The $75 map that sent me on a two day detour

I bought the 'Wilderness Trails of the North Cascades' map set last year, thinking the extra detail would help. It routed me up a washed-out trail near Cascade Pass that added a full day to my loop and cost me a food resupply. On one hand, detailed maps feel safer, but maybe a simpler guide and local beta is better. Anyone have a go-to map brand that hasn't led them astray?

4 comments

4 Comments

sage_moore372mo ago

Did you check the map's publication date? Sometimes those detailed sets aren't updated as often as they should be.

brianreed2mo ago

Sage_moore37 nailed it. My Green Trails map for the Olympics was from 2012 and showed a bridge that washed out a decade ago. Had to ford a sketchy river. Now I always check the date in the corner before I trust any detail.

kim_ramirez32mo ago

Glad you made it across, but sage_moore37 is right, that map was basically a history book.

jamie8041mo ago

Honestly, @brianreed brings up a solid point about checking dates, but this whole thing reminds me of how we trust old info everywhere, like GPS routing you through a closed road. It's the same with restaurant reviews from three years ago, sometimes the details just don't match reality anymore. Ngl, I've started treating any map or guide over two years old as more of a rough suggestion than the truth.