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Blissful
02-18-2012, 14:52
Okay, I must admit I am so used to nice blazing, lots of signs, easy to follow route. I am getting the heebie jeebies that I'll get totally lost on the BMT, esp road crossings, having to juggle from trail to trail, etc. and I am not very good with a compass either.

Storm
02-18-2012, 18:02
Anyone who can walk the AT north and south should have little problem figuring out how to read a compass and apply it to maps. I only hope I can do half as well as you did. You will do fine.

TOMP
02-18-2012, 18:07
I have done a few unmarked trails and some poorly marked ones, so the best thing you can do is just pay attention to everything. Take note of the "herd" paths and the consistency of them, so if something changes you are aware of it. If it is marked but poorly, take note of the average distance between markers so that you know when you should start to be concerned. Take note of the types of markers in case they change, some paths have changed blaze color over the years and sometimes a different color means your on the wrong trail. And watch out for sticks and branches blocking the route, it may be intentional and not a blow down. Sometimes there is only one lonely branch blocking a side trail. And finally if you have reason to believe you walked down the wrong trail (including gut feelings), dont hesitate to backtrack to the last point that you know 100 percent is the right trail, this may be a waste of time or it may save you alot of time but it's always worth it.

Slo-go'en
02-18-2012, 18:24
For the BMT, I understand it really helps to have the maps. Not having them is one reason I decide to contiune on the AT last spring instead of doing the BMT as I had orginally planned. At the last second when I had to make the decision to turn or go straight, I went straight.

I'm not sure if you really need a compass, but if you have a hard time telling which way is which by the time of day and position of the sun, (or if it's raining), having one is better than not.

Between the guide book and the maps, it shouldn't be too hard to stay on track. You just need to get into the habit of always checking your location on the map at each road crossing and trail junction to make sure you don't wander off the wrong way.

LoneRidgeRunner
02-18-2012, 18:50
If you get lost just put a sign on a tree. "I've gone to look for myself. If I should return before I get back , keep me here". Seriously though and all jokes aside (like that one) If you have walked the AT for 4000 miles you shouldn't worry about getting lost. And if you do, you will not be lost forever. Maybe you should learn to use a map and compass together in areas you know first before you go off into an unknown and unmarked or poorly marked areas. Just remember to NEVER leave your pack if you're lost like some have done.

10-K
02-18-2012, 18:55
Blissful, you can absolutely do it. Just hike it one mile at a time and don't try to wrap your head around the entire trail at once.

You absolutely, positively, no way around it, need the maps and a compass is very handy. You don't need to plot a course to Alpha Centauri - you just need to be able to ascertain direction when you come to a trail crossing and intersections. All you need to be able to do is orient your map and to check for direction of travel when the "Am I really going the right way" anxiety pops up.

If you want to make it an order of magnitude easier get the BMT Trail Guides for GA, and TN/NC here http://www.bmta.org/BMTA_Store.htm. They describe each section, a chunk at a time, in a way that confirms where you should be. When I hiked it only the TN/NC had been printed and I actually quit using my maps and used the BMT Trail Guide instead. That is until it got wet and got completely ruined.

The $1 GSMNP map is actually overkill - it is all you need to get through the park.

Here's a BMT tip for you..... If you hear water you will absolutely have to cross it. It's not like the AT with little bridges everywhere.

I consider my BMT thru to be the best hike I've ever been on.

It's solitary, which I really like. It's also routed with some intelligence. On the AT, if you want to know which way the trail goes just look for the most godawful route you could imagine and you'd be right very often. If you want to know which way the BMT goes you just look for the most sensible way the trail could go and you'll usually be right. It doesn't go over the top of every mountain "just because".

10-K
02-18-2012, 19:01
One other thing... You can't get lost unless you get off the trail.

The worse thing that could happen is that you hike down the wrong trail - but as long as you're on a trail you're not "lost" - you're just not where you think you should be. As long as you have food, water, and shelter the worse case scenario is that you just hike and hike and hike and hike until you come out somewhere. But you'll be safe and sound.

I lost an entire day hiking 6 hours in the wrong direction. :)

SGT Rock
02-19-2012, 00:06
I agree with what 10K said. You may get on the wrong trail for a short time, but you will not be lost. I highly recommend maps and know the local name of some of the trails you should be following helps. 2011 and on, I have a system to let you know the local trail name/number.

