The word”cairn” originates from the Scottish Gaelic meaning stone man. It can conjure images of faith, purpose, and an experience of spirituality. In the backcountry, making cairns is a popular pastime and it’s not difficult to understand why people feel drawn to these sweet little stacks of flat rocks which are positioned like child’s building blocks. A hiker suffering from http://cairnspotter.com/generated-post-3/ stiff shoulders and black insects buzzing around her ears will try to select a stone that is the perfect combination of flatness wide, tilt, width, and depth. After a few close misses (one that’s too wide or too small), the purist will choose the one that’s perfectly in place, and the subsequent layer of the cairn will be complete.
Many people don’t realize that cairn building can cause environmental harm particularly when it is done near water sources. When rock is removed from the shore of a pond, river or lake, it erodes the ecosystem and degrades the habitat of microorganisms that feed the food chain. The rocks could be swept away from the edge of a river, pond or lake by erosion, and end up in places where they may harm wildlife or humans.
Cairn construction should be avoided in areas that are home to rare or endangered reptiles, mammals amphibians, plants, or other species or where the water is trapped beneath the rocks. If you build your cairn in private land it could be in violation of state and federal regulations protecting the land’s natural resources. This could result in fines, or even arrest.
