Are maps needed
Are maps needed for the CT or will the info in the Databook suffice?
The databook isn't detailed enough for me, it's been a while but I don't think there was much, if any, town info in it either. Much better information on the Bear Creek maps.
So you are out in the woods, don't where you are, and don't have a map or compass. Now what was the original question?
Well, first off, I would observe that everybody has different perceptions of risk and different preferences for managing perceived risks when hiking. There are some who refuse to ever drink even a drop of back country water that hasn't been treated, others who refuse to camp without a bear-can, some who refuse to hitch-hike and yet others who feel more secure if they carry a firearm.
My preference is to take an evidence-based approach to these types of issues and make informed choices about risk. So, I usually don't bother to treat my water, I routinely sleep with my food, and regularly hitch rides into town. All of these activities carry some degree of risk. I recognize that there is a low probability that some day I may ultimately very much regret these behavioural decisions.
I have hiked the CT on two occasions without paper maps. The trailbed is obvious and for the few miles where it's not obvious, there are cairns (eg, Jarosa Mesa). Intersections are generally well marked, so there's no real reason to take a wrong turn. I found that as long as I didn't really deviate from the trail it was pretty hard to get lost (ie, you are hiking a dirt path that's a foot wide). There could be significant risk to somebody who hikes without a map and decides to bushwack a shortcut without a map, or somebody who blindly hikes through thick fog, or somebody who experiences a sudden 12 inch snowfall which obscures the trail. But my experience in July and August was that I did not require paper maps. But before making a decision about whether you should carry maps, be cognizant of the risks and your level of back country experience.
For my second thru-hike, I installed the AlpineQuest app on my Android phone, along with a detailed zoomable map of the area surrounding the CT. This was a nice little insurance policy to the extent that if I ever lost the trail, at least I could use the GPS on my smartphone to geo-locate and find my way back to the trail. And, since I was carrying a cell phone anyway, there was no weight penalty from the electronic maps. But, even though I had the electronic maps, I never used them last summer. Only the data book.
Now there are people who describe me as a heretic or a fool for the decisions that I make, but that's their viewpoint. I take the risks that I take based on the research that I have conducted before embarking on my hikes, and I rely on my experience to ensure that I don't get myself into too much trouble. Not everybody shares my risk preferences.
I appreciate this and I hope the OP does too. I'm struggling with the same decision this summer. Last time I hiked the CT was in 1990 and maps were definitely needed. I hiked the AT without maps and was wondering about the CT now. I was looking at the CT Databook last night and started thinking, "You know, there just might be enough info here to pull it off if you're careful."Originally Posted by StubbleJumper
I agree with your understanding of risk. Hiking 500 miles in often remote country is not for the risk-averse and we all need to manage it as we see fit. Sedentary people think we're all crazy anyway.
All that said, I'll probably play it safe and get the maps. But I respect the way you did it.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
If you are going out, away from civilisation, carry a proper map of the area you are in. The extra few grams of paper is well worth it if you end up up the proverbial creek without a paddle! Always, always, carry a map! Nothinf worse than not knowing where you are, and paying for it because of that. Safety is paramount, and even the best get off track on occasion, without a map, getting back on becomes a hell of a lot harder.
Of course, this view is partly because I tramp in NZ, where tracks are often poorly marked, difficult, or occasionally impassable. But, even on a dead clear, well marked track I would STILL, always take a map!
The problem here is it's a 500 mile trail and it's more like a few hundred grams (370 to be precise), as well as US$50. That's not much for safety's sake, of course, and any rational person would buy and carry them, but rational people seldom go out on 500 mile hikes! And some of those who do look for every gram of weight and cost savings possible.
And some would argue that not knowing where you are is sort of the whole point. (Some of those don't survive, of course. Ever read "Into the Wild?")
I do agree with you, but I also understand the opposite viewpoint.
Haven't been on the CT, but I've hiked on the PCT & thru-hiked the AT. Neither requires a map but you can (I did on the AT) get off trail. Having a electronic map (Backcountry Navigator for Android) allowed me the figure out where I was and the easiest way back to the trail instead of retracing my steps. The topo maps also allowed me to do some cross country into towns on very old trails that are no longer maintained. Plus I love maps and electronic maps allow exploration without added weight and practically no cost. (One time $15.00 fee ).
The current Databook and Guidebook are out of date and do not show the new trail in the Collegiate West. The Mapbook, Guthooks App, and free GPS data are all up to date. New Databook will be published soon, but probably not in time for this season.
I had just one map on the CT - it was the Latitude 40 map for the section of the Collegiate West, well worth having that map, but otherwise, the trail is well marked, and if you stay on the trail, you can't get lost. The problem would be if you want to get off on a side trail - where does it go? The Latitude 40 map has all that info - as well as the new collegiate west sections.
The Databook I have has the Collegiate West.
About 28 miles of the CW have been relocated from roads onto newly built trail since your data book was published.
What maps do you recommend? Anyone used the Colorado Trail Pocket Atlas? Looks like a first edition, I'm looking for something that provides town info.
I would get Guthook CT for then Android.
Everything is in Walking Distance
I have Gaia and will download the maps before I leave but although I carry it I have only used it once, and that was because I had wandered around in the woods and killed a deer and didn't want to drag it any further than I had to, it really helped then, I was only about 200 yds from the truck but didn't know that.
what part of the ten essentials don't you understand?
Oh, I'd say that people understand quite well that the ten essentials are a risk management tool for people who go into the woods. However, thoughtful people will understand that the risks to which they are exposed are different in every location and season. As an example, a summer hike in an area that you know well and has high hiker traffic poses a much different level of risk than a winter hike in a place you do not know well which has few other hikers. As a result your risk mitigation activities should be different for each circumstance (but the 10 essentials is a good rule of thumb).
So the discussion above is about the preferred level of risk mitigation with respect to navigation errors...and the context is the Colorado trail during the summer. So, what's the appropriate gear requirement for a trail with an obvious and worn trail bed, decent blazing and good signage at intersections? You might be able to come up with a more thoughtful response than simply declaring that the 10 essentials are always the appropriate risk mitigation package (but certainly they are a good mitigation package)...
The latitude 40 map has all the new sections of trail
Why don't you explain them to me?
One issue is if you have problems with altitude, injury, weather etc., it is a really good idea to have maps so you can get off the trail if necessary. On our first hike in Colorado, my husband had pulmonary edema and we had to bail about 10 days in. Fortunately we had a map that showed the side trails so we could get out quickly. If a hailstorm destroys your tent how will you get to town? If a bear eats your food, or a marmot chews on your pack straps, how will you know the nearest spot to resupply? Smart hikers go prepared.
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