[Philmont]: Full Versus Sectional Maps

I must admit, I am quite surprised (stunned, really) that a trail that
was on the full map was not on the corresponding sectional. I'm
thinking that had to be a mistake, not an omission by design. Anyone
else ever run into this on other parts of the Ranch?

- Dr. Bob

Dave Parmly wrote:
> Per Tom's message below, I can only say "Not so fast my friend".
> Sometimes having more than one map can be helpful. QED:
>
> Coming out of Baldy Town on the trail that brings you down and around
> the "Southern Approach" to Baldy, we took a side trail that had a sign
> indicating "To Baldy". Violated Rule # 3 for signs "Don't Trust Them".
> Anyway, we ended up bushwhacking up a big draw that runs on an
> almost-straight east-west line on the eastern side of Baldy. By the
> time the trail petered out after almost a klick, we realized we were NOT
> on a trail we wanted. We did not want to go back. The sectional was
> pulled out by the Navi-Guesser. We saw the draw we were in, saw the
> stream that ran through it, saw the spring where it originated further
> up the hillside. What the sectional did not show was that a trail from
> the north side of Baldy cut along the eastern side and ran down to
> eventually run in to the trail for the southern route. I was carrying
> the larger scale / single map given by Philmont so I could keep up with
> the Navi-Guesser. That map showed that there was a trail up ahead at
> the spring that would take us where we wanted to go. We had a brief
> Council-of-War, decided that we did not want to pay for the same ground
> twice, pressed up the hill a few hundred more meters and sure enough,
> when we hit the spring, we hit the trail my map showed, but which did
> not appear on the sectional. We decided that if we got to the spring
> and there was no trail, we could always reverse our tracks at that
> point.
>
> Lessons Learned:
> 1. All maps lie when it comes to man-made objects. The terrain does not
> lie. We knew exactly where we were. The problem was choosing the best
> way to get to where we wanted to be.
> 2. Having another map doesn't hurt and could give you options you didn't
> have before. Of course, my map could have been wrong and the sectional
> correct.
> 3. Have a spot that you can return to where you know exactly where you
> are so you can try another approach.
> 4. Let the boys decide what to do. Encourage or discourage certain
> perspectives and don't forget the overriding consideration of safety,
> but let them choose. They are more willing to accept the consequences
> when they made the choice.
>
> Dave Parmly
> Philmont 2004

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Received on Tue Mar 22 21:23:43 2005