GPS shortcut on the JMT almost got me lost near Muir Pass

I stopped trusting the 'direct line' shortcut on my GPS app last week, it sent me up a talus field that took 3 extra hours near mile 74. Anyone else had a route app overrule the actual trail signs out there?

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viola_cooper628d ago

Mile 74 on the JMT is pretty much right before the big climb up to Muir Pass, so honestly a talus field there is just part of the deal. I’ve done that stretch a couple times and the trail itself is sketchy in spots, no app needed to make it worse. Sounds like your GPS did what they always do, it gives you a straight line on a map and ignores the fact that the ground is a pile of boulders. Three extra hours is annoying but I’d call that a win since you didn’t end up cliffed out or backtracking all the way to Bishop. People treat these apps like they’re magic, but they’re just guessing based on satellite photos half the time. Next time just follow the ducks and cairns, they’ve been there longer than any phone.