Oregon Hikers

nice pictures, yeah, great views

maybe it has something to do with motor cycles? But they're not normally so regular.

Decorative or functional? Hard to say what the stacker intended.
Elevator shaft at sunrise.

I kind of liked this one at Mt. Rainier:

It's been so long since I spotted an interesting cairn, I had to seek Google's help to locate this thread!

"Your message contains too few characters."

TJ_T wrote: ↑

June 19th, 2016, 10:30 am

We all have our reasons for enjoying the outdoors. Some people like to stack the rocks to pass time, as a form of meditation, or to get connected to their environment. I get it.

As a photographer, I like to photograph places in their natural state without signs of humans if at all possible. Thus, these things kind of ruin my experience and the way I enjoy the outdoors. Who are people to decide that they can impact my experience in that way? Thusly.. I knock them over.

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

I get this completely. However I don't mind them for route finding in areas that lack a boot path or areas that you can get into trouble fast. I'd say it's rare that they are 'needed' for such purpose, but they are nice to have especially if there are fall patterns that will end not so well if one has a misstep. Usually this would be in off trail situations. Oddly I found a big rock pile for no purpose other than just to have a flat spot to camp on my way up snowdome/langile. Puzzling because there were plenty of other areas one could camp at up there that wouldn't require modification of the landscape. Luckily you wouldn't see it til you get right to it as it's among the small pine trees up there, but it was confusing to me that someone wasn't just content taking in the view and letting things be.

Essentially by creating these unnecessarily, you're having someone else's presence imposed on you in an useless way. So then it becomes a matter of taste: Are these rock things beautiful? That being a subjective question will lead to a continued discussion/debate. You could go down the rabbit hole of post modern art vs. beauty, and how one took over the other in the art world, and is now "in."

Personally I prefer to not impose my being on other future visitors, unless there's some possible danger to warn such as a bees nest, wrong way, cliffs/drop offs, etc. So in my book it's just a polite form of graffiti unless it's again, for route finding or has some meaningful/tangible use for other future hikers that are there to Hike/climb.

Same book: bumper stickers. Imposing on others just trying to get to their jobs each day....

found while exploring an abandoned road

I recently hiked in the Monument Rock Wilderness and the attached picture is the cairn on top of the peak that the wilderness is named for. In the background is Bullrun Rock which we also visited. I hope no one kicks that big old historic cairn over.

Ridge of Wonders, Mt Adams

You wouldn't guess from this pic, but this was a beautiful viewpoint on a beautiful peak. I know it doesn't look like much here. I suspect there was a lookout.