I happened across this link to a story about a guy who got himself and his girlfriend good and lost on a day hike at Mount Tamalpais north of San Francisco. They ended up stranded in the dark seven miles from their car by the time they came upon a hiker who could tell them where they were. Came out OK but it gave ’em a bit of a fright (though a chilly overnight on the mountain would’ve driven the point home a bit more convincingly, I reckon).
The guy calls himself an experienced outdoorsman and maybe he was, just experienced enough to think he could get away with hiking strange trails with no map. This is just plain ol’ idiocy, even to those who take perverse pride in getting themselves out of self-imposed predicaments.
The most aggravating thing about getting lost is all the time wasted getting found. I don’t know about the rest of you, but the minute I realize I’m lost, my hike — the invigorating walk through the woods — is pretty much over. I can’t take pictures or enjoy scenery or savor wildlife sightings if I don’t feel like I know where I’m going.
This happened to me on the Skyline to the Sea Trail in Big Basin State Park a couple weeks back. I had seen the waterfalls and was on my way back when I decided to take an “alternate” trail that I’d skipped on a previous hike. On the map it looks like little more than a railroad siding, but the actual trail did all kinds of zigzagging with multiple creek crossings. When I crossed a bridge that looked almost identical to one I had crossed about five minutes before I started thinking I was going in a circle and that moment, after eight or nine miles of hiking and a rainstorm moving in, I said “screw this, I’m lost and I’m getting unlost as fast as humanly possible.”
I’m sure I turned back 25 yards before the point where the alternate trail rejoined the main one and added an unnecessary half-mile to my afternoon (which at Big Basin is not exactly a bad thing, even in the rain). Retracing your steps is aggravating, but it’s not nearly as aggravating as stumbling around for hours and risking getting stuck in the woods after dark. Unless you’re into that kind of thing.
Some of the coolest stuff happens after wrong turns, which is why I don’t get too preoccupied with getting lost. Any time you hike a trail for the first time, you don’t really know where you’re going. We’re all lost at the beginning, all that matters is how long we want to stay that way.
(Your tips on getting found are welcome.)
Was that the little spur on the Skyline trail a bit uphill from the Timms Creek intersection? That trail does go on longer than it appears to on the map :).
Yeah, we’re thinking of the same spur, I’m pretty sure. The map’s a dirty rotten liar about that little patch o’ dirt. I couldn’t believe how totally disoriented I got in such a short time. Now I have a reason to go back, though, to figure that stretch out.
The maps for Big Basin are a bit misrepresented in my opinion. Some portions of the trail are longer than they are drawn on the map.
As to the topic of getting lost, I had the situation happen to me before too. I was in Sunol Regional Wilderness taking I believe the Indian Joe Creek Trail and doing a loop of the park. I was adequately prepared for a really short day hike. I had with me proper clothing, water, sleeping bag, and map. I was lost several times on Indian Joe Creek trail when the defined trail all of a sudden disappeared. This was complicated with many cow trails that look like official defined trails. I ended up having to use my judgement and map to guesstimate where I was.
I found the real trail after some effort and kept going up to Flag Hill. There were several trails and several of the arrows were missing on the signs. I ended up following a trail off the peak that looked like the main trail.
It turned out to be probably an old backpacking trail that took me out of the park boundaries mixed in with some cow trails. There were signs but they were noticably different from the park trail signs. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was headed away from the park and the parking lot. I made the decision to keep going because the trail continued to have arrow signs. In the end I stopped following the trails and followed the creek. I knew the creek led back to the parking lot and If I kept following it I would be home. I did eventually get back.. I had to jump several barb wire fences, tumble down several extremely steep hillsides with no firm ground, and sustain a few scrapes.
Lessons learned:
Always bring more food than you think you need. I had some small things to munch on but in general I didn’t have enough to last me through an extremely long day of hiking. That hunger made me a bit cranky and contributed to a tired mindset.
Also bring more water than you need. You never know when you’ll need more water, especially if you get lost.
When frustrated, in doubt, fatigued, or distracted, immediately sit down. Don’t keep walking. It is my opinion that continuing forward will only contribute to more mistakes. You need a level head to get “found”. I immediately stopped and sat down to think about what to do when I felt unsure.
Always have a map. The more detailed the better. My map eventually stopped being useful because it was only a map of the park boundaries.. I was outside the boundaries..
Always bring a flashlight or a headlamp. It helps if you need to be found or are hiking back in the dark. Of course if you’re lost.. don’t hike in the dark.
Yes, bring a compass. Better yet, learn how to use one.
Backtrack if you are extremely unsure where you are. You already know the terrain.
Be attentive to your surroundings when you hike. Know major landmarks such as rock formations, creeks, rivers, etc…
This list can go on. Like Tom said, there’s certain degrees of being lost. My experience was a combination of bushwhacking and route finding. It shifted to being “lost” when I realized I was inadequately prepared to deal with the extended trip that had resulted. In the end, I saw some incredible areas of the Sunol park that most people don’t get to see such as the “Castille Region”. It was also a great mental challenge to try to find my way back. I also had some great pictures. But when you are not prepared then that excitement will fizzle and you can get yourself killed in the worst case scenario. You never know when a 3 hour hike turns into an 8 hour one or even longer.
I have a penchant for leaving the trail, or taking what I think is a trail and then discovering that it isn’t. I also like to see if I can make a big circle instead of walking out on the trail I walked in on.
I have gotten lost walking my dog.
Fortunately for me I live in the mountains, and the rule is to keep going downhill, and sooner or later you’ll hit a road.
I carry enough in my daypack so I can survive for a short while in fair comfort.
I think everyone should at carry a survival blanket, some matches, a flashlight, and some form of first aid kit, no matter how long the hike.