This summer past I hiked a section of the PCT in Washington State. Some “helpful” vandal had written notes on the trail signs - like “PCT” under the trail number (2000).
Daniel Smith
Please don't vandalize the PCT this summer
system
#2
yeah we go through this every year. Some folks think its vandalism, others helpful additions. I’d rather have the info and not end up going the wrong direction but its situational.
d
system
#3
If people want to mark the trail, there has to be a better way than vandalizing trail signs. Last year in southern CA there were notes scribbled on paper and left in cairns, or laminated notes tacked to the sign posts.
Leaving paper notes in WA might not be practical, and nobody is going to carry laminating equipment in their pack, but there are alternatives to writing on trail signs. Mark the trail with rocks or sticks or something else.
If the markings are not permanent, who really cares? None of the markings I saw in section A were helpful to someone who was prepared with a map and the water report.
Scott Bryce
system
#4
It turns out all of the extra little markings people do are seen as pretty lame to a lot of other people out there. The maps and existing signage were always good enough anyway. The extra PCT sharpie additions seemed to be all changed by the time I got to them anyway. For example a sharpied arrow with PCT next to it indicating direction usually had several other arrows pointing in every other direction. Or the C gets changed to an O with the addition of SMOKE in from of it. Graffiti leads to more graffiti in the end. Please don’t add stuff whether laminated notes which will be thrown by me into the dirt along the trail to blow in the breeze never deteriorating, or sharpie signs which other people will change. If you want to leave something useful, tack a Snickers bar to a post.
I noticed also some people place a branch or other small barrier in intersecting trails. This is very rude to other users who may think that that trail is closed. Hydro and I had to remove so many off these obstrcutions on our hike it’s not even funny. PCT’rs represent an extrememly small use group in the woods. Let’s not detract from others experience, when our egos convince us that our use of the resource is the most important out there.
Guino
system
#5
I agree with Guino. If you’re thinking of making “improvements” to the signage, just consider:
Hundreds of people have navigated the PCT before you without any problems. The problem is not with the signs, it’s with you.
If you’re really so confused as to think some improvement is required, what makes you think that you’re qualified to make such an improvement? i.e. the fact is you probably don’t know what you’re doing.
Please refrain from making un-needed cairns too - I can’t tell you how many cairns I’ve had to kick-over because they led to “nowhere”, or were otherwise redundant. There are times when cairns are called-for, but 90% of them cause more confusion than direction.
jonathan
system
#7
The markings seem to be the work of a couple “helpful” people. While I understand their desperate need to “go fast”, I don’t appreciate the vandalism. And yes, marking USFS signs is vandalism, and is against the law. If “going fast” is so important that you feel the need to break the law to do it, get a sports car and zip up and down I-5. - it’s a lot quicker than the PCT.
PS: A lot of these “helpful” markings were “PCT” scrawled under the trail number (2000). If you’ve made it to Washington and still don’t know that Trail 2000 is the PCT, you are too stupid to be out in the woods by yourself anyway.
kbatku