[pct-l] Marmot

[MARY E DAVISON]

I started in New Mexico a number of years ago and finished CDT 3 years ago so this is not recent information. I used CDTC maps, sometimes Wolf’s book, Ley maps and, at the end used Guthook. They all have their uses. Of course carrying everything is not something thru hikers like. The CDTC Bearcreek  maps are good for those who like topo maps. I do. I also always had some sort of Garmin, now the Inreach Explorer which has 24K maps and CDT marked. Many times I drew my own line in planning so always knew pretty well where I wanted to be. That did not mean I was never misplaced a bit, but never very far off and could always get found again. The only disadvantage with Guthook or even CDTC maps are what to do if you or someone needs to bail or bypass a fire closure. Maps that only cover the trail and not have a view of the wider area can be a problem at times. There were at least a couple times that was important, one for each reason, and I was glad I had carried National Forest maps as well. Let’s maps were important at least a couple times in Colorado due to lightning concerns. He has alternate routes at a bit lower altitude and I took a couple. They were copacetic choices as I saw some different parts of wilderness and some nice moose doing so. You can tell from this that I am old school - mix and matched Wolf/Ley/Bear Creek, depending on circumstances on the ground. And I like maps. I think most CDT thru hikers these days go with Guthook and maybe add CDTC Bearcreek maps for paper. Inreach has nice topo but it takes a little practice and has to be zoomed in and out and moved around to get bigger picture. But I like knowing exactly where I am in relation to the trail. Both Inreach and Guthook give that. Inreach also has other features including that SOS button I never wanted to need. My opinion is that you need to weigh the pros and cons of each and make your own decision about what and how much to carry for which sections. No standard answer fits all. Have fun planning.

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