[at-l] Re: [ AT-L ] : Maps

[seanbdolan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sean Dolan)]

Hi all,

I carried the maps. They helped to know what the upcoming
day(s) were going to be like, and in a pinch, where you
could layup if necessary if the info isn't in the companion.
Especially helpful if you don't have the (brace yerself)
Wingfoot book, which does go into possible campsites,
whereas the Companion does not. By looking at a map, and the
contours, you can make a pretty good guess whether there
might be camp spots. Without the maps, you're basically
catch-as-catch-can or tied to the shelters.

But perhaps the best reason for having the maps is in case
you get lost, or something bad happens. When we were in
Tennessee coming into Overmountain Shelter, we came across a
woman's backpack sitting by the side of the trail. It seemed
odd, since the trail sloped somewhat steeply to either side
for a 100 yds before settling into treeline. At first, we
thought she might have just gone to relieve herself, but
there was something odd about the whole thing, so we gave a
couple shouts out, and getting no reply, kept going the mile
or so to Overmountain. When we got there, we related the
story to other people we were hiking with, and they
mentioned that the same pack had been sitting there for a
couple hours, since they had passed it earlier in the
afternoon. So, we were a little spooked. So four of us guys
turned around and hiked back, at dusk, with flashlights and
a cell phone. We got there, and went 2-by-2 down the slope
on either side, thinking that perhaps someone had fallen
while relieving herself, and couldn't make it back up. After
scoping it out for 20 minutes, but staying in sight of the
trail, we rejoined at the pack and looked through it. It
looked like a weekender pack, although there was no shelter
or sleeping gear, some food, no stove. A mixed bag. But it
was unnerving since no one just leaves a pack by the side of
the trail.

So we called 911. The trail at that section is right on the
NC / TN line, so we got the TN (I think) state police, and
described the situation to them. Unfortunately, my cell
battery died right there, so we left the pack where it was,
and put a note on it saying who we were, my cell number, and
that the pack had been left there all day, and that we'd
called 911. We hiked back to Overmountain and someone else
had a cell, so we called again. This time we got a sheriff's
department. He didn't much know where we were, where the
shelter was, or what state we were in. So he called me back
in 15 minutes and I was on the line with 4-5 representatives
from different authorities, and had to pull out the maps to
track them to the place where we'd found the bag. It took 20
minutes of comparing their non-trail maps with my AT map
before we could figure out exactly where we were talking
about. First off, they wanted to know whose responsibility
it was to check it out, but also they wanted to know exactly
where we were referring to so they weren't stomping over 10
miles of trail trying to get there. In the end, I don't know
how it turned out, but we heard no news reports, and there
was a rumor that it was a weekender who got sick and her
friends dumped the pack (rented) and stuffed what they could
in theirs before bringing her down, so that's good news. But
the whole incident really impressed upon me that in the
event of something unfortunate happening, being able to
pinpoint to people exactly where you are can not only be
convenient, but life-saving ... not really the reason why I
bought the maps in the first place, but the reason I'll have
the maps from now on.

Anyway, my two cents.

Cheers to those heading out this year. Am missing it already
and am thinking of doing the Springer to Damascus stretch if
I can scrape together the coin!

Rover
GA > ME 2002

-----Original Message-----
From: at-l-admin@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:at-l-admin@mailman.backcountry.net]On Behalf Of
Orange Bug
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 1:31 PM
To: Jack Tarlin; at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [at-l] Re: [ AT-L ] : Maps


Come on Jack, tell us how you really feel about it!

Having a map doesn't protect someone from getting lost. I
recall
a guy heading "south" in the Smokies thinking he would get
to
the next shelter pretty quickly. He had taken a cat-hole
break
and did the 180 error. Even after showing him the map, him
getting out his map, then playing with his high tech digital
compass - he informed me of my ignorance and how secure his
spot
on Katahdin would be - as compared to a lowly section hiker.

Numerous folks mooch off of those who do carry maps and
guides,
and appear to do pretty well. I agree that it is
irresponsible
to have no clue about how to stay found, mapped or mapless.

But I think you might be taking this thread a bit more
literally
and personally than necessary. Your opinion is well informed
and
your example is admirable, but I'd be very surprised to find
a
handful of hikers in thru-season and not find at least 3
maps
and/or guidebooks.

Bill...

--- Jack Tarlin <baltimorejack@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Telling first-timers they can easily do without maps is
simply
> not, in my
> opinion, wise counsel, and the fact that much of the Trail
is
> not strictly
> Wilderness misses the point---people still get lost, sick,
and
> hurt out
> there, and it's always unexpected.  (Who, after all, plans
to
> get lost?)
> Having a Trail map at such times is essential, and in
certain
> circumstances,
> can be a life-saver.


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