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Lost 6 hours of hiking time last week on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia
Went out for a 3 day trip on the AT near Roanoke. Tried a new route I found on some blog. Big mistake. The trail markers were faded or totally missing in 4 different spots. Spent 6 hours just trying to figure out where I was. My phone GPS barely worked in the valleys. Ended up camping way off trail at 8pm. Has anyone else dealt with crappy markings on the AT south of Daleville?
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faitha404mo ago
Heard from a hiking buddy that the AT Conservancy has been short on volunteers for trail maintenance south of Daleville, which would explain the faded markers. That whole section near the James River is notorious for spots where the blazes just vanish after a rain. You're not the first person I've seen mention this issue, seems like a few forums are talking about it lately.
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rowannelson4mo ago
Wow yeah I gotta admit I was kind of skeptical when people first started bringing this up. I hiked through there two years ago and honestly thought it was just a fluke or bad weather. But seeing more and more folks say the same thing makes me think it's actually a real problem with volunteer turnout down there. That section near the James is already confusing enough with all the side trails and creek crossings, faded blazes would be a nightmare. Kinda makes me want to reach out to the local club and see if they need help before things get worse.
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