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.
Various cultures have used cairns for many purposes throughout history. They may have been used to mark out a route, to indicate food sources, or to warn people of danger. In North America, Native American peoples also used cairns as burial sites, a practice called inukshuk.
The word cairn comes from a Gaelic http://cairnspotter.com/can-vdr-software-be-used-as-an-accounting-software term that means “heap of stones.” They are usually built in the form of a hill of rock. The size of these man-made hills can vary from small rock carvings to large, man-made hills. Some of them are similar to kistvaens (ephemeral earthworks) and dolmens (ephemeral stoneworks).
Cairns can be used in many different ways by hikers. Cairns are used to guide hikers from the trailhead to their starting point after a long and tiring day of hiking. They can also be used to help them find a way through remote wilderness areas.
A well placed cairn could save lives and guide a group hikers who get lost or are having difficulty finding the trail. Some people believe that cairns violate Leave No Trace principles and are not a part of nature.