[pct-l] JMT map pack...
Gary Wright
gwtmp01 at mac.com
Wed Dec 19 15:25:42 CST 2007
On Dec 19, 2007, at 2:55 PM, jeffreyn wrote:
> If you're hiking the JMT, it's a fine set. It's got useful
> annotations,
> such as major trail junctions and mileage. It's a good compromise
> between
> size and detail. You can fill in details from a number of guidebooks.
> OTOH, it can be said there's almost no need on the JMT for maps, as
> the
> trail is for the most part obvious (Stephen Ambrose notes, in
> "Undaunted
> Courage," that the locals told Lewis and Clark a trail back to the
> plains
> was so obvious "even a white man could find it."). The maps are on a
> plasticized paper, so rather durable and quite water-proof, yet
> will take
> ink markings well. YOU get to decide about the trade-off between
> weight
> and the need for information.
You'll want a map if:
the trail is covered in snow
the trail junction isn't marked
you missed the trail junction
you are injured or sick and need an alternate route
I'm a big fan of 'hike your own hike' but it seem that hikers without
maps often end up utilizing the maps carried by *other* hikers. I
would never deny hikers access to maps that I was carrying but it
does bother me a bit when this happens.
I've also been in several situations where one person in a group
had a map and others didn't have a map, and even worse, didn't
bother to familiarize themselves about the upcoming route with the
one map they did have.
What happens when the group gets separated, even for just a short
distance, right near a trail junction? What happens when someone
gets hurt and the group has to split up to send someone for help?
Hike fast, hike slow, heavy, or light. But please, carry a map.
Radar
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