Hi Mark, Interesting story, one many of us have repeated over the years, particularly if we also enjoy hiking/backpacking. Most sites devoted to the latter describe the "10 Essentials". A compass is one of them, along with a small first aid kit, a "space blanket", that sort of thing. You can buy one now, but it's cheaper and more fun to make one up of your own. Might be a good topic for discussion over lunch once we can get the Michigan PDML gathering to settle on a date. I'll look up what I have on the subject.
You might also think about one of the Topo Map programs, that let's you print a topographic map of the area you're headed into. Bill Sawyer Detroit, MI -----Original Message----- From: Mark Cassino [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 9:49 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Lost In the Woods Yesterday I went out to a fairly small 325 acre nature preserve, to shoot some scenics with wildflowers. About a mile into the woods, furthest point in, I consulted an old map that was posted and decided to take the "Swamp Trail". About a half hour later the trail dwindled down to next to nothing, and ended in a dry stream bed. I took what I thought was the continuance of the trail only to find that it was just a little deer path that petered out a few hundred yards into thick swampy woods. Back at the dried stream bed, I was unable to relocate the original trail - which I later discovered was probably also just a little deer trail that I had stumbled onto. So, after about 15 minutes I realized I was hopelessly lost. After half an hour of wandering around searching for a trail - and almost getting stuck knee deep in the swamp muck - I finally found a really old marker sign for the trail. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no evidence of any trail near it, and I knew I was in trouble. (When I finally got out of the woods I discovered that the "Swamp Trail" no longer existed. But the really old map / sign in the heart of the woods was never updated.) Fortunately, I did have a compass with me. I ultimately had to just slog my way in a fixed direction through the woods by compass to get out. I knew that a river bordered the east side of the preserve and that the main trail intersected the river, so I just headed due east for about half an hour until I hit the river, and then hiked along the bank till I hit the main trail. All told, it toke about 2 hours before I was on a trail I knew, and was a pretty disconcerting experience. If I had not had the compass, I don't know if I ever would have gotten out - it was amazing (when using the compass) to see how poor my sense of direction really was - but it was a cloudy day, no sun or shadows for reference, and all those trees start to look alike after a while. So - I entered the woods at 9 a.m. and finally got back to my car at 3 PM, having carried my 6x7 gear and heavyweight tripod all the time. One the plus side - I think I got some good shots! I know that Marnie raised the question about emergency gear a while back. I have now resolved to always bring a compass (which I usually have done anyhow), to always bring a cell phone (mine was sitting in the car yesterday), always bring a flashlight (I realized yesterday that the compass would be pretty useless out in the dark) and always bring a pocket raincoat (it fortunately did not rain yesterday, but it looked like it was about to at any time.) A Snickers bar and bottle of water would of been handy as well.... - MCC ----- Mark Cassino Photography Kalamazoo, MI http://www.markcassino.com -----
