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Got lost on the Appalachian Trail last month because I followed a deer path for 3 miles
I was so sure the orange blazes were just faded that I ended up bushwhacking through rhododendron tunnels before my GPS showed me way off course. Has anyone else been tricked by a game trail that looked way too official?
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thomas.cameron21d ago
That deer path probably looked more official than some of the actual trail markers I've seen out there. I once followed what I thought was a blue blaze for about half an hour before realizing it was just a piece of trash someone had tied to a branch.
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king.aaron20d ago
Respectfully disagree with you @thomas.cameron. I've seen plenty of deer paths that look nothing like a real trail, they're usually overgrown and end at a thicket. That trash-tied-to-a-branch thing is on you for not looking closer, not on the trail markers. Most established trails have clear blazes every 50 feet or so, and the ones that don't usually have signs or cairns to keep you on track. I've hiked over 500 miles on the AT and never had that issue, but I also keep my eyes open instead of staring at my feet. Sounds like you just got careless and blamed the trail for it.
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