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My buddy insisted I skip the switchbacks on the PCT near Mount Hood
He said it would save an hour, but the 'shortcut' was a washed-out scree slope that took me three hours to navigate safely. Anyone else been given terrible route advice that sounded good at the time?
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lilya7615d ago
Worst advice I ever got was from a guidebook that was ten years out of date.
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the_linda15d ago
Honestly, shortcuts on trails are almost never worth it. That scree slope by Hood is a known problem, people get stuck there every season. Tbh I've learned to just smile and nod when someone suggests cutting switchbacks, then do the real trail anyway. A lost hour is way better than a busted ankle or a full-on rescue call. Always check recent trail reports if you can, conditions change fast.
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linda11415d ago
Check those old guidebooks for the stories, not the routes. @lilya76 is right, a decade changes everything from washouts to new fences. Honestly, I saw a guy last year try a "shortcut" from a 2012 book and he ended up waist-deep in a creek that wasn't on the map. What's the most outdated trail tip you've actually seen someone try to follow?
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