When “Hike Your Own Hike” Ceases to Apply....

[Koda]

Satisfying my idle curiosity is not a good enough reason for me to break out the map and compass and go through the whole process when I can just switch the GPS on, hike for a few more minutes, and then glance at it and get the same information.

this is one of the reasons I love the GPS apps. Also I like saving the track files to view later on.

On the other hand, if I didn't have a GPS in the situations like I described above where I'm just vaguely curious about my position, I probably wouldn't bother with the map and my curiosity would just go unsatisfied

This is another one of those map and compass skills that goes away using GPS... before GPS I was really good at estimating ETA and position on the map it wasnt an issue. I'll admit I use the GPS for this... its just so much easier and quicker to look at the GPS. I’m trying to keep my skills by having the GPS on in case I need it but otherwise not using it entirely on some adventures. Easier in the summer, in winter I let myself use the GPS almost always.

[Koda]

example of when HYOH does not apply....

Saw this on Facebook this morning. I almost didn’t post this but it would be good if that person saw this here and started asking questions on map help. I edited out names and faces, if one is yours and you’d rather not see it posted here just let me know and I will gladly edit and remove.

[Charley]

I've been a map snob for years. I love them and always carry hard copy. Two, if I can find different ones (shaded relief, topo, trail schematic, whatever).

I started adding in a GPS (Gaia app on my phone) after having a real hard time finding the route on a ski circumnavigation of Crater Lake. We might have found the road eventually, but it might have taken hours of frustration and hard skiing. It happened twice, and both instances were in meadows, where the road is buried under a dozen or more feet of snow and quite unmarked. There's no real chance of stumbling across the road again if it takes a not-obvious switchback in a meadow. Luckily, in these instances, I was able to get reception well enough to slowly load Google Maps.

So nowadays on off-trail trips, especially on snow, I'll take that Gaia GPS app, download the maps at home, and have them in the event of a navigation crisis. I think the GPS as back up allows me to further develop backcountry navigation skills, while providing me with a measure of security.

[Koda]

I've been a map snob for years. I love them and always carry hard copy. Two, if I can find different ones (shaded relief, topo, trail schematic, whatever).

I started adding in a GPS (Gaia app on my phone) after having a real hard time finding the route on a ski circumnavigation of Crater Lake. We might have found the road eventually, but it might have taken hours of frustration and hard skiing. It happened twice, and both instances were in meadows, where the road is buried under a dozen or more feet of snow and quite unmarked. There's no real chance of stumbling across the road again if it takes a not-obvious switchback in a meadow. Luckily, in these instances, I was able to get reception well enough to slowly load Google Maps.

So nowadays on off-trail trips, especially on snow, I'll take that Gaia GPS app, download the maps at home, and have them in the event of a navigation crisis. I think the GPS as back up allows me to further develop backcountry navigation skills, while providing me with a measure of security.

I know before my GPS days I did a lot off trail and on snow and I was no where near as accurate as I am using a GPS device. Of course one could argune that using a GPS device isnt really using any skill at all... they really are that easy, and accurate.

What I've been doing is for summer adventures I use map and compass and in winter, mostly backcountry ski tours, I let myself use GPS al the time. I figure in summer its nice out, I dont need gloves and things are easy to get to and paper maps stay dry even in a non goretex pocket... its easy to whip out a map and compass. In the winter its the opposite and many times can be quite miserably wet and cold... every little extra step it takes to navigate can have an impact on your safety and reaching your goal so... I just use the GPS and dont feel guilty about it since I practice with maps in summer.