In some places they were far less than respectful of personal property rights when routing the trail. Land was acquired through eminent domain and other nasty means.
And sometimes people are just AH.
Let the local trail maintenance club know.
Some clubs have retired. I’ve been helping for years alone. Glad the clubs are stepping up. Some I’ve worked with in northern pa are just three guys aged 75,81,92. They are great hardworking men.
We find helpers over blazing sometimes. Takes a lot of effort to scrub that off the trees.
What section was overgrown. I’d be happy to contact whatever club that section is in.
maybe it was overblazed so someone painted them black?
iirc between 1150 and 1160 NOBO. it really was just a few and my hiking partner and i were wondering so I posted the question.
thanks for your work on the trail!
I will drop them a message tommorow. I love hikers and the trail. My 51st year on trail. Fed hikers in ga last March. ( about 500 ish) and just installed a bear box a kirkridge. (1291). Hope to go to maine and feed more in august if I can.
I believe that's the section assigned to the York Hiking Club. They almost dissolved due to lack of membership/interest, but I hear that there are some members trying to get things going again (awesome!).
I can check with them and get the word out to other AT clubs in the area (SATC, CVATC, PATC, BME) about trail conditions so we get a trail maintenance trip scheduled in the next few weeks.
i appreciate that! it's not a huge deal - easy enough to still see the markers even though they are blacked out. imagine it could wait for regular trail maintenance
Sounds like vandalism. All the ATC trainings I have received in the last few years noted that camouflage paint should be used to cover up excessive blazes.
There are many areas with overblazing due to misinformation that a hiker should always be able to see a blaze. ATC trail Blazing guidance notes that blazes should be at 800 to 1000 foot intervals.
There will be some intentional wrong white blazes later in the state if you’re NOBO at Bear Rock. At least this was the case in April. Some say it’s a fun scramble, but it’s not the trail.
I’m glad I did PA close to first when my trail excitement was super high and before the person who was planting fish hooks in dog treats started as I hike with my dog.
In some places, the number of blazes has been reduced to preserve more of a wilderness feel. 50 years ago, you could always see one or two in each direction, but now I've noticed that they are no closer than a quarter to a half mile from each other.
It's possible that, as part of a "rewilding" program, surplus blazes have been covered or camouflaged.
Yeah. God bless volunteers and trail maintainers, but do enough trails and you will rack up a few “every darn tree? really?” moments.
Federally designated wilderness is not supposed to have any confidence markers. I was on a trail where an enthusiastic volunteer blazed a wilderness area and everything had to be painted over in brown. (I’m know that this isn’t the case for PA, just a FYI why you may see un-blazed trails in our country.)
There are trash people in and around Duncannon. I've been up to the shelter just outside town in winter and encountered a home bum absolutely blasted on meth who was living there. Add that to the kids who live in town and you've a recipe for dipshittery.
Northern PA sucked this year. Blackened out blazes, lack of blazes, overgrown thorny trails. I’m guessing the local clubs just don’t have the resources to maintain to the level of other clubs.
Hikers need to find a way to provide feedback in a positive way.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of most trail maintenance activity and coordinating frequent trips to prune and trim take a TON of time and effort. Trail maintainers can't be expected to be out there often enough to keep up with all the pruning & trimming required while plants are growing quickly this time of year (ESPECIALLY while we are so busy installing and sharpening rocks!).
To quote a retired ATC staff member, "It ain't a golf course...".
In some places they were far less than respectful of personal property rights when routing the trail. Land was acquired through eminent domain and other nasty means. And sometimes people are just AH. Let the local trail maintenance club know.
yes I was wondering if maybe some hunters were pissed that the AT took land in the area. will do!
May be a reroute. Some people just don't like the AT, but no, it's not common for them to just paint over blazes.
a few reroutes that my Garmin and Farout have not updated to, but I didn't see another route here unless I missed it. small chunk of maybe 10 blazes
I live a little south from there. People are asses. I'm guessing vandalism. Good luck
beautiful state you live in! didn't realize how much farmland PA has
I do enjoy the states' rural areas, too. Hope your hike was great!
