flagging

[mountainsandsound]

To whomever liberally flagged the 4th of July Pass trail in NCNP with blue survey tape:

 

You forgot to grab it on your way back. I took it down for you today.

 

PS: Try thinking of other things to mark the way that are either part of the landscape or quickly biodegradable.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Nater

[keenwesh]

haha I just went on a short hike in the boundary waters of northern minnesota with my grandfather on a trail he built, he flagged it every 15 feet and was freely giving me info about the benefits of flagging. I kept my mouth shut but I'm with you in that trails don't need fluorescent orange plastic markers as lining. Good work pulling that shit down.

[ivan]

maybe they went in winter and were eaten by an abominable snowman?

[G-spotter]

the only flags i support are the black and red

[mountainsandsound]

I assumed they were climbing Ruby Mountain over the winter. I hadn't thought about the snowman part, I thought they were gentle scavengers. Maybe they fell into a tree well and the snowman finished them off.

 

I admit I am a total Ranger Dick about flagging. I tear it down wherever I see it. There are so many other options that don't involve obnoxious litter in a wilderness area. Climbers are a resourceful lot, there are other ways if you use your brain. I have yet to hear a good excuse for plastic survey tape.

 

OK, done venting for now.

[olyclimber]

I once spent a summer flagging the hell out of the forest for DNR timber sales. good times.

[mountainsandsound]

I too flagged for work. The location of salmon redds along streams during spawner surveys. I might go to hell for that.

[Jim]

You can easily get the cellulose based flagging these days that is biodegradable and edible. Well maybe not for you. I've had the bears and elk munch away in the past. Now, generally use GPS in the field except where topo and canopy don't allow it.

[rob]

The only people I know that bother flagging stuff are the SAR guys. They flag everything.

[jjd]

And here I thought this post was about this:

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flagging

 

[pu]

Come on over and do some of the back country stuff in North Idaho. You'll appreciate some of the flagging.

 

One nice thing about flagging is it will help keep folks moving in generally the same direction.

 

I agree that it is litter though.

 

 

[Pete_H]

You've obviously never spent much time in the NCNP. Flagging isn't exactly eco friendly but its not like the NPS or FS are exactly building a lot of new trails right now.

[G-spotter]

Will you build a trail of flagging to the best place to have a NCNP-ranger friendly devils club BBQ bonfire?

[Ed_Hobbick]

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

 

There are more aesthetic ways of marking trails than those flags, but there are no cheaper ways.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Ed_Hobbick

[rob]

I just use orange spray paint, instead.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I just use orange spray paint, instead.

 

bolt it, sporto!!

 

[G-spotter]

I combined your advice and use bolts spraypainted orange. Makes them easy to find.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I combined your advice and use bolts spraypainted orange. Makes them easy to find.

 

Hang BLTs off of them - even easier to find!

 

[mountainsandsound]

There was a little bit of red mixed in with the blue. So at least it was patriotic flagging, the most appropriate for a trail to 4th of July pass.

 

Had it been red and white, I would have started to think the Canadians are trying to annex NCNP like they are Bellingham.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Nater