Good trail marking is absolutely crucial to the true success of an enduro for two primary reasons. First and foremost is the safety of the contestants in the event. The purpose of markings on the trail is not just simply to show the rider which way to go but also to alert him or her to dangerous spots that will be encountered. This, of course, should be done in such a way as to give the rider time to react to the situation. If a rider is injured during an event, it should always be because HE goofed, never because the club failed to place a danger marker where it was really needed.

Secondly, will the entrants have fun while riding the event? An enduro can be truly enjoyable only if it is well marked. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to follow a poorly marked trail. Conversely, a well-marked trail is a joy to ride and the pleasure of competing in that event is increased many times over.

We keep talking about "good trail marking", but what does it take to capture that elusive critter? Just what constitutes a "well-marked" trail? Again, there are many things that contribute to the effectiveness of trail marking. Of primary concern should be the visibility of the materials to be used. Careful consideration should be given to the colors selected for arrows, danger markers, and ribbon. There is no one color that is best for all applications. The demands of a woods run certainly differ from that of a more open, desert-type enduro. But even if the color is correct, if the markings are improperly placed, they can be almost useless. We'll have more to say later on about placement of marking materials. Remember VISIBILITY. It doesn't matter how much marking you put up, if it can't be seen, it simply cannot accomplish it's purpose.

Another aspect of trail marking that rates very high on our list of priorities is CONSISTENCY. Strive to maintain the same level and pattern of marking throughout the event. Early in every run, I try to establish a pattern in the way the marking was done. If a pattern does develop and remains consistent, it can be very beneficial to you as the race unfolds. It gets to the point where you can almost FEEL the trail, that you can sense what is coming up. Even though there may be several different crews marking different sections, consistency can still be achieved if enough importance is placed on it. Establish a pattern for workers to follow and stress the need to maintain that pattern from start to finish. Consistency in trail marking. We feel it's value is, many times, grossly-underrated.

This next point is one that probably never crosses the minds of most people as they mark trail. They mark the course at their own level of ability, and that's only natural. They mark the trail as they see it, and in a manner with which they would feel comfortable riding it. But what about the rider who is more skillful? A danger marker 30 feet ahead of the danger may be fine for a "C" rider, but what about that "A" rider who may be approaching that same bad spot at a much greater rate of speed. TSCEC rules call for one arrow before a turn and two at the turn itself. The arrow before the turn is, of course, to give the rider time to set up for the corner. A "B" rider might staple the first arrow where he would need it to be, but a "A" rider might be going twice as fast at that particular spot on the course. The point we are trying to make is, when you are marking trail, keep in mind the fact that there will be people riding that same courseat a greater rate of speed than you are able to. It's really just good common sense.

Probably the single most overlooked factor regarding trail marking is this: EVERY FOOT OF EVERY ENDURO COURSE WILL BE RIDDEN FAST BY SOMEBODY! Sometimes you hear people when they are out marking trail make this statement: "This is strictly a time-keeping section, so it really doesn't have to be marked that well". That is a very dangerous snare to get caught in. Regardless of where it is on the course or how slow the average is, SOMEBODY WILL BE BEHIND. Maybe it was a flat tire, or a fouled plug, or a bottleneck. For whatever reason it may be, somebody will be trying to make up time on every foot of trail you mark. A good rule of thumb would be MARK THE ENTIRE COURSE AS IF IT WERE A TEST SECTION.

Now that we've identified some of the ingredients and thoughts that characterize a well-marked trail perhaps we can provide some tips on how to achieve those goals.

First of all, as we mentioned earlier, the type of terrain on which an enduro is run dictates to a great extent how that enduro will be marked. A woods event calls for many more arrows than a desert-type enduro where ribbon is much more effective, simply because there are few places to put up arrows. However, there are some guidelines that can be helpful in all situations.

