White Blazes

The long trails in the United States are marked by "White Blazes"   The white blazes are typically 2 inches wide and 6 inches long.  The way the system works is pretty simple, a single blaze is used along the trail to mark the location of the trail and are usually marked every 100 feet or closer.   A double blaze (as shown above) are two blazes with one directly on top of the other and represents an intersection.  It can be a road crossing, the intersection of another trail, a river, etc.   A left turn or right turn is also marked by a double blaze with the top blaze offset either to the right or left.  A blaze to the right of the lower blaze means a right turn and vice versa. 

In addition to white blazes, most trail systems have side trails that are usually marked with a blue blaze.  These can be to water, overlooks, side trails into towns, etc. 

“I find the great thing in this world is, not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Humor for the day - One day there was a rabbit and a snake who were both growing old and could not remember what animal they were.
"OK I'll describe you and then see if you can guess what you are." said the snake.
"That's a good idea." said the rabbit.
"You are white, fluffy, and you have big ears and feet." said the snake.
"Oh good, I'm a rabbit! So the rabbit says, "You are long, slim, and have a forked tongue."
"Oh NO, I'm a lawyer!