Old PCT maps vs new GPS, I chose paper and paid for it

Back in 2018 I was planning a two week stretch through the Sierra and had to pick between carrying the old Tom Harrison paper maps or just relying on my phone with Guthook. I grew up on paper maps and figured they'd never fail me, so I took them. Three days in, a storm rolled through and I missed a turn near Forester Pass because the map didn't show a newer trail reroute that happened the year before. Took me an extra five hours to backtrack and find the right path. These days I carry both, but I still feel silly that I trusted the paper just because it felt more honest. Anyone else had a similar experience with old school gear on a modern trail?

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the_jesse17d ago

The bit about trusting paper because it felt more honest really hit home. My buddy Dave did the same thing on the JMT in 2019, swore by his old maps, then spent a whole afternoon wandering around Red Cones because the trail had been moved for a creek crossing. He still jokes about how his "honest" map was just lying to him with extra steps.