In my opinion, arrows MAKE an enduro trail. I don't think that you can use too many arrows. The more the better! The placement of arrows sometimes leaves something to be desired. They should be placed at eye level, or even higher if possible. This helps prevent them from being obscured by dust, or by another rider in front of you. Arrows should be angled to match the sharpness of a turn. When stapling up arrows, look at the turn and try to match the way you point the arrow with the way the trail turns. Only on 90 degree or sharper turns should the arrows be pointing perpendicular to the rider as he approaches. Stick with the one before, two in the turn, and one after method. It really does make a difference. Arrows should be stapled on all four corners to keep them from curling up. Try to avoid placing arrows on something that might be knocked down by someone who over-shot the turn. Arrows should be placed in a manner in which they will lead the contestants along the course, not leave them searching and straining just to find them.

A very effective trail-marking tool, which many times doesn't receive the attention it deserves, is the wrong-way marker. If used correctly, they can do an excellent job of preventing confusion, and the dangerous situation of riders turning around and going back after missing the trail. Wrong-way markers again should be very carefully placed so that they cannot be overlooked. A correctly placed wrong-way marker will PREVENT a rider from missing the trail, not tell him so after he's already done it. In other words, as a rider approaches a spot where the possibility exists of taking the wrong trail, he should be able to see both the correct trail marking, AND the wrong-way marker. All it takes is a little thought, and it's well worth the effort.

Ah yes, the old standby, ribbon. I wish I had a penny for every foot of ribbon that's been used in Texas enduros. This is the most versatile of all our marking tools and can be used in an almost endless number of situations. Basically, ribbon should be tied on the right-hand side of the trail and in strips of at least two feet in length. Be sure and tie ribbon out on the very ends of branches, so that leaves won't hide it. Lace it through the wire on fences, stretch it in front of holes and gullies that are not easily seen, wrap it around low hanging limbs that might behead a rider. On more open type enduros, I feel that you should be able to stop at any point on the trail and be able to see a ribbon behind you and ahead of you. In my experience, day-glow pink works best in all situations. Orange many times blends in with the background and just doesn't stand out as it should. Don't let yourself depend too heavily on ribbon. It's not a miracle-worker and can never replace arrows and danger markers, but it can do a lot to improve the quality of your trail.

Probably the most cussed and discussed markings on the trail are the danger markers. If not judiciously used, danger markers can create more problems than all the others combined. Of course, they should be placed where they are VERY visible. Again, consistency in the placement of danger markers is critical to the safety of those competing, especially the more aggressive riders. If properly applied, they can providethe rider with a "feel" of where, and how bad, the dangerous spot is. There should be marking placed ahead of the danger and right at the dangerous place. The distance of the first marking ahead of the danger should be directly related to the terrain and to the speed at which the rider might be traveling. The rider needs to have time to react and get set up to cope with the obstacle at hand. I also like to see the degree of danger reflected in the number of danger markers used. If I see one pre-danger marker, I like to see one marker at the danger. That means there is something there that I need to notice. If the dangerous spot is a bit worse, then you should see two pre-danger markers together, and two at the danger. That means that there is something there that you are going to need to do something about. If you see three pre-danger markers together, you better start hauling that mother down cause all hell done went and broke loose. Try to use danger markers in a way that will instill confidence in those competing so that they can be aggressive without fear of surprises.

There is more disparity in the way that mileage is posted from enduro to enduro than possibly any other one item. It seems that too many clubs want to try to get by with just the bare minimum when it comes to displaying mileage on the course. I feel that you simply cannot overdo posting mileage on the trail. This can head off many problems before they even have a chance to get started. The more often your mileage is posted, the less likely you will be to have protests in that area. The 5, 10, 15, etc. markers should be large and impossible to miss. But why just do the minimum? It only takes a little more time to place the mileage on an arrow every mile or so, and it really helps make the ride a great deal more enjoyable when you know your odometer is right on the money.

We've rambled on for quite some time now, but it's all been with the sincere hope of perhaps, in some small way, helping to improve the quality of our sport. Thanks for reading, and please ride safely.