A "No" Cairn

[Above_Treeline]

I was thinking about it, and I had an idea. Cairns seem to be accepted more than signs, why not have a "No" cairn? A specific shape that means "don't go there."

Cairns seem to be more acceptable to people. I don't particularly mind a few signs myself, but I do worry about, if you put one up here, will it lead to more? Which I wouldn't like, if there were too many.

Maybe put up 3 cairns really close together or something?

[justiner]

Well, that's the problem with carins, right? They're open to interpretation - is this the way I'm supposed to go, or not? (Probably where I'm supposed to go, but...). But I also build cairns to cache gear, then dismantle them when I'm done. Cairns also get modified by those passing them - built up if they're useful, or broken down, if they're misleading (but that's subjective, right?). I would assume having a lexicon of cairns would not work, as they would just break down into what other cairns are "meant" to communicate. Then you've got the problem of backwards compatibility, right? Maybe there's 3 cairns close to each other already in an area? Do they mean, "no", now, or do they mean, "yes" still, and I have to know the history of the cairns? I've seen some wacky cairn zoos out there - 3 or 4 within ten feet? I think people stop at cairns when they're waiting for a partner, and just start constructing them because it's fun, and they're bored.

I don't think cairn building is the greatest of ideas to do, unless you're somehow officiated in making the route. Like those enormous cairns you see through talus on say, the approach to Pyramid. They're there for a specific reason, and by the CFI. The cairns *in* the actual route, where all the scrambly bits are? It's just random people's opinions. You gotta make your own judgement call.

[Above_Treeline]

It wouldn't be an airtight solution, but if we could come up with a shape, and there was a certain shape of cairn at the dangerous spot, say on Capitol, it might help.

I think one of the accidents on Capitol, the guy tried to talk his buddy out of going. If there's a cairn there, maybe the guy is more likely to listen.

It would be a lot less likely, but people might miss a sign, too. Nothing is 100%

[12ersRule]

No Cairn

nonono.jpg (42.23 KiB) Viewed 1985 times

[RockyMountainMustang]

or like a giant f***ing X

because nobody likes their ex.

[JQDivide]

Nope.... people are trained to "go to" cairns.... cairns mark the 'way'....
It would be entire new learning process to teach a new system with cairns.
I don't see that happening.
And what happens when someone alters a "no" cairn, by mistake or on purpose, then you're back where you started.

JQ

[XterraRob]

A wall

[SkaredShtles]

We need a cairn that looks like this:

[RockiesAdrian]

A wall

Yup. This is pretty much SOP for CFI. Where there is an obvious trail, you put a wall where you don't want hikers going off it. Of course that can backfire if you're on the other side looking to find your way back onto the trail...

[mr_Chris]

[painless4u2]

Maybe a Gandalf Cairn would do.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS.jpg (867.4 KiB) Viewed 1779 times

[rmattas]

God bless you guys for taking the initiative…humor and all...