Showerthought: My GPS died 8 miles into the High Sierra Trail and I had to rely on paper maps

I was about 8 miles past Crescent Meadow on the High Sierra Trail when my GPS battery gave out, leaving me with zero signal and a sudden realization that I hadn't actually studied the map beforehand. I ended up taking a wrong turn near the Kern River and added 3 extra miles to my day. Has anyone else had to bail on tech mid-route and figure things out old school?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninasanchez1mo ago

My buddy Tom had this happen on the JMT last summer, his phone died on day two and he spent four hours trying to figure out where the trail split near a creek. He ended up just following the water downstream until he found a campsite with other hikers who set him straight. It really makes you appreciate how much we lean on those little devices until they're gone.

campbell.logan1mo ago

Oh man, that's brutal! I tried pulling out a paper map once on a hike in the Smokies and realized I'd stuck it in my pack upside down the whole time. Spent twenty minutes turning it every which way like it was a puzzle before my buddy just grabbed it and pointed out we were literally standing on the right trail. I felt like a genius that day, lol.