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My solo trip in the Smokies took a wild turn when I followed a poorly marked trail
I was backpacking alone in the Great Smoky Mountains last month. Honestly, the trail markers were faded and I ended up on a game trail by mistake. Has anyone dealt with similar route finding issues and know how to avoid them?
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mason_murray7mo ago
Whoa, you went backpacking alone with markers that faded? That seems like asking for trouble. A game trail can just vanish on you and then you're really stuck. Don't you get nervous being out there with no one to help if you take a wrong turn? How do you even prepare for that?
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maxo147mo ago
Absolutely, I've been there. One time in heavy fog, I followed what looked like a clear path off a ridge that just... ended. It was a game trail that faded into a wall of brush. My heart just dropped, you know? I had to backtrack for an hour using my compass and a paper map (always have a paper map). It's crazy how quickly a little doubt can turn into full-on panic when you're alone.
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smith.uma7mo ago
Oh man, that's super easy to do. I read this article once about how our brains are wired to see paths even where they aren't, so we'll follow a line of broken twigs thinking it's the way. It said to stop and check your map like, every ten minutes, even if you're sure you're right. I mean, I've totally been staring at my phone GPS while walking and still missed a turn. So now I make myself stop moving to look at the map, and I count the stream crossings because they're usually on there.
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