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Trail signs - Poor examples

4.8K views 47 replies 18 participants last post by  SGPopp  
#1 ·
My education group is hosting a trail signing workshop at the AWSC workshop this fall. I'm looking for any photos of poor signing examples.
I attached one as an example of how not to sign an intersection. Any photos or examples would be appreciated!
I'm putting together a power point for this.
It should be an interesting workshop since I'm sure there will be many points of view. We are basing it off the current WI DNR trail signing booklet. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/sites/default/files/topic/Aid/grants/CF0023.pdf
 

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#2 ·
I have one to take note on. If the trail is elevated abruptly above the road it's crossing a stop sign isn't enough. You should have a stop sign ahead sign before hand as a safety net.

One time me and my wife were cruising along a field trail at a decent pace. All of a sudden I see a drop off and a road, I tried to slow down, but I wasn't going to happen in time, I had to throttle to keep the front end up while I accidentally jumped the road. My wife did the same thing. I had no idea a road was coming up, because the stop sign was missing. Luckily no cars were there either or else we would have been toast. No stop sign ahead either. If the stop sign ahead was there we would know it was coming. I looked for the stop sign and couldn't find it.

Luckily when I was jumping to road I had my hand up waving frantically because there was a fast group behind us and I knew it. They had time to stop. Otherwise they probably would have been jumping the road too. My guess is the sign fell in the snow or it was taken by some Ahole.
 
#14 ·
I have one to take note on. If the trail is elevated abruptly above the road it's crossing a stop sign isn't enough. You should have a stop sign ahead sign before hand as a safety net.

One time me and my wife were cruising along a field trail at a decent pace. All of a sudden I see a drop off and a road, I tried to slow down, but I wasn't going to happen in time, I had to throttle to keep the front end up while I accidentally jumped the road. My wife did the same thing. I had no idea a road was coming up, because the stop sign was missing. Luckily no cars were there either or else we would have been toast. No stop sign ahead either. If the stop sign ahead was there we would know it was coming. I looked for the stop sign and couldn't find it.

Luckily when I was jumping to road I had my hand up waving frantically because there was a fast group behind us and I knew it. They had time to stop. Otherwise they probably would have been jumping the road too. My guess is the sign fell in the snow or it was taken by some Ahole.
Good thoughts, I'll bring it up!
 
#5 · (Edited)
I would stress the point to the members who do the trail signing to be of the mindset, that there may be some newbies to the sport riding the trail system who dont have a clue where anything is...Gas...Gas...Gas SIGNAGE is extremely important...Also mileage guesstimates between towns,bars,ect...Laptops mounted on sleds with GPS are good...BUT...Having an old school paper map with ALL the advertisements for the local establishments and emergency phone numbers is still crucial...imo...
 
#10 · (Edited)
Imagine those 3 fields after a blizzard and your a newbie to the sport, and you have NO IDEA where to go next, if there are NO previous sled tracks to follow...Also...NONE of those fields are in compliance with the WiDNR mandated sign policy...Unfortunately even the DNR handbook pdf is laughably incomplete in their depiction of open field signing on page 19...They never gave a suggested distance between signs that should be on BOTH sides of the trail...lol
 
#13 ·
Imagine those 3 fields after a blizzard and your a newbie to the sport, and you have NO IDEA where to go next, if there are NO previous sled tracks to follow...Also...NONE of those fields are in compliance with the WiDNR mandated sign policy...Unfortunately even the DNR handbook pdf is laughably incomplete in their depiction of open field signing on page 17...They never gave a suggested distance between signs that should be on BOTH sides of the trail...lol
Thanks for the pics! I'll use them.
Was that your late season Adams run 2 year ago?

Indeed! I think we've all been in that situation before. As us volunteers marking, there's always that fine line of too little for marking. Been pounding stakes the last 3 days into somewhat frozen ground, and you are at the final field, and I just want to go home! Shoulders and elbows are just beat... And you have no one else to help....

I feel the old guard will have some pretty constructive feedback on that handbook during the workshops.
If anyone is interested, you should come to the fall workshop at Wilderness in WI Dells. There are always some good workshops AWSC puts on. 10/26.
My wife is helping with the pre-KAOS kids workshop.

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#11 ·
Almost any OFSC trail in Ontario could be classified as poor signage ever since OFSC decided to rely upon a useles phone app. No service at intersection, no signs telling me where I am or where to go. Too many days I've backtracked myself home because phone died, or had no signal and couldn't risk going forward.
What happened to the numbers at EVERY intersection that corresponded to what was on paper trail map? Why was this not brought forward when they went high tech?
 
