AAA Trip Guides - Start Looking for Cairns

From Scottish-Gaelic origin, Cairns are man made mounds, constructed mostly of rocks.  These rock towers have a long history throughout prehistoric and modern times.  A recent early morning Christmas hike to Mesa Arch, in Canyonlands, Utah, found me waiting for sunrise, and the perfect light.  To keep warm, I wandered the desert-scapes,  on the hunt for all things extraordinary.  These little mounds can be found throughout hiking trails in America, as well as the world.  Big or small, tall or short, cairns give the hiker an ability to keep from straying too far off the beaten path; unless that is actually the intention.  The next time you wander the paths of the world, keep an eye out for the cairns, and maybe leave small rock of your own - a way to let Mother Nature know, "I was here".