[pct-l] Jim still has the best answer :)

[Julian Plamann]

I admit I rarely used a compass on the actual trail, but on the few
occasions I did need it,
I sure was glad to have it and would not want to thru-hike without it.

Here's a funny example:

The daydreamer in me decided to rear its head when I was walking off-trail
into the woods to
dig a cat-hole one day in Oregon. As I was wondering around thinking about
other things, and
looking for a large rock to upturn, I somehow got turned around and realized
I had no idea
what direction the trail was in. I began walking for a few minutes in the
direction I thought it
was, but found nothing. A quick check of the compass and I was back on the
trail and laughing
about the experience. Without the compass, I'm sure I would have eventually
found the trail
after getting out of the heavy tree cover, but the "oh sh** I'm lost!"
feeling would have lasted a
whole lot longer than 30 seconds.

-Julian



On Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 9:44 PM, Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com <
diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:

> On Mar 15, 2010, at 8:32 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> > But, maybe I'm naive, I just don't see how the PCT became this big,
> > bad, beastie  where people
> > want the comfort level. What changed? (Or maybe I answered my own
> > question above?)  Is it
> > really the much more difficult? Is it that difficult at all?
>
> I think that people just find a GPS easier than reading a map. You
> are never 100% sure that you're looking at the right thing with a
> map. Also, the GPS can have the map in it. It's more convenient. Then
> there's the fun of coming home and plotting your hike on TOPO! and
> seeing where you went.
>
> I believe you can find your way just fine on the PCT even without a
> map or compass. In fact, I sent my compass home very early on. I'm
> sure the 10 essentials police will get on my case, but after all my
> years on local trails of finding my way looking for cut branches or
> places where non-native plants are growing in ancient trail beds or
> following bear tracks, the PCT seems to me like walking on the
> Interstate.
>
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