[pct-l] Navigation. Which Compass skills are needed?

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

> what skills with a compass do you NEED?   ... none.  any 20 ish  
> dollar compass
> will be more than sufficient.  you don't need an expensive  
> orienteering one.

I'm glad somebody other than me said this.

I, too, found no need for anything more than basic map and compass  
skills. Most times I needed to find the trail, a compass wouldn't  
have helped as I was looking for a micro-detail, not a macro one. As  
in when I cross this dirt road, where's the trail on the other side?  
But I do think good maps and a basic compass are good for the High  
Sierra because the snow covers the trail and you end up having to  
just aim for lakes or passes rather than following the trail. I  
thought large maps were better in the Sierras than the 8x11 pages of  
other maps.

I found that at times I was too dumb to listen to maps and ended up  
getting hopelessly lost anyway. A compass or map is only as good as  
the idiot holding it, and I was an idiot twice.

I realize nobody uses the Data book and Wilderness Press Guidebooks  
now that there are Halfmile's maps and all sorts of electronic  
gadgets, but I found the Data book with the guide book to describe  
the data points plus my watch was all the navigation I needed. I  
could time myself to within 5 minutes when I'd be somewhere. Just  
keeping track of where you are works wonders.