# CHEAP (homemade) trail marker POSTS



## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

I need to get a little signage on my trail (Private 5.5 mile loop), but do not want to spend much. Later on I'll spend more time and do better signs, but for now I need simple directional signs, trail start, etc.,. so people can can find their way.

Anybody have PICS of simple signs they made or ideas??

I have a bunch of smaller black locust trees, and thinking of using these and cutting a point on the end w/chainsaw to enable pounding into ground. 

Maybe then cut a flat section on the top and attach a small rectangular piece of wood and hand paint this.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

snowkraft said:


> I need to get a little signage on my trail (Private 5.5 mile loop), but do not want to spend much. Later on I'll spend more time and do better signs, but for now I need simple directional signs, trail start, etc.,. so people can can find their way.
> 
> Anybody have PICS of simple signs they made or ideas??
> 
> ...


If time is worth money you can't ignore the value of pre-made signs. Our area in S. WI orders from Rockart, and our land managers order from Rhino Markers. Last season I put in 20+ Carsonite style signs with decals in around the same time it took for me to do 3 custom signs a few seasons prior. It was all a better bargain when I consider how much more time was saved ordering the stuff.


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

BF, thanks for the info. It really does not take long to make the Black Locust markers. When I don't have to spend, I don't like to. I spend enough on machines. Hahahah. I think I will buy some of the directional stickers, tho.

The situation I have is these will be temporary until I decide what I will use for custom markers when all my trails are done. As a private area, want to get away from the standardized feel of signage in public parks just to differentiate myself a bit.


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## aero901 (Apr 11, 2012)

We've printed temp signs on cardstock and laminated them with good results (a couple of examples here). Staple them to a post or tree. Those pictured are still holding up pretty well after almost 2 years of exposure to a Midwest climate.

A standard letter sized piece of paper did 3 signs.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

You want a unique trail marker. Use the posts like you mentioned. Get beer cans and hammer them flat. Spray paint one side, and use stencils. Nail then to your posts with alloy nails. Use additional beer cans that are unpainted to add green, blue, and black trail status indicators.


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

Watts: I can't believe you would actually suggest to use trail trash as markers. And what a bad image it would give. That is brilliant!! Just can't decide how to smash the cans. I'll take pics of the results. Thanks for the idea. Thinking of how to use this idea in my annual fat bike race, Koldwave. Fat bikers, well, they tend to like beer. Especially Wisconsin fat bikers.

Aero901: Thanks. I think I'll do that with a few of the signs that need more info. I have a laminator, so that will work well.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

snowkraft said:


> Just can't decide how to smash the cans.


Hammer and a log? or hammer and pavement? or your foot and pavement? Come on, it's a beer can. Just drive over it with a fat bike.


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

Fat bike too low PSI, even with my "skinny" Dillinger 3.8. Road bike?? Maybe my skidsteer with rubber trax. That would be perfect. Put them in wedge of tree that I'm felling?? 

The only problem is, anomalous for a Wisconsonite, I don't drink beer.


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Seltzer cans? ^^^


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Do any whiskey bottles come in aluminum?


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## ki5ka (Dec 17, 2006)

We saw some signs like aero describes on Spence Mountain trails near Klamath. Effective and inexpensive. No pics of the signs but they say a post is worthless without a pic, so here's a pic of our lovely mugs on the trail... LOL


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

Methinks these temporary markings are being overthought.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

First markings I ever saw were paint rings around trees to show where the trail was. Effective, and all it took was a bucket of paint.


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

Ki5ka: Wow, beautiful trail. Thanks for the post!!


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

I mean no offense, but that is an extremely amateur way of doing things. IT is NEVER good to paint trees. This is my own property also- I'm in love with my trees and would never want to paint them. In my opinion, it looks tacky and you are defacing mother nature. (I have some trees that I painted for removal, but never removed, and I really don't like the paint visible on the trees. Just not natural- an eyesore.) IMBA will also say that painting trees is not a good idea. If the trail is ever rerouted, then you still have paint marks on trees. In my case, I would have have paint marks on trees after I installed the permanent markers. The basic goal is to be as non-intrusive as possible.

Paint on trees also signifies to many that the tree is to be cut. Actually, that is what I thought when I biked the first time at a local trail marked with paint on trees. So, this is another negative of tree painting.

Actually the responses I have received have been awesome. It is great to learn of creative ways to mark the trail. I think in the main that, like me, most trail designers/builders are pretty particular with the way they go about the process, and there are reasons for that. This "perfectionism" is many times a quality I think that you will see in the best trailbuilders, that tends to produce the best trails.



Flamingtaco said:


> Methinks these temporary markings are being overthought.
> View attachment 1082176


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

Leebow: Don't like seltzer either. I do drink a lot of diet-pepsi, but no way am I going to use cans whose producer poisons kids with sugar and makes them obese. Besides, I buy the plastic bottles. Heheheh. 

Watts: The only alcohol I like is wine coolers. (Yeah, I know.) No whiskey. I'm sorry, I just don't have it when it comes to alcohol. Guess I'll have to rely on friends to empty the cans. I hope the cool looking cans also have good tasting beer inside.


