Blazing

Objective

The objective in blazing is to mark the trail often enough to guide the hiker and keep the trail distinguishable, but not so often that blazes become a visual intrusion. On low-use Wilderness and Non-wilderness trails, blazing is not necessarily intended to guide the hiker, but to keep the trail distinguishable and identify it for horse and/or foot use.

General Standards for blazing

• Use 2" x 6" vertical rectangles.
• Place at eye-level on live trees. Avoid painting rocks.
• Use double blazes (one above the other) for sharp turns and trail junctions
• Blazes should be visible across an intersection with another trail, a stream, or road.
• Where two blazes of different colors are used on the same trail, the two blazes are to be placed side-by-side.
• Avoid overblazing.
• Cairns, metal diamond markers, etc. should not be used to mark trails.

Standards for low-use Wilderness and Non-wilderness blue blazed trails

• Use blue paint for maintained foot trails.
• Re-blaze only as necessary (generally no more than every three years) to keep blazes visible.
• Carefully remove excess blazing.
• No more than one blaze should be visible at any time, unless special conditions warrant (i.e. trail difficult to follow due to overgrown vegetation).
• When standing at one blaze, pick a prominent spot ahead, walk past it a short distance and blaze the next prominent spot. Blazes should be 300–700 feet apart if possible. Avoid abrupt changes in frequency.

Standards for moderate-use and high-use Wilderness and Non-wilderness blue blazed trails and for the Appalachian Trail

• Use blue paint for maintained foot trails; white blazes for the AT.
• Reblaze every few years to keep blazes visible and to replace missing or enlarged blazes. Carefully remove excess blazing.
• No more than one blaze should be visible at any time, unless special conditions warrant.
  When standing at one blaze, pick a prominent spot ahead, walk to it, pick the next good spot and place the blaze there. Blazes should be 300–500 feet apart. Avoid abrupt changes in frequency.

Techniques for Blazing

• Pick prominent, large, living trees; dark-colored bark provides a better contrast for the blaze.
  Choose trees which are prominent when foliage is out (clip away low bushes or protruding branches to clear the blaze area).
• Scrape a 3"x7" rectangle on thick barked trees.
• Rub moss and lichen off a 3"x7" rectangle on thin barked trees.
• Paint neatly; avoid using too much paint (it will run down the tree).
• Blaze in the direction you are hiking; walk back to blaze the other direction.
• Avoid blazing rocks.
• To avoid overblazing, err on the side of too few blazes; more can be placed later if needed.

Equipment for Blazing

• 1 gallon bucket with handle
• 1" brush
• Blaze paint
• Paint scraper
• Rags, paper towels, aluminum foil to wrap brush in until cleaning, etc., and
• Brush cleaner and hand cleaner for afterwards.