lost at road crossings

[skooch]

I'm new to the AT and this is a tough question to narrow down using the "search" on this site.

How common is it in the southern half of the trail to loose your way after a road crossing?

Is the other side of the road well marked with a white blaze?

Do you need a map to help you know if you need to travel left or right for a while?

I'm thinking about downloading maps. Traveling NOBO from Springer. thanks

[royalusa]

How common is it in the southern half of the trail to loose your way after a road crossing?

Rare, but it could happen. If you don't have a directional blaze (a blaze offset from the other blaze that tells you to turn right or left) and your guidebooks does not mention a direction, just look both ways and it's usually self evident - look for a worn path or a sign or a blaze or an information board or a parking lot. You shouldn't walk for too long after a junction like this without seeing a blaze. If you don't eventually see evidence of the trail, then try the other direction. No big deal.

[/QUOTE]Is the other side of the road well marked with a white blaze? [/QUOTE] Not always WELL marked, but eventually it is marked.

[/QUOTE]Do you need a map to help you know if you need to travel left or right for a while? [/QUOTE] Now, you've opened a can of worms. Some hikers swear by maps...others don't use them. We thru-hiked in 2008 and did not use maps and did not have any issues. If we were to hike the trail again, we would still go without maps. But you need to do what you are comfortable with...HYOH.

[sizemj]

They are usually well marked. I have never had any issues. Just follow the white blazes and signs. I carey a map and compass, but only needs them for trail info and distance, not navigation

[Mizirlou]

Hi, Skooch. Very well marked. Not a concern. Easy peasy.

Not sure if you’re section hiking or thru but here are your GA maps:
http://www.georgia-atclub.org/trail/map.htm

Copy the elevation maps. Keep one section at a time safety-pinned to your shirt so you can lift it to eye level while you walk. You’ll be obsessed (at first) with the humps ahead of you, and relieved to see the progress behind you.

[Skidsteer]

Lots of info and photos on parking and road crossings at this site:

http://rohland.homedns.org/at/at_menu.aspx

[mweinstone]

ive never guessed right. i just allways know when im walking the wrong way cause its the way i walk first right before i turn around. every crossing and after each break on the trail i become lost and do this. by going the wrong way you allways know where you are cause you were just their twice. then i just turn and walk the other way knowing it must be the right way cause its the first time i walked it and cause i just confirmed the wrong way for extra sure. thats how i allways did it. i think its better than carrying maps.

[mweinstone]

its kinda like nobody finds south without checking north but without the magnetic mandate causeing that rather choice. i choose to fail. then im sure of the direction of success.

[mweinstone]

going the wrong way is my natural magnetic declination i must recalibrate all navigational devices to by either useing them upside down or leaving them at home......lol.

[skooch]

Thanks guys. I just had a bad dream about this last night and woke up a little freaked. I planned to use AWOL's guide. God forbid if I oprn another can-of-worms map debate
Matthewski how are your dreams/nightmares lately?

[Hikes in Rain]

Only once in 238 miles, at Hogpen Gap. It was really foggy that day, and although there are blazes on posts for the longish walk north to the trailhead, I couldn't even see across the road! Took a couple of minutes of casting back and forth to convince myself which way to go.

[Kerosene]

I haven't seen much of a difference between the northern or southern portion of the Trail; it seems to be more correlated with the maintainer of the section, in that some crossings are very obvious, others are well blazed, and others expect you to have x-ray vision. While I've gotten a touch frustrated at some road crossings, I've never been confused for very long.

[Rain Man]

it seems to be more correlated with the maintainer of the section, in that some crossings are very obvious, others are well blazed, and others expect you to have x-ray vision. While I've gotten a touch frustrated at some road crossings, I've never been confused for very long.

Same here. Usually the trail goes straight across and usually there are blazes you can see.

However, I have on occasion had to walk back and forth trying to find the trail. Frustrating since simple, good blazing would avoid the problem. And sometimes you have to walk down the road a piece and it's not well marked as to which direction. But usually the map gives you a sense of which direction to walk looking for where the trail turns off the road again.

Don't worry, you won't be "lost" long.

RainMan

.

[Tenderheart]

In 2000, I met a known NOBOer heading south. He had gone into the woods to see a man about a horse and got turned around. He actually walked half a day in the wrong direction. I felt sorry for him. I would not carry maps, personally, but you must be aware. A good rule of thumb was relayed to me by CPT Leo: Right turn into the shelter, right turn out of the shelter.

litefoot

[skooch]

Are all the shelters heading NOBO on the right? If not, seeing a man about a horse certainly can be. thanks for the tip

[Montana Mac]

Are all the shelters heading NOBO on the right? If not, seeing a man about a horse certainly can be. thanks for the tip

No they are not

[peakbagger]

There was one area between Roan and Kincora north of 19E that the trail crosses some local roads where there is marginal marking. The area has a history of some locals who dont like hikers so I think the intent in the area to make the trail not stick out. At least a portion of the trail in this area was relocated to avoid the area. That being said , it was pretty obvious which way to go at crossings. The bigger challenge sometimes is when the trail takes the lesser used rotue at a junction. Some folks have a problem in NH as the AT is not necessarily signed as the "AT", they still use white blazes, but sign it by the local name.

I would strongly encourage maps in Maine as if you do need to find civilization, its real easy to pick the wrong road and end up big time lost.

[Tenderheart]

Are all the shelters heading NOBO on the right? If not, seeing a man about a horse certainly can be. thanks for the tip

No they are not. So I should have also added: Left turn into the shelter, left turn out. Sorry for the confusion.

litefoot

[Bronk]

The only time I had serious trouble was while nite hiking...the trail didn't go directly across the road, it was offset by 100ft or so...I forget where it was, but I just set up my tent and continued on when it was daylight.

[garlic08]

I saw maybe three or four road crossings where blazing wasn't too clear, and I remember at least one of those was in NH. One or two hundred steps in each direction quickly solved the problem in every case. I didn't carry maps, but by the time I would have pulled out a hypothetical map (in the rain) and figured out where the trail went, I was already down the trail. And since I didn't have maps, I don't know if they would even have shown the "jog" at whatever scale they're printed. I'll echo everyone else: Road crossings are a non-issue.

[atraildreamer]

A compass, even one of those little button size ones, would keep you going int the right direction.