blue blazes meaning not always clear

[mountainman]

I used to rely on blue blazes to find water, then I learned they can be for alternate or short cuts. I followed one in NY that I don't know what it was for, but the return trip made me every anger.
Am I mssing something about the meaning of blue blazes?

[LIhikers]

A different color just means it's a different trail. It's up to you to know where it goes. That's what trail maps and guide books are for.

[bloodmountainman]

Blue Blazes are paths off the beaten path. They are access points, water sources, campsites, shelters, and "must see" viewpoints. The more of them you can use gives one more options.

[mountainman]

I asked a reasonable Question. I don't need a smart a-- answer.

[mountainman]

Bloodmountain, My commend wasn't to you as it appears to be. I'm sorry it looks that way.

[Cabin Fever]

Bloodmountain, My commend wasn't to you as it appears to be. I'm sorry it looks that way.

No but the answer you are referring to is correct. A map or guidebook will tell you what it is.

[emerald]

You got several resonable answers. The last sentence of the 2nd post strikes me as best so far.

[Tinker]

Straight forward might be a better place to ask a question than General.

Honestly, from what I've seen from hiking nearly half of the AT and all of the LT, blue blazed trails are any trail which crosses the main trail for any number of reasons - access from road, to water source, shelter, etc.

[Appalachian Tater]

mountainman, you'll find smarta__'s all over the internet. Don't let them get under your skin. Just ignore everything they say.

[weary]

A few blue blazed trails are shortcuts, often being former AT sections that have been bypassed for any number of reasons. Most, however, in my experience have been trails to special attractions that a maintainer thinks hikers might like to see. They lead to scenic overlooks, waterfalls, historic sites, shelters, camping places, and towns. A few are alternate routes maintained to ease passage in inclement weather.

Maps and trail guides provide details.

[Appalachian Tater]

Et tu, Weary? Give the guy a break.

[scooterdogma]

It looks to me like Weary was just showing how to post a respectful answer without the attitude. Very concise and to the point. No belittling last sentences directed toward the original poster. Weary, please, answer my questions anytime

[Rocket Jones]

Did you think blue blaze = water source? I can see where that could be misunderstood, but at the same time LIHikers was right. Maps and guidebooks give you that information and you'd see that it's not always true. In my local National Forest, there are white, blue, yellow and red blazed trails.

[bloodmountainman]

Maps and trail guides do provide details. Exploring a blue blazed trail will provide experience. I like to use them to access the trail. These routes are best when trailhead parking lots are full. I would prefer them to be obscure trails nobody follows. Thru hikers really don't need them.

[Bucherm]

I'm not sure that the first response was really that much of a smartarse answer....

[bulldog49]

I'm not sure that the first response was really that much of a smartarse answer....

Agree, the answer was appropriate to the question. Particularly for someone named mountainman.

Now this is a smart assed comment.

[Pedaling Fool]

Post #2 already answered the OP's question, can't really add to it...time for thread-drift.

[Tennessee Viking]

Wikipedia had this:
In modern times, most commonly, a painted marking of a consistent shape or shapes (usually, but not always, rectangular), dimension and color or combination of colors is used along the trail route. Commonly, in North America, to avoid confusion, it is one single color, often white or one of the primary colors — red, blue or yellow, as green tends to predominate in woodland environments where most trails requiring blazing are found. Orange can also be used, but on the whole it is good to avoid earth tones as they are not as easily distinguished from their surroundings.

Then, I cannot remember where I saw it, but a couple years ago I came across an article that defined the blaze colors. Years ago, the colors usually told what conditions of a trail had and were factored together; length/grade/camping/water/access/allow traffic. What I can remember:

White: long trail.
Blue: Access trail to a longer trail, alternate route, shelter/camping, and water
Yellow: Open to Horse Traffic/limited access.
Red: Cross or bordered private property, limited camping, rough conditions.
Green: Trail route along roads, open to bike traffic.

[ki0eh]

According to the current PA DCNR trail marking standards blue blazes mean a cross-country ski trail. Orange is a long trail (with several allowed exceptions noted therein, including the A.T.); yellow is a side hiking trail; red allows horses and bikes.

Pink is not noted. Backpacker magazine did note recently that the only pink blaze intersecting the A.T. was seen in PA, actually it's on DCNR land in the SATC section.

I just spent the greater part of a weekend converting old blue to repainted yellow on side trails to the PA Mid State Trail, with many more to go to achieve conformity to the afore-cited standards. Yellow does usually show up better than blue.

I don't believe these will be applied to the PA A.T. corridor, even the minority of same that's on PA DCNR land, though. I'm just throwing that out as an example of blazes not meaning anything by themselves, and back to the post #2 answer.

[Ender]

Blaze colors have little meaning other than to distinguish different trails from each other.