[pct-l] Subject: Subject: 2 Questions

[Bob Bankhead]

One of the best ways to not lose your partner is to set and hard and fast
rule; NEVER pass a trail junction or head off-trail until your partner joins
you or waves you to go on ahead. Just because you see them does NOT mean
they have seen you, or where you went. Tired hikers have their heads down a
lot and it's easy to take the wrong fork. Wise are they who pause at all
junctions and forks and look around before blindly proceeding.

+1 on leaving a READILY VISIBLE, MUTUALLY AGREED UPON object on the side of
the trail when stepping off to answer nature's call or for some other
reason. Always leave this object on the same side of the trail as the
direction in which you departed. Your partner should then recover the object
and wait there until you join them or wave them on ahead. Again, Just
because you see them does NOT mean they have seen you, or where you went.

When my wife and I hike together, I am much faster than she. I try to never
get more than 1/4 mile ahead of her; 1/2 mile maximum. I stop and wait until
I can see her clearly before I proceed. I lost her once at a trail junction.
She was very tired, frustrated, and had her head down, thereby completely
missing (what I felt was) a large arrow of big sticks I had left right on
the trail, and took the wrong trail. When she didn't catch up to me after
waiting for 10 minutes, I went back to the junction, cursing myself for not
having stayed there. I finally heard her whistle and we were able to
reunite. Never passing another junction without waiting. EVER!







-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Kendall Comey
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 12:51 PM
To: .
Subject: [pct-l] Subject: Subject: 2 Questions

1. Does anyone have a good system for keeping track of your partner on the
trail? I'll be hiking with my husband and would like to be sure I know if
he's behind me or ahead of me when we are hiking separately and taking
pitstops, etc.