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## mbmtb (Nov 28, 2013)

that's a mediocre painted blaze. they should have very rectangular corners, and possibly the bark shaved a bit... but looking it up did lead to this wikipedia article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_blazing

(this is not amateur at all. it's the descendent of one of the oldest ways to mark a route.)


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## LaXCarp (Jul 19, 2008)

A club where I used to live used painted lids or bottoms from a a tin can (like campbells soup) and tacked them to a tree. You could affix the same to your wood stakes.


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## bankerboy (Oct 17, 2006)

Go to your local hardware store and pick up a roll of flagging tape. Much of it is biodegradable so while, as you say, it is temporary, if some gets left behind it will degrade over time and there will be no trace. We use this all the time to delineate a new corridor for the trails we have built the last couple of seasons. Safety orange is a very easy to see color. If you want to differentiate between trails it comes in a multitude of vibrant and easy to see colors.










They are about $5 per roll and you effectively mark miles of trails with one roll. Just pull off a section and tie to an adjacent limb, branch, or trunk.










At the end of the season or closure of the trail, you just ride the trail and pull off the tape.

Another way is to use natural materials if you have them available. Think rock cairns.










Gives the user a great and interesting point of reference. Used well, it adds a huge amount of character to the trail. Again, at the end of the season, they are very easy to remove if desired.


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

Whoops. Did not want to misinform. I did not know that people are still marking with paint directly on trees. I thought, at least for mountain biking, that this was frowned upon. (And I think that is right.) It can be maybe one of the least obtrusive marking methods, only that it remains on tree if a trail is moved, and, at least personally, I don't like painting trees.

As for being old/tradition; well, old things are not always good things. I'm glad I have my current mountain bike rather than my 1986 Stumpjumper. Heheheheh.

So, tree painting is still used by a good percentage to mark MTB trails??



mbmtb said:


> that's a mediocre painted blaze. they should have very rectangular corners, and possibly the bark shaved a bit... but looking it up did lead to this wikipedia article:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_blazing
> 
> (this is not amateur at all. it's the descendent of one of the oldest ways to mark a route.)


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## snowkraft (Apr 12, 2015)

LaXCarp: That is a good idea. Thanks!!

bankerboy: Thanks for the ideas. Actually I think flagging tape may be what I use, as that is so much quicker. Cairns are a good idea I had not though of. Maybe they could be my permanent markers. I have LOTS of stone!! Maybe paint the top stone of the cairn the trail color??


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

rock cairns are pretty lame idea 

you change so much of the natural enviornment (picking up rocks, salamander and critter homes) and then go build some monument to mans arrogance, an unnatural tower in an otherwise natural vista.

stick to flags, signs, paint marks...yes unnatural but also not a pretentious wannabe art form either. it's a marker, does one job.

cairns are overkill, disturb too much, and junk up the view IMHO

I used to see these only when hiking high mountains...now they are everywhere and really quite boring and lame and 'OH look what man-ape-artist can do with rocks' LAME

just put up a sign or standard marker like everyone else has done for ages and
get off your high horse with the cairns. they are only good on high mountain passes where going lost off trail results in death


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

snowkraft said:


> So, tree painting is still used by a good percentage to mark MTB trails??


I haven't seen it lately. Last I saw it normally used was mid 90's, and things change. for the better. And I would still ride a 86 stumpy, just not on the same stuff I ride my 29er on.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

paint blazes are more common on hiking trails than on mtb trails.

Especially for long distance routes. Paint is cheap, easy to apply, and there are recognized standards for indicating direction. It also does not carry the same risk of being vandalized as "official" markers have. Vandalizing trail signs seems to be a major hobby in some places. But you do have to go back periodically to re-paint them as the paint fades, and trees fall. 

It does limit the amount of information you can convey. No trail names. No difficulty ratings. No allowable uses. And that's the major reason why most mtb trails nowadays get more detailed signage. For your temporary use, though, paint would be fine. Also the printed/laminated signs would be a good idea.


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## OFFcourse (Aug 11, 2011)

Don't paint trees FFS! Buy a router some timber and paint the routed out area when your done.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

OFFcourse said:


> Don't paint trees FFS! Buy a router some timber and paint the routed out area when your done.


trails are still blazed today with paint on trees. it is an acceptable way to blaze trail and doesn't hurt the tree

and it is documented way to blaze trail by many states state park systems and surveying. in fact tree is preferable, then if no tree available, rocks. in fact in some states (penn) if you cannot blaze a tree, you need permission to blaze something else. no permission to blaze a tree


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## radair (Dec 19, 2002)

Paint blazes and rock cairns are very common and widely used in the east.

I am also planning to harvest some Black Locust for posts.


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## OFFcourse (Aug 11, 2011)

Well the USA really do lead the world in stupidity so carry on


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

OFFcourse said:


> Well the USA really do lead the world in stupidity so carry on


but at least its AWESOME STUPIDITY!!!.


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## mbmtb (Nov 28, 2013)

blazes are indeed very rare on the west coast of the usa. and becoming rarer in the east.

but they are very common in europe!


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