Cairn making is a surprisingly meditative activity that can bring you closer to the earth and your community. It’s a great way for you to get your mind off of the everyday and focus more on balance and permanence.
Throughout the history of mankind, cairns have served many different purposes. They may have been used to mark out a route, to indicate food sources, or to warn people of danger. In North America Native Americans also made cairns to serve as burial places, a tradition known as inukshuk.
The word “cairn”, which is derived from Gaelic, means “heap or pile of stones”. These are usually built to look like a hill. They range in size from small rock sculptures to large man-made hills of stone, some of which are comparable to kistvaens and dolmens but built of stone rather than ephemeral earthworks.
Cairns can be used in many different ways by hikers. Cairns can be used by hikers to return to the trailhead at the end of a long day of hiking or to help them find their way in remote wilderness areas.
A well-placed Cairn can help save lives, and guide a hiker group that is lost or having trouble finding their trail. Some people believe that cairns violate Leave No Trace principles http://cairnspotter.com/generated-post-4 and are not a part of nature.