White and Blue blazin'

[mdionne]

I would like to start a (hopefully) lively thread on the pros and cons of blue and white blazing. I would especially like to hear from Lone Wolf and Baltimore Jack. I know it's all about philosophy but lets hear the arguments.

[Footslogger]

I guess this is more of a question than a comment but ...why would you want to blue blaze, unless the main trail was dangerous or impassible due to really fould weather or serious blow down ??

Maybe I'm missing something here ...

[mdionne]

pros and cons only please. (something tells me you "missed" a lot)

[ganj]

I'm apprehensive about touching this one, but here's my opinion anyways. The trail is not the same trail is was when it was created. Period.

Every year, this trail changes its route due to different reasons. The trail you hike this year is not the same trail hiked 10 years, five years, or even 12 months ago. These changes are organized and completed through the various AT trail clubs. My belief is that there is nothing "holy" about the official route of the AT for that specific year. It doesn't bother me to blueblaze. It doesn't bother me that others whiteblaze. Sometimes these new relos make no sense whatsoever and are based on political reasons only. I just heard that the AT will be bypassing Pearisburg soon.

I blueblaze if there are other things I want to see (MarHar Trail, Ribble Trail) or because I find a shorter route that makes more sense than the AT does (road walk along the Housatonic River instead of setting foot back into NY, Sherburne Pass Trail). It doesn't matter to me that I missed parts of the AT. I know I walked from Georgia to Maine and had a great time. Don't let others tell you how to hike. Authorities like WF have no business dictating how others should hike.

I would like to find out how much or which parts of the trail are still part of the original route. Also, would like to see a good map of the original route and how much of it would still be possible to hike.

[Doctari]

First off, I am somewhat "blessed" with OCD. I do EVERYTHING at 110% to 120%

I love the views & stuff off the blue blazes. I regret missing some of them, like the waterfall ones, & Mt Cammerer.

I will pass every white blaze that is current when I section hike. And about 10 years from now when I get to thru, I will Obsessivly pass EVERY white blaze. No yellow blazes ever, even if a shelter has 2 blu blazes, I will back track which ever one I came in on.

Doctari

[Lone Wolf]

No argument. I do what I do. Jack does his thing. The main thing to remember is, the AT was never meant to be thru-hiked. It's all about being in the sticks.

[Youngblood]

Take the trail that takes you where YOU want to go.

Youngblood

[max patch]

Don't let others tell you how to hike. Authorities like WF have no business dictating how others should hike.

Thats a BS comment Ganj and I think you know it. WF doesn't give a flying fornication how you spend your six months on the trail.

What WF says...and so does the ATC...is that if you report your hike your hike to the ATC and claim 2000 miler status you need to hike past every white blaze on your trip except for the rare instance when dangerous conditions require you to skip the official white blazed route in favor of a blue blazed alternate. Claiming 2000 miler status when you have not hiked all of the official AT makes one a liar.

[Skeemer]

The pros for both are you are hiking your own hike...so what can the cons be????

[illininagel]

Everyone should hike their own hike. However, if you decide to complete a hike without passing the white blazes, just don't claim "official" 2000 miler status...seems simple enough.

If it's not important to a hiker to use the white blazes, then it shouldn't be important for that same hiker to tell others that he/she completed an "official" thru hike. It diminishes the accomplishments of those hikers that decided to do their own hike by passing the white blazes.

[Dee]

Blue and yellow blazing is cheating, only if they are used to skip the AT because it's faster.

[Lilred]

Blue Blaze, White Blaze, for record keeping it may be important to 'stay true to the trail' but in my opinion, anyone who walks the width of the continent, in the wilderness, has made quite an accomplishment, and should be recognized for it. If you want to blue blaze all the way to Maine, go for it. And my hat is off to you.
Don't forget about those two roads diverging. It might make all the difference....

[TedB]

I always saw the trail as a tool to help you enjoy the outdoors. I was never one to paint inside the lines and I remained that way on the trail. I like the freedom to choose the route I think is best. A blue blaze route can be better because it is more beautiful, or different, or easier, or it just feels a little decadent. If you do choose your own path, I think you should consider carefully before you sign a document saying you hiked the official route.

[Peaks]

Blue and yellow blazing is cheating, only if they are used to skip the AT because it's faster.

So, blue blazing to go over another peak is OK?

[Skyline]

It doesn't matter if you white blaze, blue blaze, yellow blaze, rainbow blaze, aqua blaze, gee how many other kinds of blazing are there? You really should hike your own hike.

