[pct-l] Hiking Without Maps

[stonedancer1 at aol.com]

I agree with Steel-Eye.  My reason to carry maps is to know more than the 20 ft on each side of the trail.  Over many decades of hiking, I've gained an intimate knowledge of the scale and range of our western mountains that cannot come from any book, but came from walking and map reading.  Most places I go now, I can visualize the topography, the water ways, the creatures, and the weather patterns, a most vivid internal map system.  

Our ancient ancestors had this kind of knowledge--the lay of the land.  City living has blunted this form of awareness, but it is our birthright. That's what humans are built for.  So enjoy it! A rare gift.

Stone Dancer

Publisher of A Thru-Hiker's Heart, by No Way Ray Echols
Available on Amazon
  



-----Original Message-----
From: CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>
To: PCT listserve <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Fri, Jan 13, 2012 12:16 pm
Subject: [pct-l] Hiking Without Maps


Good afternoon, All,

’m not exactly a quivering virgin when it comes to trail navigation – or
ven minimalist off-trail bushwhacking in remote areas – but I’ll admit
eing uncomfortable without maps.  Once my resupply box didn’t make it to
ig Bear so I bought chow locally and hiked on.  Unfortunately, the maps
or my next segment were also in the missing box.  That wasn’t such a big
eal:  The trail isn’t tough north of there, and I’d been over it before,
ut I still didn’t like it.
Again in ’08 I planned to resupply in Belden Town but that’s the year
elden was in the middle of a big wildland fire so I had to schlep around
nd continue north from Chester.  I hiked between there and Castella
ithout maps, and didn't like that either.
In both cases, I had a GPS with waypoints so I wasn’t at any real risk of
ecoming “lost”, but what bothered me was a loss of perspective.  I’m a
isual person:  For any directions don’t tell me how to get there, tell me
here it is.  Guidebook instructions and waypoints tell me “how to get
here.”  Maps tell me “where it is”.
Steel-Eye
-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/
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