When I hike I don’t often leave the hiking trail because I
don’t want to be lost. But sometimes the
hiking trail leaves me. More than once
the trail has split into a tangle of numerous little trails while I am hiking
along. Figuring out which offshoot to
follow can be nerve wracking. Then
there is the problem of meadows. It is
not unusual for a trail to disappear in a meadow. Fortunately, other hikers or the forest
service personnel frequently make cairns to follow through a meadow. I can’t depend on others making cairns for me
to follow, though.
I hate having a well defined trail disappear into nothing. It gives me a sick feeling in the pit of my
stomach. When it happens, I have two
choices: go back or go on, using my GPS
and maps. If I decide to go on, I remember
the advice given by my grandfather, Dunc Robertson.
Grandpa had a lot of experience with bushwhacking. He was
born in Montana in 1872. Many times, he
made his way to a destination without a trail. In his day, there weren't that many well established trails. According to him, people got lost because they failed to turn around and
look at what was behind them as they hiked along. In other words, seeing what the trail looks
like if the hiker was hiking the opposite direction. If a hiker is planning on leaving the same
way he came, the hiker needs to know what the trail will look like on the way
out.
Such smart advice, I've used it a time or two, and always felt safer know what it looks like behind me.
ReplyDeleteI always like to look behind me too! It is amazing how different the tail looks going the other way.Except when running in a race, I have very clear memories of you telling me not to in middle school cuz I most likely won't get lost on the track!
ReplyDeleteI will always remember you telling me to check my back trail. It only makes sense. Unless you live in West, TX. Then it looks exactly the same in every direction as everything else! :)
ReplyDelete