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

[Tortoise]

 From my old history we were doing the Hat Creek Rim. I had my GPS along 
and had loaded waypoints for potential road crossing where we would 
cache water. Driving out to put out the caches before we started, the 
GPS was useful in determing which roads were the roads we wanted. One 
was more of a lane with no recent traffic apparent. Also used the GPS to 
mark out water caches. This helped.

When I got back, I uploaded our track to the computer.  In TOPO! the 
track was off a little from the trail in TOPO!. In DeLorme the trail was 
way, way off from actual, so far off it could have lead one astray.

So GPSs are handy and so are maps. But either or both may be wrong -- 
trail mapped inaccurately or relocated since the maps were made and updated.

Tortoise

Because truth matters"


On 03/16/10 08:30:16, AsABat wrote:
>>      
>>>> We've stood there looking at [the GPS] and it's saying the trail is over
>>>>          
>> there but
>> we're not believing it.
>>      
>
> This happened to me in rain storm. I was using map and compass, another
> hiker using a mapping GPS. We got off trail in some brushy blowdowns. He
> insisted the trail was over there, but couldn't find it. I just backtracked
> 100 feet to where we lost the trail, took a compass bearing, and saw the
> trail going through the brush. The GPS map had the trail well off to the
> right.
>
>
>    
>>>> A compass or a GPS is worthless without the ability to make good
>>>>          
>> decisions.
>>      
>
> Yes, knowledge is the most important tool. Compasses and GPSrs just give you
> the information to use that knowledge on .
>
>
>    
>>>> The trail is well marked. There are extra markings in the form of
>>>>          
>> ducks or sticks laid out to spell H2O or to make little arrows.
>>
>>      
> You've never seen a kid move the markers as a joke? It's not funny.
>
>
>    
>>>> People have written arrows with sharpies on things.
>>>>          
>
> Graffitti.
>
>    
>>> There are footprints all over the trail and the snow.
>>>        
> Which brings us back to the thruhiker lost on Fuller Ridge who finally found
> and followed footprints that led to another thruhiker who was also lost.
>
> AsABat
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