[pct-l] Subject: Subject: 2 Questions

[Jeffrey Olson]

I'll second Bob's perspective.  I walked right by a friend who was 
sitting 30' off the trail down by a lake.  I yelled - he heard me - a 
half mile away.  I couldn't hear him.  I walked until I realized I 
didn't see his footprints - no more fooling myself.  I lay down and 
looked at the clouds scudding by for a half hour until he caught up.  We 
were both bemused.

For the rest of the trip he put a bandanna in the middle of the trail 
when he was not on it.  it worked.

Make sure you know your hiking partner's shoe tread.  Thats IMPORTANT!!!

Jeffrey Olson
Rapid City, SD

On 4/23/2013 3:44 PM, Bob Bankhead wrote:
> 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!
>
>