Interesting Cairn!

[Guy]

If there's just one or two they may add to experience, but I can understand when it's just too many.

What, you mean like this?

[romann]

That beats the ones I thought about by a dozen (or two)

If there's just one or two they may add to experience, but I can understand when it's just too many.

What, you mean like this?

[adamschneider]

That beats the ones I thought about by a dozen (or two)

And those are just the ones I fit into the frame!

(FYI, that was at Hanakapi'ai Beach, in case anyone feels the urge to do some kicking.)

[drm]

I'm fine with people building them. Just knock them over before you leave. Leave no trace, know what I mean?

We've had some artistic efforts posted here, but by far the reason for constructing cairns is to mark a non-trail route. So knocking over your own cairn would be pointless. Even for the artists among us, I'm guessing that they want people to see their art.

Wilderness in part means no human structures, with exceptions for some historic buildings. So a cairn a structure? Is a trail sign a structure? Some wilderness advocates, including some rangers, want less signage in wilderness. I guess part of this is how we define wilderness and how wild we really want it to be.

[-Q-]

I'm fine with people building them. Just knock them over before you leave. Leave no trace, know what I mean?

We've had some artistic efforts posted here, but by far the reason for constructing cairns is to mark a non-trail route. So knocking over your own cairn would be pointless. Even for the artists among us, I'm guessing that they want people to see their art.

Wilderness in part means no human structures, with exceptions for some historic buildings. So a cairn a structure? Is a trail sign a structure? Some wilderness advocates, including some rangers, want less signage in wilderness. I guess part of this is how we define wilderness and how wild we really want it to be.

Signs and cairns marking a route are good. I advocate for them, even in Wilderness.

Artsy cairns are what they are. I don't mind them. Some are cool.

Thankfully, artsy cairns are temporary. This is mainly why I don't mind them. They won't last the test of time.

Temporary art... Something that nitwit from San Diego simply didn't grasp

[5th]

Signs and cairns marking a route are good. I advocate for them, even in Wilderness.

Artsy cairns are what they are. I don't mind them. Some are cool.

Thankfully, artsy cairns are temporary. This is mainly why I don't mind them. They won't last the test of time.

Temporary art... Something that nitwit from San Diego simply didn't grasp

This is my perspective as well. Go ahead and kick over the arty ones if you feel the need. I likely won't. Just be sure that what you are kicking over is for art and not for navigation.

Also, try not to kick over anything that may have been placed before you were born. These are the only ones I consider to be untouchable and irreplaceable.

[Guy]

A much more subdued (& IMHO sensible) attitude to Cairns here from both sides compared to the same debate on the Facebook Portland Hikers Site, that normally ends up getting down right nasty!

[texasbb]

Also, try not to kick over anything that may have been placed before you were born. These are the only ones I consider to be untouchable and irreplaceable.

How do you know when I was born?

Wilderness in part means no human structures, with exceptions for some historic buildings. So a cairn a structure? Is a trail sign a structure? Some wilderness advocates, including some rangers, want less signage in wilderness. I guess part of this is how we define wilderness and how wild we really want it to be.

(Emphasis added.)

I agree. My view is that the most important purpose of Wilderness (capital 'W') is for humans' experience, enlightenment, and enjoyment. So I am vehemently opposed to any management system that tries to keep us out. Problem is, we're all different and need different buttons pushed to stimulate our enlightenment and enjoyment. I hate anything that busts my wilderness bubble---even seeing distant roads and civilization from the top of a peak or pass kind of sullies the experience for me---so I tend to want to nuke all goofball, er, artistic cairns.

Navigational cairns? I can go either way. If they're really needed to facilitate people experiencing the wilderness, okay. If not, which I think is usually the case, those deserve the nuclear boot as well.

[Webfoot]

Okay, that's a different sorry. Those show little artistry and seem like a form of clutter. I am talking about things like this:

Having never seen one this fancy in person I would like to slap anyone who would kick this over:

[texasbb]

Having never seen one this fancy in person I would like to slap anyone who would kick this over:

gravity-glue-art-rock-balancing-3.jpg

Depends entirely on where it is.