A cairn is a heap or stack of stones along the path letting the hiker know he or she is still on the path. It works like a color-coded blaze on trees through the forest, except that cairn are most useful above the tree line – where there are few trees to emblazon and bedrock makes it impossible to implant a signpost – or across a creek bed, indicating where the trail fords the water.
Cairn is also the title of my newest book, released in July. It is a collection of poems and essays which you can read more about by clicking on the “Books, Poems, and Events” page.