My old route planning almost got us stranded on the Eagle Creek Trail last summer

I used to just print a topo map and wing it based on trailhead signs. Last July up in the Columbia Gorge, I missed a turn near Tunnel Falls because the signs were all faded and we ended up 3 miles off course before I noticed. Now I download every route onto my phone with Gaia GPS and double check waypoints the night before. Has anyone else had a close call relying on old paper maps?

2 comments

2 Comments

william_taylor4d ago

Paper maps used to be all I'd carry too, honestly. That changed quick after a rainy trip in the Smokies where a creek rerouted itself and my 10 year old map showed a trail that was just gone. Wasting 2 hours thrashing through rhododendron was enough for me. Now I take a screenshot of the updated route on my phone before I leave town, and I always carry a cheap backup battery too. Your Tunnel Falls story makes me feel better about switching over, because I was definitely the guy saying 'paper never dies' for years.

reese864d ago

Getting lost for a few miles isn't exactly a survival scenario though. Paper maps worked just fine for decades before phones and GPS were a thing. Seems like people just need better map reading skills and common sense.