Lost Confessions

“Looked for a thread about being lost in the woods, found nothing. Maybe its some sort of rule that no none should ever admit to? It may be that it doesnt count since I didnt spend the night and it was hunting but I came out of the woods at 7pm two hours after nightfall and 3 miles in the opposite direction where I thought I was. No compass and a wrong mental map of the area was my utter stupidity but Ive been to this area a few times and wasnt planning on venturing all too far. Near dusk after walking in a horseshoe pattern, I figured I had to keep right off a logging trail to ge back out but thought if I zig zagged a little to the left I could get back to my starting point quicker. Well it turns out it wasnt a horseshoe that I walked in it was more like an "L". Made one too many lefts, and those rights turned into going in the complete opposite direction. Thought for sure I was going to spend the night and after sweating way too much with the low thirties getting closer to the high twenties. Finally decided on finding a logging trail and sticking to it no matter what. It turned out to be straight and after a while saw car lights down in a valley and made tracks. As it became clear too me where I was my brain would not accept it. That is probably the hardest part. I can only imagine what its like to be really lost.”

“It can happen so easily. Sounds like you picked the right way out though.”

“glad you got out dude”

“Lost? Ha! Never! Like Daniel Boone I've never been lost but I have been a bit discombobulated for a few days at a time.”

“What would I give if I would loose this confusion”

“Beats me, Euro.”

“if you don't care where you're going, you're never lost”

“I tend to forget to watch for blazes sometimes and wander off on game trails. Never have gotten lost per se. I always figure out I'm not on the trail within a few minutes and make my way back from where I came. It's just a matter of time before I stumble off a cliff or have to resort to using my whistle. ;)”

“Yah. I've had to backtrack before and have done my share of bushwacking to get back on track but never truly lost. Usually tho, I have some prominent landmarks (mtns) to help guide me.”

“I remember years ago in Snowdonia, had a fog came down that left me almost unable to see my hand in front of my face. I eventually stumbled across a road.

GPS and a good map are wonderful things to have in your pack at that point. Worth every oz even if you don't use it day-to-day.”

“The furthest off-course I have ever been was on the Old Loggers Path in upstate PA. This is a 28-mile (32-mile?) loop that a group of us was doing one weekend.

Most of the group met on Friday night and hiked in four miles to camp. I drove up early Saturday morning, figuring I would just hike fast and catch up to them by lunchtime. I did not have a map (had made a half-hearted effort to obtain one) but the trail was well marked.

I had been hustling for an hour or so when I realized that I had no idea if I was travelling clockwise or counter-clockwise around the loop. Not that it mattered much because I had no idea which way the rest of the group had gone, either. :)

So I just figured, ok, eventually I will catch them regardless of whether we are going the same way or opposite ways (in which case I would continue and solo hike the loop.)

Around 1:30, going the opposite direction, I encountered the group, who convinced me to turn around and hike with them, which I did.

So, was I lost? No...but it sort of felt that way for a few hours.”

“Hey Sassafras, remember Roaring Plains??

Twelve years ago I got lost on the plateau for about a day and a half in rain and fog and spruce and laurel.................map and no compass and no sun with which to orient my map.

Six years later with Skullcap and Goose I found the trail which had eluded me before.
Good thing I didn't lose those two up there.
The bodies would have never been found in all that growth.”

“i confess...i once watched lost and thought it sucked”

“'Lost? I'm not lost, I know exactly where I am - I'm here. Camp is lost.'

Horace Kephart, Camping and Woodcraft; New York, 1917”

“How could I forget roaring plains?! I've gotta get back there soon...”

“I will be back to hiking March 2009 and Roaring Plains perhaps on Memorial Day Weekend.”

“Thought I get a few more confessions to relieve the panic from Sunday but oh well. The best thing someone said to me was "you're not trying hard enough if you dont get lost", somehow that made me feel better.

And a special thanks for “'Lost? I'm not lost, I know exactly where I am - I'm here. Camp is lost.'

Horace Kephart, Camping and Woodcraft; New York, 1917”
Gremlin”

“Once while in high school and hunting in CO, a hunting partner pointed me down the wrong ridge and I ended up 3 miles and two mountian ridges away from camp. I really hoofed it and made it to camp just as dark set in.

Snowstorms on the mountain can mess up ones orientation.

Thick endless forest can be a pain in the butt too.

I also try to make a point to be at camp BEFORE dark just for that reason.”