Got lost off-trail in Yosemite and had to backtrack 4 miles

I was hiking the Pohono Trail near Glacier Point and took a wrong turn at a meadow around mile 6. Ended up in thick brush for an hour before I pulled out my map and realized I was way off. Had to retrace my steps back to the junction and lost almost 2 hours of daylight. Anyone else ever waste time following a false trail off a popular route?

3 comments

3 Comments

jakel367d ago

Ngl getting lost is part of the fun sometimes, those wrong turns teach you more about reading terrain than any map. If you'd kept going you might've discovered a cool hidden spot or a new route nobody talks about. Backtracking 4 miles beats staying on the boring trail every time, just bring a headlamp next time.

the_tara7d ago

Gotta agree with @jakel36 on this one, I once took a "shortcut" that turned into a 3 hour detour through a creek bed lol. Headlamp saved my butt but I also found this rad little waterfall nobody talks about, so worth it. The wrong turns are the ones you remember most, like that time I ended up in a random berry patch instead of the summit. Just wish I had better night vision for the hike back, my phone flashlight was useless. But yeah, the boredom of a straight trail is way worse than a few extra miles.

maryt627d ago

Bet the berries were worth more than the summit view anyway, @the_tara. Nothing says "victory" like stuffing your face in the dark hoping you didn't grab a poison one.