How to Find Your Way

First, check the age of your map. "The USGS [U.S. Geological Survey] topos that most hikers use can be severely outdated," says champion orienteer Kristin Hall. Over the years, fires, floods, and development may have changed the face of the land. Trails and roads may have been rerouted. Yet these transient features are often the very ones people use to get their bearings.

So, unless your map is absolutely current, Hall recommends orienting yourself using only "the big features that aren't going to change—valleys, mountains, lakes."

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January/February 2002:
In the Magazine | Excerpts | Adventurer's Handbook | Sierra Ski Photos | Grand Canyon | Deadly Conservationist | Forum | Snowboard Boots, Bindings | Travel Tools | Everglades Guide