Trail Marker Blaze System

Trail markers in the state park near campus are 2-inch by 6-inch painted rectangles on trees, white for the main trail and colored for side loops. The system is so simple that it has not changed since the Appalachian Trail Conference standardized it in the 1920s. A single blaze means keep going, a double blaze means a turn is coming, and a triple blaze means the trail ends. Paint fades after about 3 years and volunteers repaint them by hand, and that maintenance cycle means the markers are always slightly different ages and slightly different shades. I've mixed feelings about the simplicity because it works perfectly if you know the system and fails completely if you don't, since there's no legend posted at the trailhead in most parks.