[pct-l] Hi all

[Timothy Nye]

Hi Marmot,

First, the CDTA issued a new mapset this spring which encompasses some significant rerouting principally in New Mexico and Montana. Ley still updates his maps, but there really has been a passing of the guard, I believe. I think that’s the set that you’ll want to have. You can download for free, although they would appreciate a donation.

As far as navigation is concerned, i asked the CDT 2020 Facebook for you earlier this spring. The universal answer was Guthook. I really didn’t want to rely on a phone app, but downloaded it, watched a few Youtube videos and came away thoroughly impressed. It’s truly amazing. I’m past military and always have been a map and compass guy, but let’s face it, the maps the size of Half Mile's are pretty useless for shooting back azmuths if you get lost. Also, of course there’s en some significant shifting of magnetic north recently.

So, it’s pretty much Guthooks. Phone in airplane mode and an external battery pack. There are some fairly (relatively speaking) lightweight ones out there. Some searching will find light weight lightning plugs and short cord that mate with the necessary adapters. The downside is you really have to protect the phone so an upgraded case if you don’t have one would be a good idea. 

Sadly, this means electronics has made the Big Four into the Big Five, as far as accounting for pack weight is concerned.

Also, let me recommend the Garmin InReach Mini. 2.+ ounces. Not only will it send the SOS, but you can message the outside from anywhere, receive weather reports tailored to your position and coordinate with SAR if it comes to that. 

So, you still using Esbit? Still my stove of choice

Gourmet

> On Jul 11, 2020, at 12:06 PM, marmot marmot <marmotwestvanc at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> It seems that the CDT-L does not exist anymore so I’ll ask my questions here. Most people do the Gilla River alternative. It appears ,from Guthook, that the official route has water ( at least part of the way-I’m not completely sure).
> * Why do people choose the alt route? Fording the river countless times does not appeal to me. But I’ll do it if that’s only way with water. 
> * have any of you done the official route?
> * is there water?
> *is there a reasonably clear route on the ground or  enough Waypoints that it isn’t just wandering around semi-lost for days? 
> * will I be forced to be on  Facebook to get this info? That I have avoided so far. 
> A lot of this will be new for me. In ‘96 I used Wolf’s guidebook and list of maps and I followed Ray and Jenny’s route though New Mexico. It’s been so long since I did the CDT that even the parts that are the same will feel new. And I’m going to hike most of it the opposite direction. It will be exciting to see actual trail. If they exist. I’d like to have paper maps that have the route on them in addition to Guthook? Maybe if anyone knows of a better app —-let me know. Are Jonathan Ley’s maps still accurate? Is there something out there of which I am unaware?  
> I won’t be on trail until next April. ‘21.  The first time I had piles of forest service and BLM maps in every resupply. So this time I was hoping for info that was little more compressed and simpler. Maybe even had a trail on the map.  I’m not expecting anything as obvious as the AT or PCT but I have hopes that it will be less of me just heading from Canada to Mexico with map and compass whatever  random, stumbling way I can figure out. 
> Thanks for any help. 
> Marmot
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
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