[pct-l] GPS and on-snow adventuring

[Mtnned at aol.com (Mtnned@aol.com)]

Chuckie!
 
Still so much to say!  The most important skills in mountaineering you  can 
have are ones you must develop.  Awareness of your surroundings,  where you are 
in them, and wisdom to make safe, patient decisions.
 
IMHO a GPS unit is only good for communicating your position to  rescuers.  I 
don't want to be so engrossed in a high-tech gadget that I  miss out on 
anything wilderness happening around me.  Don't bother trying  to figure out where 
the trail is, exactly.  Only know that  you're near enough to it and going in 
the right direction.  Soak up all the  wilderness has to offer you while 
you're there on such a long, life-changing  trip.  Studying a full-sized topo map 
the night before each day can  make you more aware of the terrain you're going 
to travel through than any  battery and temperature dependent GPS.
 
So, get out onto the great white in the Range of Light and practice!   
Everything changes with a little snow....
 
Mtnned