Unauthorized blazing on Webster Cliff

[MadRiver]

I need some help in some detective work. Last weekend I hiked the Webster Cliff Trail for my first maintenance of the season. I cleaned all the waterbars and removed a few blowdowns. I also discovered to my horror that someone had repainted most of the blazes on the lower half of the trail without permission, from me since I am the official maintainer or from the AMC. To make matters worse, this rogue painter also put a new blaze on a large boulder, which is against current AMC protocol. The trail is an AT trail and is well defined so I was allowing some of the blazes to fade naturally before repainting ¾ of them. I prefer a minimalist approach to blazing.

Alex from the AMC has no knowledge of who it was. The professional crew recently removed a number of large blowdowns, but painting was not part of their mission. If anyone has any information as to the identity of this person, I would be greatly appreciative. I have permission to remove the blaze on the boulder which I will do in the next week or two. I will be very careful not to damage the boulder.

I know there have been threads on when it is acceptable to do unauthorized brushing of a trail or blowdown removal, but painting blazes is beyond the pale. I’m certain no one on this board is responsible, I was just wondering if you heard any buzz about people painting blazes on trails they do not maintain.

Thanks

 

[RoySwkr]

I was just wondering if you heard any buzz about people painting blazes on trails they do not maintain.

Not in this case, but it does happen. A few years ago some youth group blazed maybe 50 miles of the Long Trail with large oval blazes spaced so that maybe 6 were visible at a time. They were caught and chastised.

 

[Maddy]

I have to wonder why someone would go to all that trouble unless they observed many blazes fading away and decided to "give back to the trail."
I will freely admit that I will not hike on a trail that is not well blazed even if it is well traveled. Did that twice and got lost both times going off on herd paths. Thank God for my dog "SPOT"!
Perhaps my "counterpart" was up on WC, noticed what h/she believe to be a problem, and being a "doer",
decided to fix it, meaning no harm.
Myself, I just complain to the dog and say "gee, I hope someone paints these blazes really soon!" turn back, and hike out.
If you find who did this, you should sign them on and give them their very own trail to blaze

 

[MadRiver]

I will freely admit that I will not hike on a trail that is not well blazed even if it is well traveled.

The blazes that were painted were not faded to the point where you could not see a blaze or follow the trail. Someone had recently put handrails on the new bridge across the Saco River so I am wondering if that crew decided to repaint as well. If it wasn’t for the blaze on the boulder I wouldn’t have too much of a problem with the repainting. The boulder blaze however is unacceptable.