Partially Obscured Blazes on Murray Hill Road

A report by the Logistics Marshal on the turn missed by several of the top finishers

Early in the morning while driving past the entrance to Murray Hill Estates, I encountered two Challengers on the road. I told them they were 'off course' and they went back to the trail. Later that morning, while at the finish, the first two Challengers arrived, in record time! While questioning them about their route, they said they went all the way down Murray Hill road because there were no double blazes to indicate a trail turn-off. With this, I hurried back to Murray Hill and found Japanese Knotweed obscuring the blazes. But read on and you will see from my pictures more about this problem....

12:28 PM upon arrival at Murray Hill from a distance the pole with the double blazes is totally obscured. My radio operator points in the direction of the trail. The utility pole on the right has a double set of blazes on it, which are hidden by the weeds.

Obscured blazes

Radio operator Steve indicates the direction of the trail. From this closer vantage point the blazes are still behind the weeds...

Obscured blazes still

Now as we come closer we can clearly see the double blaze. Note that at this point we didn't clear the weeds (yet). This is 'as is' when the first Challengers came through.

Obscured blazes now visible

12:33 PM - after removing the Japanese Knotweed.

Blazes unobscured

Map showing the location of the missed turn at mile 22.3 in Section 3 (yellow dots show route down Murray Hill Road)

Map