Hiker Graffiti Is Clever, Good-Natured
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When gangs, skaters, and street artists tag buildings or walls, they often do it with boasts, obscenities, or intricate and inscrutable call signs. Not so with hikers — hiking graffiti artists just want to make you smile apparently. Witness the above graffito tag, spotted by map contributor Casey Schreiner in L.A.’s Sycamore Canyon. This hard-bitten street artist chose to go with a whimsical joke, and he didn’t even leave a permanent mark.
This second piece was found at the Sandstone Peak trailhead in Malibu. While slightly edgier because it’s permanent, it still eschews gang signs or crude drawings to instead proclaim goofy love for the outdoors.
Hikers — even when they’re misbehaving, they’re big softies.
— Ted Alvarez
Best Trail Graffiti Ever (Modern Hiker)