#37 ·
I agree! Also I find that hazzzards aren't marked correctly, such as sharp turns or abrupt elevation changes ( or both). Sometimes there will be a " slow " sign.. ok, but why? And how slow?
There is one trail not far from me, just about everyone I know has sent their sled into the rhubarb.. you come off a straight, crest a down hill then realize that the there is a 90* corner once you start decending.

I'd appreciate if signs were a little bigger too.
 
#22 ·
Again I have to really stress the importance of the old school paper maps...If your a newbie out for a ride with wifey and the kids, and the kids are hungry. Do you really want to bring them into this place...Nope no food...but right on the trail...lol...Yep, I been going there on and off since 1970...lol
 
#27 · (Edited)
Agree totally!
Try Ontario trails sometime. I live in a rural farm area with lots of wide open fields that can go on for miles, but if it has any hills or sharp turns in those speed zones, the only warning of an impending danger is a yellow SLOW sign 100yd ahead of a danger. No corner sign, no hidden intersection, hill drop off, nothing. Just a slow sign 100yd ahead. At today's sled's speeds, how many yards does it take to slow down for an unknown danger that you're not sure how to prepare for.
And don't even get me started on "Stop Ahead" signs placed only 50yd ahead of stop signs. Real fun on long straight trail at night.

Hate to sound so negative, but ever since OFSC decided to depend on their terrible phone app, signage has went for a crap in Ontario. And I know because I was out staking and setting those signs for over 15yr. I can remember riding in 90's to somewhere around 2015 and never getting lost, putting on 2-300mi a day with nothing but a paper map. EVERY intersection on OFSC trails had a designated number that corresponded to that regions trail map. Even if the intersection had no destination signs, you knew where you were and could plan a route. Signs warned you ahead of turns in trail whether left or right, warned of steep hills, had divided double width trails on blind hills, but not now. Signage is minimum with majority being speed limit, stop signs, or stay on trail. No warnings.
And app is a pain. Shows trails closed when open, doesn't work if cell service is poor, and forget it if you don't have a data plan, or small one. At least 10 times in last two real seasons I have had to cut my day short because phone died in unknown area, and I was forced to backtrack to base to avoid potentially ending up too far from base to make it back because I went wrong direction without map or app.
 
#33 ·
Ride all the time now with a Garmin, and will have 7S on new sled. Never afraid of trying new area when I have the dedicated GPS unit. If trails run out, can still use roads to navigate, and no such thing as no coverage. TrakMaps was great for Ontario, but OFSC discontinued support. Still used it last season in QC and when we could in Ontario, just old version in ON. Hopefully RideCommand works almost as well.
 
#35 · (Edited)
I tell people all the time my 7S has changed the way I ride. I absolutely hate having to figure out trail signage and I'm more confident in where I'm going. I became convinced that GPS was the answer quite a few years ago when I got turned around riding with my wife and kids. I ended up taking a trail that wasn't open yet and closed for muzzle loader season. I didn't know it was closed at the time. I'm pretty good with figuring things out but there weren't the typical groomer marks and some of the intersections were a little tough, but I managed. At one point the trail followed a stretch of road for about a mile then dove back into the woods. I couldn't find where it turned into the woods. I went back and forth what seemed like 20 minutes. Eventually, I made a decision on the most logical point. Everything worked out but it was nerve wracking. My wife was getting nervous, the kids were young, it was getting darker, etc. When I got home that week, I dug up an old Garmin GPS I used in a car from years before. I installed a 12V power point and kept the GPS in the bag. I figured at the very least I could follow roads to a safe point if something ever happened. Haven't ridden without a GPS since.
 
#38 ·
Yep.See them all the time Gypsy. There are three hills within 10mi of my home that are blind hills. You know,up one steep side, then down opposite steep side, in the middle of long straight fields, Ther are no warning signs that you are approaching what amounts to a very large ski jump. And to make it worse, trail builder has decided every year to not continue straight over brow, but curve it slightly, so that one rider is jumping across opposite lane from one direction, and rider from other direction is heading into rheubarb
 
#41 ·
Here's a few from 9/2/2024

For the last pic.. there's supposed to be a stop sign there, it's the Logging Truck entrance/exit at a Sawmill in Radisson, used to be 1 there for years, now gone for over a year. You can see a Stop sign there going West but not East.
 

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#44 ·
Last season, I rode in Maine, for the first time. The scenery was epic, the grooming was real good, lodging was great, food was great, all of the locals were friendly and helpful, and the signage was the worst that I have ever experienced.