You don't need to do pass every white blaze (barring emergency TRAIL situations) EXCEPT if you plan to report your thru or section hike to ATC to get recognition in the form of a certificate and a listing in the ATN as a 2,000-miler. It's ATC's standard; they're the ones you'd be applying to for recognition, so you oughta follow their rules.

Otherwise, it doesn't matter.

[Virginian]

Ok, my opinion and I always have one. If you want to get out of your car and hike through the Walmart parking lot thats your bussiness. Thats hiking your own hike. If you want to take side trails, Blue blazes or no trail at all, its up to you. But hiking the AT for the reason of a "Thru Hike" is different. And it shouldnt be cheapend by folks that wont do it right but claim to. To me its the same as all of the Army wearing black berets ,or people who aren't handicap using thier Grandmas tag to get a good spot at the mall. And while we're at it. I think "slacking sucks too" You see, I didnt "slack" the AT. I "hiked" it. That made the difference to me.
"White Blaze/Pack on Back"

[Blue Jay]

It diminishes the accomplishments of those hikers that decided to do their own hike by passing the white blazes.

Exactly how is it, in any way possible, for some one to diminish anyone else's accomplishments. This is flat out BS, and I am sick of hearing it. How does 10,000 people hitchhiking around the entire state of Virginia have any effect what so ever on my or any one else's hike? Where did this insane idea come from?

[illininagel]

Again, I have no problem whatsoever with hikers hiking their own hike. I could care less if someone prefers to fly from Georgia to Maine. My only issue is that if someone wishes to complete a thru-hike by not passing the white blazes, he/she shouldn't then feel compelled to claim that they did pass the white blazes. It's simply a matter of honesty.

When everyone can make up their own "rules" to claim a 2,000 miler certificate, it cheapens the value of the certificate. It's just a matter of supply and demand. The supply of supposedly qualified 2,000 milers increases artificially. So, more certificates are issues making the accomplishment and recognition less unique.

Again, I could care less if someone chooses to skip a whole state for that matter. What difference does it make to me? I just don't agree that it's OK for that same person to make false claims that they accomplished what's stated on the certificate. If they don't think it is such a big deal to pass all of the white blazes, then why do they think it is such a big deal to claim that they did and acquire the certificate stating such?

[Blue Jay]

It's just a matter of supply and demand. The supply of supposedly qualified 2,000 milers increases artificially. So, more certificates are issues making the accomplishment and recognition less unique.

Supply and demand are economic terms for commodities. Hikers and thruhikes are clearly not commodities. To call us a commodity is far more insulting to me than a few fun loving hikers having a good time and being looked down upon by some over serious hard ass. A thruhike per say, is not unique, children have done it, a blind drunk guy falling on his dog every 10 feet has done it. Each individual thruhike is unique, and you have no right to comment on it. As a commodity, under your system each purist hiker also cheapens your hike, under some BS "supply and demand".

[Skyline]

Again, I could care less if someone chooses to skip a whole state for that matter. What difference does it make to me? I just don't agree that it's OK for that same person to make false claims that they accomplished what's stated on the certificate. If they don't think it is such a big deal to pass all of the white blazes, then why do they think it is such a big deal to claim that they did and acquire the certificate stating such?

Exactly.

It only matters if you DON'T follow ATC's standards--but then go right ahead and apply to ATC for the certificate and acknowledgement in ATN that you did in fact hike the whole A.T. when you didn't. If you don't apply, then it doesn't matter how many white blazes you missed, and you can still be proud of your accomplishments. Hell, you may have even had a "better" hike because you took a few more interesting blue blazes, but you cannot (honestly) claim to have hiked the whole AT, at least not in a representation of same to ATC.

Personally, I would be embarrassed to have my name in print next May if there were folks I hiked with, or who knew of my hike, who realized that I didn't actually hike the whole A.T. They'd rightfully be able to point to my name and yell "Fraud!"

If I didn't hike the whole, white-blazed A.T. I would still be proud of my accomplishment and would be very willing to talk about it among friends--but I would not apply to ATC for recognition until I went back and did any white-blazed section I missed.

As a matter of fact, after summitting Katahdin on 8/15 this year, I had two "holes" to go back and finish. I did that, and actually finished on 8/18 at Caribou Valley Rd. It was kinda anti-climactic compared to that beautiful Class 1 Day on Katahdin, but I can look myself in the mirror, and no one can legitimately yell "Fraud!" when they see my name in print.