Cairn-making is a surprisingly meditative exercise that can bring people closer to the earth. Whether you’re making a traditional rock cairn or a creative stack of rocks, it’s a way to take your mind off the everyday and focus on balance and permanence.
Throughout history, different cultures have used cairns in many ways. They may have served to indicate a route to follow, to indicate the location of food, or to warn about danger. In North America, Native American peoples also used cairns as burial sites, a practice called inukshuk.
The word cairn comes from a Gaelic term that means “heap of stones.” They are usually built in the form of a hill of rock. They range in size from small rock sculptures to large man-made hills of stone, some of which are comparable to kistvaens and dolmens but built of stone rather than http://cairnspotter.com/generated-post-4 ephemeral earthworks.
Cairns serve many purposes, and are particularly useful to hikers. They can guide hikers home after a long day’s hiking, or help them navigate in remote 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.