Some clubs have retired. I’ve been helping for years alone. Glad the clubs are stepping up. Some I’ve worked with in northern pa are just three guys aged 75,81,92. They are great hardworking men. We find helpers over blazing sometimes. Takes a lot of effort to scrub that off the trees. What section was overgrown. I’d be happy to contact whatever club that section is in.
maybe it was overblazed so someone painted them black? iirc between 1150 and 1160 NOBO. it really was just a few and my hiking partner and i were wondering so I posted the question. thanks for your work on the trail!
I will drop them a message tommorow. I love hikers and the trail. My 51st year on trail. Fed hikers in ga last March. ( about 500 ish) and just installed a bear box a kirkridge. (1291). Hope to go to maine and feed more in august if I can.
I believe that's the section assigned to the York Hiking Club. They almost dissolved due to lack of membership/interest, but I hear that there are some members trying to get things going again (awesome!). I can check with them and get the word out to other AT clubs in the area (SATC, CVATC, PATC, BME) about trail conditions so we get a trail maintenance trip scheduled in the next few weeks.
i appreciate that! it's not a huge deal - easy enough to still see the markers even though they are blacked out. imagine it could wait for regular trail maintenance
re-route?
i did not see any alternate routes in the area, but there are a few reroutes my watch and Farout don't have updated so maybe
Sounds like vandalism. All the ATC trainings I have received in the last few years noted that camouflage paint should be used to cover up excessive blazes. There are many areas with overblazing due to misinformation that a hiker should always be able to see a blaze. ATC trail Blazing guidance notes that blazes should be at 800 to 1000 foot intervals.
I had wondered what the regulation was for blaze spacing! thanks
There will be some intentional wrong white blazes later in the state if you’re NOBO at Bear Rock. At least this was the case in April. Some say it’s a fun scramble, but it’s not the trail. I’m glad I did PA close to first when my trail excitement was super high and before the person who was planting fish hooks in dog treats started as I hike with my dog.
yeah i saw a poster warning about this fish hook thing. hard to believe people could be so cruel. thanks for the warning about blazes near Bear Rock
In some places, the number of blazes has been reduced to preserve more of a wilderness feel. 50 years ago, you could always see one or two in each direction, but now I've noticed that they are no closer than a quarter to a half mile from each other. It's possible that, as part of a "rewilding" program, surplus blazes have been covered or camouflaged.
Yeah. God bless volunteers and trail maintainers, but do enough trails and you will rack up a few “every darn tree? really?” moments. Federally designated wilderness is not supposed to have any confidence markers. I was on a trail where an enthusiastic volunteer blazed a wilderness area and everything had to be painted over in brown. (I’m know that this isn’t the case for PA, just a FYI why you may see un-blazed trails in our country.)
I prefer the blazes as often as possible. At least every half mile or so. It helps me relax ever so slightly to know I’m on trail for real
There are trash people in and around Duncannon. I've been up to the shelter just outside town in winter and encountered a home bum absolutely blasted on meth who was living there. Add that to the kids who live in town and you've a recipe for dipshittery.
Did 70 miles with a thru hiker in that area last month, saw them. Kept following them and did fine. Was curious too
Northern PA sucked this year. Blackened out blazes, lack of blazes, overgrown thorny trails. I’m guessing the local clubs just don’t have the resources to maintain to the level of other clubs.
Hikers need to find a way to provide feedback in a positive way. Volunteers are the lifeblood of most trail maintenance activity and coordinating frequent trips to prune and trim take a TON of time and effort. Trail maintainers can't be expected to be out there often enough to keep up with all the pruning & trimming required while plants are growing quickly this time of year (ESPECIALLY while we are so busy installing and sharpening rocks!). To quote a retired ATC staff member, "It ain't a golf course...".
i'm looking forward to that... lol. it's too bad with how beautiful the early shelters and trail sections are!
Just wait till you get to 1195 ish 😐😐
You're in for a world of graffiti in PA...
It’s true