Cairns. Very helpful and a good thing -- if reasonable size and placed strategically. But some people hate them and go out of their way to flatten them! Why such angst?

Saw this on another forum that explains it and more:

Edited by ben2world on 03/11/2013 15:11:49 MDT.

Bawhahhah....love it.

"Cairns are litter"

But graffiti isn't vandalism? sheeesh

Dean

Dean,

It's meant to be a joke -- most likely made by software -- and not real graffiti.

Looks like classic AT Shelter graffiti to me.

I thought it was funny.. (as a photoshop thing not for real because I detest graffiti/tagging...)
I grew up seeing cairns.
Two types : directional ones and at the top of a 'mountain'
(between 7000 and 9000 feet,we had the lowest in the area)
Over about 5000 or so feet we mostly just went up without a path so the cairns helped in finding the right direction particularly in bad weather , not unusual for us to be in the clouds.
At the top it was always a bit of a ritual to straighten and tidy the existing cairns.
Apart from those I wish people did not build them particularly when they could lead you off the path but still I am not militant about that.

Isn't that Doug's handwriting?

I recall reading about some large battle in WWII. The writer said the soldiers were bickering about every small thing prior to battle and getting in fights over these petty issues. After the first engagement with the enemy these squabbles ceased.

Daryl:

That will do it too. :)

"After the first engagement with the enemy these squabbles ceased."

There is definitely something to that. We noticed at my old ambulance company that there was a negative relationship between our call volume and the cattiness in the corps room.

I hate it when people knock cairns down

Especially those artistic collections you see grouped together. Someone having fun. So what it's technically inconsistent with leave no trace principals.

no, I'm pretty sure that sign is real, on an outhouse at Isle Royal National park, apparently.

If that's the case, then I find the graffiti both funny -- and shameful.