[pct-l] re:Trail Markers

[elisenme2 at gmail.com (Carl & Judy Rush)]

I though about that also when this topic first started Monty

On 11/14/05, Monty Tam <metam01@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> R wrote:
> > I think a few very discret wooden or the deep rusted metal
> > markers on the clearly indecisive trail junctions are ok..
> > for example (there are much better but I can't think of them
> > at the moment..)but you could spend a 1/2 day going off towards
> > McLoughlin to the left instead of the PCT to the right
> > because the map (at least then for me) did not have this
> > junction nor was the azimuth definitive because the trails
> > paralled each other for a bit...
> >
> > I found the little signs great moral boosters after being
> > "lost" for a hour or so...
> >
> > R
>
> Monty blabbed on adding to this miserable topic:
>
> R been there--EXACTLY!!
> I bushwacked that area (McLaughlin and the Alternate north of Lake of the
> woods) for 1/2 a day once looking for the trail. No markings and
> inaccurate guide book.
> Real drag. Lost twelve miles easy that day.
> It was much easier Sobo.
>
> I found if I really want that wilderness navigatiion experience all I have
> to do is take a sharp left or right turn off the trail just about
> anywhere.
> Sometimes I even do it purposely.
>
> Then again:
> I think the trails are too manicured.
> Too much trail maintenence.
> I think trail maintenence should stop totally.
> Leave the trees down, pull the bridges and let the mud slide.
> Let the REAL mountain men rule the....................................
> whatever it is they need to rule.
>
> No. I'm a whimp, and I like the trail markings and the extra markings and
> notes us thru-hikers leave to help each other.
> I haven't heard any first-time thru-hikers complain about too many trail
> markings. I'm sure there's one exception.
> I like the amazing job done on the trails too. Way beyond untouched
> wilderness.
>
> This conversation? does remind me of last spring when Mike Mauer of
> Gossamer Gear offered, on this list, to snowshoe up toward Fuller Ridge
> with his GPS and put some trail markings up for the 2005 hikers. He
> received some very opinionated yucky resistance from a few (but very
> few)people on the list who were not even thru-hiking this year.
> Mike backed off. No markings.
> I wonder if JOHN DONAVON could have used those markings.
>
> Guess that still bothers me
>
> Warner Springs Monty
>
>
> >
> > On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 21:25:12 -0800 (PST), kmurray wrote
> > > In reference to Scott's note, cited below:
> > >
> > > Scott, there is certainly a conflict in approaches. Some feel that
> there
> > > is no place for signs, at all, in wilderness. Certainly the
> > > philosophy of the Wilderness Act would indicate that signing should
> > > be the minimal that is neccessary.
> > >
> > > Currently, there is someone or several, who is making a practice of
> > > tearing down trail markers in the Angeles National Forest. They
> > > leave a note saying "No signs in wilderness!!"
> > >
> > > Others would say that the PCT is not really a wilderness experience,
> > > anyway. There is a tremendous effort to do work on the trail, each
> > > year. Some times that involves dynamite, it certainly involves
> > > thousands of workers. (the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew
> > > (www.trailcrew.org <http://www.trailcrew.org>), with whom I work,
> takes care of only about 30
> > > miles of the PCT, and has about 300 volunteers, by itself). There
> > > is a very conscious policy of the various agencies to do some of the
> > > work in such a way that you can't tell work has been done (methods
> > > of pruning, for example). To many experienced hikers, the PCT has
> > > the appearance of a superhighway! Is this really wilderness,
> > > considering the volume of traffic?
> > >
> > > Also is the issue of what actually happens out there. One cannot
> follow
> > > this discussion forum, without being impressed by the number of people
> > > (including EXPERIENCED people), who go missing. Inevitably, there
> > > is debate about whether they missed "that confusing junction". Some
> > > of those people never turn up. Huge Search and Rescue efforts
> > > ensue. If a few, unobtrusive, well-placed signs would avoid all
> > > that, I'm not sure I could argue against that.
> > >
> > > Ken Murray
> > >
> > > Scott Parks wrote:
> > >
> > > David's appreciation of the PCT's beauty is quite evident in his
> comments..
> > > However, promoting/financing the marking of trail intersections
> > > would seem a small step towards erasing the spirit and beauty of the
> > > what the PCT is all about.
> > >
> > > Anyone who has done large portions of the PCT will tell you it is a
> very
> > > easy trail to navigate. While I have no in-depth knowledge of PCT
> > > policy, is further marking of the trail in the best interest of the
> > > trail? Is it in the best interest of the bulk of the users of the
> trail?
> > >
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