ChinMusic
02-19-2012, 00:45
One other thing... You can't get lost unless you get off the trail.

The worse thing that could happen is that you hike down the wrong trail - but as long as you're on a trail you're not "lost" - you're just not where you think you should be. As long as you have food, water, and shelter the worse case scenario is that you just hike and hike and hike and hike until you come out somewhere. But you'll be safe and sound.

I lost an entire day hiking 6 hours in the wrong direction. :)Tying in with your GPS thread. Did you track your hike and save the data?

Bati
02-20-2012, 22:05
Try to find some basic compass instruction or spend a few hours with a local orienteering club if you don't feel comfortable with a compass and topo map. I mostly used my compass at intersections to double check that the trail I thought was correct was actually heading in the general direction it should head, per the map. Compared to the AT, it's harder to see the mountains to help you read the map, so the compass is important (the AT tends to hit every large peak, making it very easier to follow or find the trail in the snow on the topo maps without relying on the compass so much). There are several spots on the BMT where you go a long way without seeing a blaze, but generally you're on a well-traveled trail through these; when you come to the intersection you can straighten it out with the map and backtrack. I never had to bushwhack in the same way I've had to on other trails, and the section where the BMT was the toughest to find the actual trail did have some flagging tape and at least followed a recognizable ridgeline. I took my old AT topo map to supplement the $1 map through SMNP and needed it only once, when looking at options to avoid a couple of very bad fords (the relief convinced me not to try a bushwhack).

You'll want to be more cautious with food and water- if you miss a turn and don't discover it quickly you can add several miles to your day or to the next water source, but with a map you'll probably be able to figure out where you are so you can get back on the BMT one way or the other. Don't try the BMT in the late fall or winter as it's simply not blazed to be navigable under snowy conditions. But if you can see the dirt, you should be OK, though you will miss the correct trial at several junctions.

Map and compass skills don't take that much time to acquire, and they can help you out quite a bit on other trails too. My problem on the BMT was generally that I couldn't tell which trail was correct or when to leave a road. It's much easier to pick the wrong path on the BMT (some of the blazes are very non-standard), but much harder to be seriously lost on it than on many other long trails.

Wise Old Owl
02-20-2012, 22:24
http://americanhiking.chattablogs.com/archives/BMT%20OverviewMap.gifWell good luck I am sure there are lots of resources and KMLS for this if you are truly worried - I can generate this for Garmin if needed. Yes I do have a few skills.... and I am not moody. Honest..... Really .....Not..... Oh Damn.:-?

Derek81pci
02-20-2012, 22:48
Blissful- I can only hope to be half the hiker that you are. I've read everything you have published online, and I am very impressed with your attitude, tips, and concern for everything. I almost backed out of the hike that I have been planning (or at least been dreaming about since I was 14 years old) because of the recent events on the AT, BUT, it's all about being smart. You know what you need to do, and the best way to do it, and all you have to do is rely on your resources, and most importantly, your gut. I don't know you, but I have faith that if you go prepared, you will more than likely succeed. Corney I know, but you have touched at least one person out there, and that's me. You reassured me that I'm the only person that can keep me safe, and I am better prepared at doing that now. Despite my military training, and my mindset that I can anything the f*** I want and no one will stop me... with preperation comes success. Make yourself your compasses best friend, set it on your dashboard as you drive and determine your cardinal direction... Do what it takes to ease your stress, you did that for me. Fears are meant to be overcome. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Blissful
02-21-2012, 22:41
Some great and thoughtful posts. Thanks so much. :)

Need to brush up on orienteering for sure.

JAK
02-21-2012, 22:52
I get lost alot. They only thing that saves my ass is I hike with an ocean on one side or the other. Easy to get off the trail and then not know whether or not you've crossed over it trying to find it. Not sure about the BMT as I haven't done it, but I'm guessing I wouldn't be using the ocean as a fallback when lost. lol. Roads maybe? So map and compass and watch for me and knowing when to stop for tea and get your head back on straight. A watch is very calming in knowing how long you've been lost, and in dead reckoning your way back to something you know.

ChinMusic
02-21-2012, 23:01
Like others have said. Stay on a trail and you're not lost, you're just taking an alternative hike.