhat insulting to my skill level, but the FLT is fairly flat and accessible without Mtns to cross. Consequently, lower forms of life may attempt to follow the trail who are in need of specific pointers.

And, if you really want to be insulted, go over to Allen Mtn! Florescent orange spray paint with real arrows --> so even a gerbil would not step off the trail onto private property.

My understanding has also been that the double blaze is a directional change from the principal trail. But however excellent one's skill level maybe, "lower forms" and even "experienced" hikers need reminders on private property where boundaries are not always obvious (I wouldn't be "insulted"). I agree that Allen Mt.'s markings may seem overdone and it's hard to get lost in there, but the private property owners probably would not have found the need to go that far with the markings, were it not for past transgressions, unintentional or otherwise.

 

[Rick]

I appreciate the offset double blazes - I have found them to be quite instrumental in fall and spring hikes where leaf litter has obliterated the distinguishing trough of the trail from the land around it.
In addition, when following old logging road or tote roads, it is very helpful to have a double blaze as a forewarning that the AT (or other trail) is turning off.

As for reroutes, if the reroute is fresh, the offset double blazes really help you to figure out where to go if the trail has not been "troughed" out yet.
Otherwise you could spend a minute or so at every turn trying to figure out where the next blaze is.

 

[poison ivy]

And the better crews paint them over the whole way, not just the first 10 or 30 yards.

It's important that people don't get started down the wrong way and then suddenly see blazes, i.e the old trail. You could end up miles off the trail especially in places like Maine where relocatiosn have gone from valleys to ridge tops.

Indeed this just happened to me! I learned that very faint looking blazes are NOT the current trail.

- Ivy

 

[woodstrider]

Double blazes indicate..

one of two things- either a sketchy section of trail, so pay attention, or a turn. The higher blaze indicate the direction of the turn.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

Lots of answers so far..

..but on the AT a double blaze, one directly above the other, means the trail makes a turn that might be missed if the hiker doesn't pay attention. Offset double blazes, where the top blaze is set to the right or left, indicates the direction of a turn. The offset double blazes are called 'Garveys' after Ed Garvey, a thruhiker and lifelong maintainer, who advocated that method of blazing.