Figured the paid GPS app was a waste until it got me off a wrong turn near Mount Adams

Logan Bailey · 2026-09-22T00:10:03.447906+00:00

I always figured the free maps on my phone were enough and refused to pay for a real GPS app for years. Last month on a loop near Mount Adams the trail just vanished under a snow patch and my phone had zero signal, so I was stuck guessing. My buddy pulled out his paid app and it had the route cached offline with the actual trail line, and we were back on track in 15 minutes. I bought it the next day for $30 a year, which is way less than the gas I wasted driving around lost. Anyone else carry a backup offline map, or do you just trust the paper one?

The Community Guide

Loading…

Figured the paid GPS app was a waste until it got me off a wrong turn near Mount Adams | Backpacking Routes - The Community Guide