Cairn at Deer Mtn, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado 2016  
During many visits to national parks through the years, I've hiked hundreds (if not thousands) of miles.
More than some; definitely less than others -- but I enjoyed every mile.

If you hike, you've certainly seen trail markers along the way.
Sometimes actual wooden signs or posts driven into the ground. Other times, metal or plastic medallions nailed to trees. Or colored 'blazes' (rectangles) painted on tree trunks & boulders. But not every trail has trees -- and not every trailblazer has paint.

A 'cairn' is simply a pile of stones, used as a marker.
It's one of the oldest (and best) methods to mark a trail -- or sometimes to indicate a scenic overlook or point-of-interest. As I've visited National Parks and trails, I couldn't help noticing these cairns over the years. Many times, I'd stand right next to one while taking a photo of a scenic mountain view.

Then one day, I decided to take a picture of the cairn itself.
These stoic stone sentinels, silently steering sightseers, are deserving of recognition too, I decided -- and so this collection was born.


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