Can we talk about trail markers failing on you mid-hike?

I was on the Long Trail in Vermont two weeks ago, about 30 miles in, when I hit a section where the white blazes just stopped. No warning, no fork in the trail, just woods. I spent 45 minutes circling before I found a half-painted cairn someone had stacked. One side says stick to paper maps, that GPS and apps fail when your battery dies or you lose signal. The other side says paper maps are useless if you can't read them right, like I clearly couldn't. Which side do you lean on when you're alone and the markers vanish?

2 comments

2 Comments

willow_ellis17d ago

Heard a story from a ranger once who said trail markers are basically suggestions, not guarantees. Paper maps saved her more times than GPS ever did when things got sketchy. That cairn find was lucky, but man, 45 minutes of circling sounds brutal.

jake19117d ago

GPS batteries die but paper doesn't care about cold weather.