Trail Sign Language
A
trail sign is a board or a post of wood, metal or some kind of synthetic
material that displays written, pictorial or symbolic information
about the trail and/or the surrounding area.
A good trail sign boosts a hiker's safety and peace of mind. An
unclear or misleading sign can stress, mislead, even endanger a
hiker. A bad sign is worse than no sign at all.
 
To most hikers, a sign is a sign is a sign, but others in the field-trail
builders, park designers, pathway policy wonks-distinguish among
five different kinds of signs, each having a distinct purpose.
Directional Signs help the hiker navigate from Point A to Point
B. They provide the names of points-of-interest or destinations,
as well as the mileage to those destinations. The way mileage is
expressed varies by park agency and geography.
Older signs tend to express mileage in fractions (Deer Meadow 2
¼) while newer ones use decimals and tenths (Deer Meadow
2.2). When fractions are used, quarter-mile increments are usually
the smallest trail measurement, though occasionally eighths and
even tenths are used. When trail distances are expressed with decimals,
the smallest measure is usually 0.1 (one-tenth of a mile), though
a few signs use one-hundredth of a mile increment (Deer Meadow 2.25).
 
Cautionary Signs warn of potential trail hazards such as poison
ivy, bears or errant golf balls.
Regulatory Signs are the do-this and don't-do-that placards that
encourage certain behaviors (Obtain Wilderness Permit) and discourage
others (No Bicycle Riding).
Interpretive Signs explain a natural or historical site (World's
Tallest Lodgepole Pine, Three-Fingered Jack's Cabin) along the trail
or near it.
Objective Signs give information about trail conditions (Trail not
Maintained) including the type of trail surface or warn about obstacles
(Bridge Out, 1.5 miles).
Cosmic
Signs are definitely not yet acknowledged by park official and sign-makers,
but I'd like to see them added.
If, for example, lightning strikes a tree in front of you, that's
the universe telling you to get off the mountain. Cosmic Signs can
also arise from cosmic thoughts and be put on signs, just like mileage
markers. God, Mother Nature, great authors and poets often provide
inspiration for cosmic signs. My friend Glen Owen occasionally puts
up a sign deep in the Angeles National Forest that makes hikers
stop and think beyond themselves and everyday concerns. |
