Took me 4 hours to find a creek crossing that wasn't washed out on the Appalachian Trail last summer

3 comments

3 Comments

Honestly that sounds like part of the fun to me. Half the reason I hike is figuring out stupid little puzzles like that, makes the trip feel less like a walk in the park.

claire_ramirez2mo ago

Hold up @morgan.logan, I gotta push back a little here. Getting lost because a trail marker is basically a riddle isn't "fun" to me, it's a headache waiting to happen. You can have your adventure, but telling newbies this is part of the experience is kinda reckless if they don't have the gear or know-how to backtrack. One wrong turn and suddenly your "puzzle" turns into a real problem with a dying phone battery and no service. I get that you like the challenge, but let's not pretend every unclear trail is some cute brain teaser instead of just bad planning by whoever put the sign up.

miam7528d ago

Oh great, so now I need a degree in interpretive dance to follow a trail marker? That's exactly what I want after driving two hours to get some fresh air - a treasure hunt with my anxiety. In my experience, the "puzzle" stops being fun real fast when you're standing in the dark with a flashlight that's dying and no clue which way is back to the car. Bad signage isn't a personality test, it's just someone being lazy with a hammer and some nails. Next thing you know, people will be calling getting a flat tire a "charming roadside challenge.