Rant: New hiker told me my route planning was overkill, then got stuck

On the PCT near Tuolumne Meadows last August, a younger guy laughed at my paper maps and spoke about just winging it. He said “you don't need all that, the trail is right there.” I shrugged and kept walking, but two days later I saw him at a ranger station, lost because a fire closure had rerouted everything. He had no backup plan and no idea where the alternate started. I gave him my extra map, but it made me wonder, how many people skip the basics and then expect someone else to fix it?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_riley20d ago

Man, that really sucks but sadly it doesnt shock me at all. Some folks just assume the trail will hold their hand and then act puzzled when nature throws a curveball. Good on you for helping him out, but you shouldnt have had to be his safety net in the first place.

finleym3719d ago

safety net" is a good way to put it, but heres the thing nobody mentions: that guy probably bragged about his gear setup online before he left. People buy the expensive tent and the fancy filter and think that makes them prepared, then ignore the actual skills part. Ive seen it a hundred times, they treat gear like a substitute for experience and then blame the mountain when they screw up. You helped him out, which is cool, but maybe the real lesson is we should stop letting people like that post their "epic adventure" plans without asking them basic questions first.