Got stranded on the Pacific Crest Trail for 6 hours near Donner Pass last month because my GPS died

2 comments

2 Comments

And that whole "follow the stream downhill" trick saved me once too, but the problem is you don't always know if that creek leads to a road or just a bigger canyon. It's wild how disorienting it gets even just a quarter mile off the trail, like the forest just swallows up all sense of direction. I've started carrying a cheap backup compass ever since my own GPS scare, feels silly but better than sitting there waiting for sunset.

mitchell.mark1mo ago

Oh man, that's rough! I had almost the exact same thing happen to me on a hike in the Sierras a couple years back. My phone just up and died (battery drain from the cold, I think) and I was totally lost for about five hours. It's amazing how fast you can get turned around, especially with no cell service. I ended up following a stream downhill and thankfully hit a logging road, but I swear I was starting to freak out a little. Glad you made it out okay, that's a scary spot to be stranded.