This hits a nerve for me. I guess I don't get too upset if a rock here and there becomes a sort of designated signature area, as long as it isn't a culturally or visually significant area. It is sort of like setting a few sand dunes aside for ATV usage. These days we look upon century old graffiti as historically significant. What does bother me are the criminals who vandalize significant areas; especially places with historic rock art, structures, or pristine natural areas. Your photo tells a story for me.
@rvwalker this is a pristine rainforest and this rock near the trail was particularly beautiful in it is natural form. It has surprised me the degree of vandalism occurring within this National Park. Similarly it surprised me in Utah at a significant rock art site people had carved their names into the rock alongside. It is no wonder people are fearful to reveal rock art sites. There is of course some great and witty graffiti out there, but scrawling your initials into nature or damaging a pristine place or archaeological site speaks more about ego. Once a person said to me if you carve your initials on something you are really tying/trapping your spirit to that place. I want mine to be free, but sadly it is was caught by the signing the mortgage.
@peterdegraaff I visited 10 rock art sites on my last trip, Peter, and 9 were vandalized. The one that was OK was totally unpublicized and I was fortunate to learn about it from a local resident. There are quite a few rock art images on my web site, and I have had to clone out grafitti from many of the images before posting them. Hard to understand.
@rvwalker I was lucky to be shown some very unusual and rare archaic sites, which required local knowledge. I also chanced upon a site, which my local authority did not know about. http://365project.org/peterdegraaff/365/2013-06-06 it is sad that many of these places which are in plain sight must be kept secret. It is the same here too
