[pct-l] Follow-up to the earlier GPS discussion

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On May 21, 2010, at 2:25 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> That?s the problem on the PCT:  Walking and trail-finding is super  
> easy for
> miles ? hundreds of miles ? at a time.  As a result, it?s easy to  
> become
> situationally disconnected from one?s progress on the map

That's the best description of my experience trying to use maps. I  
started to feel like maybe I didn't have any idea how to use maps  
anymore. I almost never had to look at the maps. So when I did, they  
were nearly useless because I had no idea where to begin looking for  
my location. Even in the snowy Sierras when we had been using maps.

We had been using a really nice Green Trail Map to find our way. It  
was very helpful as we traveled on top of snow. Soon we descended out  
of the snow into more forested realms. We followed the nice wide  
trail for a long time and did not look at the green trail map again.

The following morning, I set off ahead of everyone. I climbed into  
snow again and eventually I could not find my way. There was a post  
with directions but it was pointing the way I had just come and  
calling that North. My maps were useless because I had the little  
guide book maps. I never could figure those out. They are all out of  
order in the book and too small to be of much use. The description  
didn't help much because it mentioned a dirt road and I could see one  
but no way in hell was I going to risk my life trying to hike on it  
when it was covered in vertical snowfields.

All I knew was where North was and that there was an east-west road  
coming up. So over I go cross country down a large canyon. Eventually  
I find a trail. Eventually a lake. Faint foot prints. Then people. I  
knew by the time I saw the lake that I'd gone the wrong way but I  
figured out what lake it was by the shape so knew where I was. I  
found my way to the east-west road and back to my friends.

As an aside, at one point we were unsure of the direction, we were in  
deep forest and off trail due to looking for safe stream crossings  
and at that time, it was the guide book description that saved our  
butts. We found a dismantled bridge mentioned in the guide book  
described as one we would cross and from there deduced the way to  
where the bridge had been prior to its dismantling and found the  
trail again.

I believe it's good to have a lot of tools in your box. And when you  
are stupid, like perhaps I am, or when they fail to help you, then a  
great tool to have is to just not panic and use some horse sense. You  
are not guaranteed to die or be rescued just because you aren't  
following a path.

Books I've written:
~ Piper's Flight
~ Adventure and Magic
~ Santa Barbara Hikes
http://stores.lulu.com/dianesoini