Vent: My map got soaked and I had to guess my way out of the Sawtooths

I was three days into a loop in Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness when a sudden downpour hit. My paper map, which I'd left on a rock, turned into a soggy mess in about 30 seconds. I had to rely on memory of the ridge lines and a general sense of west to find the main trail again. Has anyone else had a map fail and what's your backup plan now?

3 comments

3 Comments

perez.derek19d ago

You left your only map on a rock in the wilderness?

ben_nguyen13d ago

Relying on a single paper map is asking for trouble. I just memorize the major landmarks and the general direction of water. If you know the ridge lines and where the rivers flow, you can almost always find your way back without any gear.

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simon_coleman19d ago

Man that sounds rough, especially in terrain like that. I had a map blow clean out of my hands on a windy pass once. Now I always keep a second map sealed in a ziplock at the bottom of my pack, and I have a basic digital one on my phone as a last resort. Getting turned around with a useless map is a real gut punch.