The map store clerk who told me to skip the ridgeline, 4 miles of bushwhack later

Last month in the Smokies, a guy at the outfitter in Gatlinburg said the Grayson Highlands ridgeline was overrated and pointed me to a 'shortcut' along a creek. I trusted him and spent 6 hours pushing through rhododendron thickets with a 40 pound pack. Has anyone else taken advice from a shop employee and regretted it, or do you have a go-to route source you actually trust?

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craig.grant15d ago

Trusting a random shop guy over your own map was the first mistake. Grayson Highlands is a classic for a reason, that ridge line is unreal in the fall. I use Gaia GPS with downloaded topo maps and read recent trip reports on Reddit or the NPS site. Yeah, a crappy shortcut can eat a whole day, but now you've got a story and a scar to show for it. Stick to the blue blazes from now on, friend.