A quiet moment on the Wonderland Trail that stuck with me

I was resting at the Box Canyon overlook about ten years ago, and a much older hiker named Frank sat down next to me. He pointed at Mount Rainier and said, 'My first time here, the trail was just a boot-beaten path, and we navigated with a paper map and a compass.' It made me appreciate the simple act of finding your own way, something I think GPS can sometimes take from us. Has anyone else had a conversation on a trail that changed how they think about route-finding?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_lee6d agoTop Commenter

I used to think a GPS was the only safe way to go. Then I got lost in the Gila Wilderness when my battery died. I had to use the map in the guidebook to find a creek and follow it out. Now I always carry a paper map as a backup.

quinn_fox6d ago

Yeah, that's a scary lesson to learn... glad you had the guidebook.