Trail Signs with “Unhelpful” Information

[1HappyHiker]

The “Accuracy of Trail Distances” thread brought to mind a related subject, i.e. the usefulness of information on a trail sign, regardless of the accuracy of the mileage.

There are some trail signs that I’ve encountered that provide distances to destinations that seem to be sort of “unhelpful”. I wish I could remember more than just one example, but I cannot. So, maybe some other VFTT folks can do a better job at this than I can. (Or maybe the one example I can come up with is the ONLY example there is!)

So anyway, even though I think I can recall seeing several signs that fit the category as “unhelpful”, the only trail sign that I come up with is as follows:

At the route 302 trailhead for the Mt. Tremont Trail, the trail sign reads 2.8 miles to Mt. Tremont and 3.9 miles to the Brunel Trail.

Doesn’t the Brunel Trail run for a distance of 3.9 miles between the summit of Mt. Tremont and its junction with the Sawyer Pond Trail? If so, wouldn’t a hiker’s FIRST encounter with the Brunel Trail from the Route 302 trailhead be on the summit of Mt. Tremont? In which case wouldn’t the mileage to the summit of Mt. Tremont and the mileage to the Brunel Trail be the same??

Wouldn’t it perhaps be more informative if the sign stated the mileage to the Sawyer Pond Trail at the OTHER END of the Brunel Trail? Or, perhaps would it be even more informative if the sign stated the mileage to the Rob Brook Road intersection which is where I think that most folks begin and end their trek along the Brunel Trail anyway?

 

[rocket21]

Interestingly enough, the Tremont Trail had a paper sign on it a week or two ago (haven't been by since). Perhaps you've been pre-empted?

To your point though, I think the Tripyramids sign on the Livermore Trail was quite misleading (folks have since done some etching), as it showed both the north and south peaks being ascended via the south slide.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Well, if that one bunches your shorts up, then you're not going to like the RMC's signs on the Airline. You don't usually notice this on the way up, but on the way down ... Lowe's Store seems to get farther away the closer you get to it! Used to bug the h#ll of me but now I think it's quaint. I hope the RMC never "fixes" it.

 

[1HappyHiker]

Interestingly enough, the Tremont Trail had a paper sign on it a week or two ago (haven't been by since). Perhaps you've been pre-empted?

Jeremy, I saw the paper sign myself, and the information on that temporary sign reads the same as the former sign that seems to have "gone missing".
Seeing that paper sign (in conjunction with the thread on accuracy of trail distances) is what brought this topic to my mind.

 

[rocket21]

Seeing that paper sign (in conjunction with the thread on accuracy of trail distances) is what brought this topic to my mind.

I'll buy the whiteout, you bring the Sharpie...together, we can right this wrong

 

[1HappyHiker]

I'll buy the whiteout, you bring the Sharpie...together, we can right this wrong

I think the snow-plow folks will supply all the “whiteout” that’s needed! There are many winters when this trail sign gets a generous dose of “whiteout” from the huge snow banks that build up along this area of Rt 302.

 

[zman]

Since your fixing signs, how about this one?

 

[zman]

forgot the picture

 

[THE WINTER WONDERER]

now that is a trail sign I would pay top dollar on ebay for!

 

[Chip]

In the Catskills I've noticed a number of Double Hash Marks on trees AFTER the turn quickly leading to a little dead-end in the trail where others have realized the mistake.

 

[Jay H]

And a lot of misspellings on the signs in the catskills, I have not noticed as much in the ADKs or the Whites though...

A lot of mistakes though I think everywhere has some historical thing to them and the rigamaroll it takes to change things with the DEC... Doesn't excuse the silly typo and spelling errors though. Blessed be the signmakers!

Jay

 

[Tom Rankin]

There are also lots of signs in the Cats with mileage to lean-tos that no longer exist...

 

[wardsgirl]

On the summit of Camel's Hump with rain, high winds, and low visibility, every sign I approached in the fog warned me against stepping on the fragile vegetation. I've got nothing against warning folks to keep off the alpine grass, but it took me a long time to find the actual trail and which way was north. There were many of these huge wooden signs, they are the most visible object on the summit, but they did nothing to direct a hiker to the trail or even give a clue as to direction.

 

[Tobit]

I'll buy the whiteout, you bring the Sharpie...together, we can right this wrong

Shouldn't that be "write this wrong"? Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[RoySwkr]

At the junction of Hancock Notch Trail and Cedar Brook Trail, the signs don't say which is the way to Mt Hancock which is where most people are going and some guess wrong

I saw somebody add an arrow with a felt-tip but it didn't last

 

[rocket21]

Shouldn't that be "write this wrong"? Sorry, couldn't resist.

But the wrong hast already been wrought!

There are also some instances in which I've found arrows on signs to be a bit misleading (pointing the wrong way, and no the sign wasn't turned), though I can't think of any offhand.

 

[jniehof]

At the intersection of the Kinsman Pond Trail and the Cascade Brook Trail, there are signs for AT North and AT South (North being towards US3, South up to the Kinsmans.) Someone has liberally used a knife to "correct" the directions to geographic North/South, making Katahdin south on the AT. (It was then re-corrected, but the whole thing is a rotten mess of cuts and re-cuts.)

 

[peakbagger]

Sometimes the "unhelpful" information is actually a good clue to past changes and abandoned trails. Several times I have encountered a trail in the middle of the woods that just plain didnt make sense until I got home and did some research. There was a sign on the side of South Brother at BSP that didnt make sense until I realized that it was marking the top of the abandoned Marston Slide trail (which is now the Marston trail).

I have seen many other occurences in the whites, but would prefer not to list them as it will be another excuse for USFS sign removals

 

[adktyler]

Around or Over?

This is one of my personal favorites!

The Bump

 

[bikehikeskifish]

While the sign in itself is kind of humorous, around or over is actually helpful. Especially if you have a dog (say, I don't.) For example, the ladders / cave route on the Percival-Morgan loop are not dog or kid friendly, so knowing the over (through) or around route info is quite helpful.

Tim