Double White Blazes

Book excerpt: "Double White Blazes: Two white painted vertical dashes, usually on trees or rocks, one above the other, signals an obscure turn, route change, an incoming side trail or other situation that requires you to be especially alert to changes in direction. Sometimes the two blazes will offset in the direction of the turn with the top one signaling the direction by either being on the right or left."Appalachian Trail Conservancy, appalachiantrail.orgWhen hiking the Appalachian trail, you are guided, going north or south by a series of painted white brush strokes. Placed what would be considered mostly eye level or as high off the ground as permitted. Mostly trees or rocks, maybe boulders or posts, a building. They guide the novice day hiker or the repeat thru-hiker on their daily journey. Giving no thought to the validity of the marks, they guide you and give you direction to your next destination. A single brushstroke or blaze means to keep going, you're on the right path. A double indicates a change in direction ahead. A double with the top blaze higher on the left means you are going left and a double with the top blaze higher on the right means you are going right. I have never seen a three-blaze marker but a single blaze on top and a double on the bottom means the beginning and a double on top and single on the bottom means the end. Your trail may often also have a variety of other colored blazes. Blue indicates water source, and that trail should lead to freshwater. Many side trails may also have blazes in different colors which you may choose to do a side excursion. Whatever the side trail color is does not guarantee you will be directed back to the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail.I have even begun to see an almost vocabulary worthy combination of pictograms representing different symbols or characters being used in place of a simple brush stroke. Whatever the mark may be though, they are all placed there to guide us along our journey.Life doesn't have trail signs or markers to indicate when you should change course or make decisions, but you need to learn how to look for them anyway.