[pct-l] Follow-up to the earlier GPS discussion

[Jim Keener ( J J )]

I'm at Hiker Heaven and just talked with hikers who came in today:  
"There was snow over the trail for eight miles past Baden Powell. Some  
people had GPS and dis okay. We got lost."

Jim Keener ( J J )
http://postholer.com/jj

On May 21, 2010, at 2:25 PM, Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>  
wrote:

> Great post Steel-Eye,
>
> While I admit that a GPS is better, I navigated my way up the PCT  
> the old-fashioned way - with topo map, compass, and trying to be  
> alert for the PCT markers. I recall that I did lose the trail  
> occasionally when I made the mistake of letting my attention  
> wander.  If I had relied on a GPS I might have had the same problem  
> for the same reason - being distracted by the scenery. That's one  
> advantage of riding a horse as opposed to backpacking - you are able  
> to spend most of your travelling time looking at the scenery rather  
> than having to watch the trail as a hiker must if he isn't to  
> stumble. I never thought of that during all the years that I  
> backpacked. I first discovered horses about 27 years ago. I have now  
> ridden over 44,000 miles.
>
> I've always loved topo maps and in the Army I helped make them (U.S.  
> Army Corps of Engineers - TOPO Corps). My favorite compass is the  
> SUNOTO, made in Finland. With its pouch it weighs just over 4  
> ounces. I now own a GPS.  Guess I will have to learn how to take  
> advantage of all that it can tell me.
>
> MendoRider
>
>
>
>
> From: CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Follow-up to the earlier GPS discussion
> To: "Gary Schenk" <gwschenk at socal.rr.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Friday, May 21, 2010, 7:57 PM
>
>
> Good Gary, ,
>
> The PCT is a great trail for a minimalist to navigate:  It’s wide, w 
> ell
> maintained, well marked, and for 99% of its length very easy to find  
> and
> walk.  When encountering an area of confusion, such as extensive  
> snowpack,
> fog, etc. one has only to wait a while and someone will hike by with  
> good
> information:  Just follow them.
>
>
>
> Navigating alone with just a map and a compass is a challenge, and  
> the very
> well-marked nature of the PCT occasionally exacerbates the problem.   
> To be
> effective with only a map and compass it is necessary to maintain  
> close and
> ongoing situational awareness of the terrain by looking at the map  
> regularly
> and always rationalizing the apparent terrain with the terrain  
> depicted on
> the topo’ map.  When doing so, one must stop instantly whenever ther 
> e is a
> real-vs-map disconnect or inconsistency and do whatever is necessary  
> to
> resolve the issue before proceeding further.  Any continued travel  
> without
> resolution is m