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Here in Arizona, I've primarily seen only the vertical "short-long" blaze. Most seem to be at least a couple of decades old, many much older.

Back east, apparently there is a more complicated pattern of blazes which I have not seen or used in practice.

Many people walk right past blazes without even noticing them. I'm sure I miss many, but I always enjoy seeing them when wandering an old trail.

Anybody know any stories behind blazing trees in AZ? [ photo ]

Or the more complicated tree-morse-code used back east?

chumley wrote:Back east, apparently there is a more complicated pattern of blazes which I have not seen or used in practice.

Yes, those are pretty common in the East. In particular, the AT and adjoining trails use those. They're quite useful in thick woods where there's little undergrowth because of the deer and poor sun penetration and excessive social trails.

They take regular maintenance because trees go down all the time and some of them contain turn signals.

What type of blazes are these then?

@friendofThundergod
Clearly means the trail is entering a wormhole so be prepared

@friendofThundergod
I believe it means arrested development A-holiness ahead.
It is interesting though to see a blaze where there is no obvious trail. How old is it and what was the trail, was it for moving livestock?

@Alston_Neal

Maybe a poor attempt at being funny on my part, that is a beaver blaze on Bonita Creek, we were out there last weekend,

@chumley
The one in your example seems to be the popular version in AZ.
I'm still trying to figure out this one [ photo ]

@friendofThundergod
My mistake I didn't look at it long enough to see that it wasn't an axe......move along ...nothing to see here...ahem.

That particular one means trail continues forward if the top blaze is to the right slightly it means trail goes right to the left slightly trail turns left. I have seen these on trails around Arizona and wondered the same thing so I looked up trail blaze markings on the internet under Trail blaze markings on trees and it shows the different types. there is a good explanation in old Boy Scout books. Can't find it in new ones marking the trees is not politically correct. We should start posting pictures on our hikes of the various kind of markings, I have not seen the Spur trail mark, end of trail mark and start of trail mark. You will see the trail right or left usually at switchbacks.

Opps to the right trail goes right to the left trail goes left.

The_Eagle wrote:I'm still trying to figure out this one [ photo ]

Did the trail come to an end shortly after the blaze? I'd interpret that to mean the trail ends straight ahead, but I don't have a scout badge in this stuff either.

@The_Eagle
That's where the gold is buried.

@nonot
No, it did not
@markthurman53
I guess I did not dig deep enough. Maybe I need to go to 3 ft?

Unless they are reflective I usually don't see them

A rancher told me about an old trail he was taking a pack horse on that was really rough. He was doubting it then saw the "filled in" blazes on some of the trees that were over his head on the horse. The trees had healed it but was still visible. He thought the blazes were probably 50-75 years old at least and possibly done by his grandfather. I thought that was neat.

I have frequently noticed in places like A-S forest, particularly far east I see "i" blazes on trees. They just look like a lower case 'i'. They almost never have a turn signal that I have seen - and appear to stand in for cairns. Vaguely resemble the "end of trail" one in the OP picture but clearly they are not as they are continuous along the trail. They are everywhere in the Gila Wilderness especially up on the mesas in between river canyons. I see them in AZ too - like the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness trails. Anyone have knowledge that explains the lower case 'i' thing?

RedRoxx44 wrote: ↑Oct 21 2020 4:42 am A rancher told me about an old trail he was taking a pack horse on that was really rough. He was doubting it then saw the "filled in" blazes on some of the trees that were over his head on the horse. The trees had healed it but was still visible. He thought the blazes were probably 50-75 years old at least and possibly done by his grandfather. I thought that was neat.

In Yosemite, there are many blazes still visible made the US Army in 1914, when they were still the overseers. Some are on trails still in use, but there are also some long-ago rerouted or abandoned trails. The blazes were handy for following abandoned trails in backcountry areas.

I have seen an 'end blaze' on the north part of the Cabin Loop. Not that the 'loop' ended, but that there was/is an intersecting trail I supposed.

wildwesthikes wrote:Anyone have knowledge that explains the lower case 'i' thing

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/t ... trailplans

edit to include image as link dies over time.

on a slightly different note , does anyone know what the orange or blue paint markings are for in the coconino national forest Some trees have one orange stripe some two or three. I assume this is some marking for logging but couldn't get a good answer.