Just got back from the Sawtooth trail near Stanley and wow the trail markers are awful

I hiked the Alpine Lake loop last Saturday and missed three turnoffs because the wooden posts were faded to nothing. My buddy nearly twisted his ankle on a washed out section that had zero warning signs. Has anyone else had trouble following routes in that area or am I just bad at reading maps?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_west5915d ago

OH COME ON, you can't be SERIOUS. The trail markers are FINE if you actually pay attention. I hiked the Alpine Lake loop three times this summer and never missed a single turnoff, maybe you need to slow down and LOOK instead of rushing through. Those wooden posts are SUPPOSED to be weathered, it adds to the wilderness experience, not every trail needs a giant neon sign like you're at a theme park. The washed out section you mentioned, that's just part of hiking in Idaho, we get heavy rains and trails change, that's why you carry a map and use common sense instead of blaming the lack of warning signs. If you can't handle a little faded wood and natural trail conditions, maybe stick to the paved paths in town.

emery_lopez14d ago

Absolutely agree with you on this. I did the Bear Creek trail last month and got totally turned around because those weathered posts just blend right into the trees. Had to backtrack almost a mile before I figured out where I messed up. So yeah, I feel you, sometimes you just gotta slow down and really look for those things.

parkera2215d ago

You know what, on my first trip up to Fourth of July Lake last year I had the exact same issue. I was following what I thought was the main trail and it just disappeared into a bunch of rocks and fallen trees. Felt like an idiot for twenty minutes before I realized I missed a wooden post that was basically camouflaged against the bark of a pine tree. So I get where you're coming from with the weathered posts being part of the experience, but for someone who's not as familiar with that specific trail it can be a real headache. I started taking a screenshot of the trail map on my phone before I leave cell service, that way I can zoom in on the tricky spots and see where the turnoffs actually are supposed to be. Also started carrying a little orange ribbon in my pack to flag tricky sections for myself if I have to backtrack. Just something that helped me stop blaming the trail markers and start working around them.