Use of Ribbons on the Trail

Use of Ribbons on the Trail

Posted to OHE on 12 April 2004 by Jay Feldman

As most of you know, HTMC uses trail ribbons for our hikes. Traditionally, the Hike Coordinator attends the trail clearing and uses that opportunity to hang ribbons and ensure that the trail is accessible. Often ribbons that are placed at the clearing may be gone by the day of the hike, but generally they remain in place for some time, often for years. The club uses either fluorescent orange or pink ribbons, and you will see them hung either singly or in groups of two or three. Each grouping has its own meaning:

ONE RIBBON: Single ribbons indicate the actual trail and often serve as a warning of some danger, such as a head-cracking low branch or foot-tripping snag. Even on long and routine sections of a trail, you may find a seemingly useless ribbon, but it may be there just for reassurance. Ribbons may be hung both high or low and in between, so you are likely to find them at all levels (there is some debate about what is best).

 

TWO RIBBONS: If you see two ribbons tied to the same branch, that is a signal to pay attention and look for a radical change, usually in direction. You should look to the right and left to see if there are ribbons indicating a course change. Two ribbons could also mean that you have reached a point where another trail intersects the one you are on. It's important to keep your eyes open for a double ribbon because if you miss it, there's a good chance you will leave the trail and end up on a different trail that seems perfectly fine (except, of course, no one else on the hike will be on it).

THREE RIBBONS: Three ribbons are tied at the same spot to tell you that you have reached a place to stop. Perhaps it's the lunch spot, the trail's end, or the turn-around point. Whatever the reason, it's time to stop and wait for everyone else to catch up.

Jay