I finally swapped an old AT map for a CalTopo download on that ridge near Tahoe

Used to plan entire loops in Desolation Wilderness with just a paper map and compass. Last summer I pulled up CalTopo on my phone for the same route and noticed three unmarked seasonal streams at 8500 feet that the old map just skipped over... made me wonder how many times I hauled extra water for nothing. Has anyone else had a map update save them some pack weight?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.tara24d ago

My buddy used an old map on a trip in the Sierra last fall and ended up two miles off trail because a creek had completely rerouted after a big storm. Had to bushwhack back to camp in the dark, soaking wet. New maps would have saved us like an hour of panic.

the_karen24d ago

Two miles off trail in the dark because of a creek? That's wild. @pat_coleman I gotta say, that sounds way beyond a simple seasonal change. A whole creek rerouting is major. I've seen floods do some crazy stuff, but a two mile detour is a big deal. Maybe your buddy just got unlucky with that specific storm.

pat_coleman24d ago

Are people really getting lost because of creek movements? I've been hiking the Sierra for twenty years and never had a water source change so much that I couldn't figure out where I was. Old USGS quads are incredibly accurate for the basic terrain and most creeks don't move that much unless there was a huge flood. I think some folks just don't know how to read a map properly and blame the outdated info. A seasonal stream drying up or a slight reroute shouldn't throw you off that badly if you're paying attention to the ground in front of you. Maybe the real issue is people relying too much on their phone and forgetting basic navigation skills.