Switched from a topo map to a GPS route app on the Pemi Loop and kinda regret it

Did the Pemi Loop in NH last month. Had my paper map ready but also loaded AllTrails on my phone to try it out. The GPS was nice for telling me exactly where I was but it killed the fun of figuring out the terrain myself. Felt like I was just following a line on a screen instead of actually navigating. Missed a small side trail to a viewpoint because the app showed it as a faint line. Anyone else ever ditch the tech and go back to paper maps for certain routes?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_sullivan18d ago

Wait you missed a whole viewpoint because the app showed it as a faint line? That's wild, I'd be so mad. Paper maps never ghosted me like that.

mark61117d ago

Mila Sullivan, I gotta say I think you're making this out to be a bigger deal than it really is. These apps are just tools, not perfect guides. Losing a viewpoint because a line was faint sounds more like user error to me than the app's fault. You're still supposed to use your eyes and common sense, not just follow a digital map blindly. Paper maps had their own problems too, like getting wet or tearing. People get too worked up about things like this nowadays.