Scattered Paint on North Twin Spur

[RoySwkr]

It seems like some kids, or perhaps some adults that behave like kids, found the paint and decided to make a mess.

I would say it is more likely that these people sincerely thought the trail needed more blazes and thought they were doing the world a favor. Just because the result may be vandalism doesn't mean it was malicious. There is at least one previous note on this topic.

It may seem ridiculous, but one of the ways we were instructed to get rid of rogue blazes was using tree paint that is similiar to the appropriate bark. It sounds dumb because to get rid of paint that shouldn't be there, is to apply more paint, but it is one method.

The GMC tried that on my section of LT/AT that had been overblazed, using I think 2 colors of paint. But not all trees are the same color and it didn't match very well. Of course the rogue painters didn't do any surface prep and the fake blazes were faded in a year and pretty well gone in a couple while the overpaint being multiple layers lasted much longer. Unless they painted obscenities and you want to do a larger area to obscure the text, I would not try to paint them out on a variable natural surface.

 

[una_dogger]

I doubt someone would plaster trees with " well intended" blue handprints as shown in Eds pictures...

 

[BIGEarl]

......
From what Earl said about seeing the can on the trail side, it makes more sense that the paint was simply left on the trail for one reason or another than taken from the hut.
......

As I recall, it was a square container, roughly a one quart capacity (perhaps a little smaller), appeared to be plastic, with a screw-on cover. It wasn't a typical paint can with a "pry-off & pound-on" cover.

I doubt someone would plaster trees with " well intended" blue handprints as shown in Eds pictures...

I agree. There is no way I can imagine this to be well intended. The trail corridor is so obvious in summer, the N. Twin Spur needs no blazing at all.

 

[Fisher Cat]

The GMC tried that on my section of LT/AT that had been overblazed, using I think 2 colors of paint. But not all trees are the same color and it didn't match very well. Of course the rogue painters didn't do any surface prep and the fake blazes were faded in a year and pretty well gone in a couple while the overpaint being multiple layers lasted much longer. Unless they painted obscenities and you want to do a larger area to obscure the text, I would not try to paint them out on a variable natural surface.

That is true. The trained eye may notice a subtle difference, but perhaps to the casual eye, it would be harder to perceive. It would certainly be better than the way it is now.

 

[una_dogger]

Petch, maybe we should go back to blazing trails by notching trees with axes.

No longer a practice because it can introduce pests to the trees.

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

obscuring blazes

Of late we are using two methods for obscuring unneeded blazes:
1) plane the blaze off the bark with a sharp ax.
2) get a can of RUST-OLEUM camouflage spray paint from a sporting goods or hardware store. We use shade # 1919, deep forest green, because that is what they had. A gray would be better. This paint is of an ultra flat non-reflective finish; compare with blaze paint, which is a latex gloss enamel to reflect light much better than the natural surface around the blaze. We cover an area larger than the blaze with irregular feathered edges. It doesn't look artificial at all if we can help it.
We have a few small relocations on the worklist for this season. Rest assured that when the new trail is blazed the old one gets barricaded as far as you can see from each end, and the old blazes eliminated.
Creag nan drochaid

 

[Raven]

No longer a practice because it can introduce pests to the trees.

Yeah, that was a little joke. I should be better about using the "smart-A" smiley face when I say that stuff...my sarcastic tone sometimes gets lost in cyberspace...

 

[una_dogger]

Yeah, that was a little joke. I should be better about using the "smart-A" smiley face when I say that stuff...my sarcastic tone sometimes gets lost in cyberspace...

LOL - I know how that is!

 

[TrailwrightBratt]

Unwanted Blazes.

I prefer a light grey enamel Latex paint feathered out as Craig mentioned. Scraping with a paint scraper helps some but not too much depending on type of tree.A wire brush as well will also help on rocks then grey paint. I also have had good results with Black spray paint and feathered out. It doesn't last as long as regular paint but long enough to do the job. Grey is better over all.

 

[erugs]

And not to mention it's confusing.... I though I had wandered off to Lend-a-hand Tail.

That's too funny. To Hale with them, I say.

 

[Andrew]

Aubuchon Hardware sells a pump spray bottle of a product called Mostenblock, with different grafitti/paint/marker remover formulas. Sometimes surprisingly effective with a wire brush.

Says it is non-toxic biodegradable. We used to use oven cleaner for this, but highly caustic and required much rinse water. Tended to kill everything it dripped on and was often worse than the paint since moss took decades to re grow on scrubbed spots. So you had moss lined bare spots that often spelled out the original stuff.

 

[Billy]

I would say it is more likely that these people sincerely thought the trail needed more blazes and thought they were doing the world a favor. Just because the result may be vandalism doesn't mean it was malicious...

Gotta admit, I'm scratching my head over this quote. Really???

Anyway... a popular lament out there these days goes something like: "...these kids don't go out and play enough, they're always on the computer blah blah blah..."
Well, the guys who did this paint job are living proof that some people ARE better off holed up in their basements in front of a computer playing video games and creating make-believe girlfriends.

 

[una_dogger]

Gotta admit, I'm scratching my head over this quote. Really???

Anyway... a popular lament out there these days goes something like: "...these kids don't go out and play enough, they're always on the computer blah blah blah..."
Well, the guys who did this paint job are living proof that some people ARE better off holed up in their basements in front of a computer playing video games and creating make-believe girlfriends.

LMAO


I have a feeling Roy didn't see those pics before he posted

 

[RoySwkr]

I have a feeling Roy didn't see those pics before he posted

That statement is correct but I'm not sure it would have changed my post.

The group that repainted the AT/LT painted blazes of random shape and size up to maybe 6" x 15" but when caught didn't seem to realize that blazes were supposed to be standard, just like the people who use spray paint for blazes because they think there should be more don't know about shape or color.

There used to be a lot more whimsical signs and blazes and I'm not sure that their loss is entirely a good thing. What is the actual damage here - a couple prints on a dead tree that can be felled and hidden and a print that with a little scraping will be faded by next year (plus some undetermined number of excess blazes)?

Sure I was annoyed by the excess blazing on the AT/LT but not as much as by the GMC decision to not replace a bridge over a brook. Similarly, who is the real vandal in the Pemi - somebody who paints a few extra blazes or someone who removes a perfectly good suspension bridge? I nearly choked when I read an article about how nice it is that the FS has accessible trails in NH.