New York State Snowmobile Trail Signing Handbook - 21

Staking
In forested areas, following the trail may be a fairly
obvious and straightforward task. However, when
trails cross fields, meadows or other cleared areas,
trail routing may not be at all obvious. Relying on the
groomed track for trail routing is not adequate since
even a well-established trail can be quickly obscured
by a heavy snow fall, heavy snowmobile use and
other factors.
FIGURE 19
Reflective material 4 " from
top of stake, 3 square inches
minimum area
4 "
12 " 80 "
Top 12 " (minimum)
painted. High impact color
recommended
A) Single Stake used to augment an existing fixed objects
such as a fence post. Note the use of a blazer to
provide a second reference point.
that when it is driven into place, a minimum of 30 " of
stake remains visible above the top of the snow with
the reflective material being as close to eye level as
possible. Stake lengths in these snow conditions are
typically 4', 5' or 6'.
FIGURE 20
2 " x 2 " spruce or similar.
Length selected so stake
extends 30 " above average
maximum snow depth
B) Standard two stake configuration leaves no doubt
as to the intended trail routing.
Both snowmobilers and groomer operators
need continuous reference points to navigate the
trail confidently. A simple method of identifying the
trail corridor in open areas is to use stakes or poles
that are mounted into the ground or snow adjacent
to the trail.
STAKES/POLES
In areas where snow depths are low to moderate,
a typical stake is a 2 " x 2 " (minimum) piece of inexpensive
lumber sharpened at one end to allow for
mounting in the ground. A minimum of 12 " at the top
of the stake is painted a color that offers high contrast
to the background, e.g. blaze or fluorescent orange.
This will make the stake more visible during the flat
light conditions that can occur during daylight hours.
At least 3 square inches of reflective material
should be attached on both sides of the stake at
a point 4 " down from the top of the stake. This will
make the stake more visible at night from both directions
of travel. The length of the stake is selected so
21
Figure 19 shows a recommended configuration
of an inexpensive wooden stake. Stakes are driven
into the snow or ground within the sign location window
previously defined in figure 3 (pg. 5). A commercial
post driver is a simple and inexpensive tool that
makes this task much easier.
In areas where snow depths are moderate to
heavy (6'-12'+) it may not be practical to use stakes
that are driven into the ground. Large seasonal snow
depths may dictate the use of plastic fence posts,
PVC tubing or similar commercially manufactured
synthetic products that are mounted in the snowpack
adjacent to the trail. The characteristics of contrasting
color and reflectorization mentioned in the previous
paragraphs apply. The major differences are the typical
lengths of the material, 6'-12', and the necessity
for inspection and occasional readjustment to reflect
changes in snow depth.
DISTANCE BETWEEN
STAKE PAIRS
It is important in open fields that the next pair
should be easily visible at a distance immediately
after passing through a stake pair. Double staking
is the only acceptable staking method for trail
delineation.
New York State Snowmobile Trail Signing Handbook

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