I’m Lost

Okay, I’m lost!

How did this happen? I’m out running on a trail I’ve been on before. I shouldn’t be lost. Where in the world am I?

Being lost is a very frustrating feeling. If you have never been lost before, trust me, you don’t want it to happen to you. But if it does follow these quick tips.

Don’t Panic: You look around and realize that things don’t look the way they should. Your heart rate starts to go up, panic is trying to set in, and you realize that you are not where you should be. Stay patient, stay calm. This isn’t the end.

First: Stop! Don’t go anywhere. Once you realize your lost, don’t let that panic set in and start running around like a crazy person. That can only make things worse.

Second: Start to evaluate the situation. When do you last remember seeing something you know was accurate? Can you see or hear anything that sounds familiar? Look around. What do you see?

Third: Get out your navigation tools; Map, compass, gps, or phone. You should always have something on you. What you use depends on how far into the backcountry you are going. If you are on a trail, stay on it! There is no need to wander further away from a landmark.

Fourth: Create a plan based off of your observations from steps two and three.

Because I’m writing this, you know I survived.
Here’s how it all went down.

It’s January. It’s cold. The ground and trails are all covered with leaves. Everything looks the same. I’m Lost. Ok, well not Lost (I’m only about 10 miles from my house), but lost and frustrated. I’m out running along a trail I’ve run before. In fact, I was on this trail three days ago, but today went differently. I look up and realize I’m not where I should be. I don’t recognize any of this. Sure, the woods can all look the same, but when you run a trail enough you get to know the twists and turns. I stop and look around. Nothing looks familiar, but I know I’m on a trail and I pull out my map. I always carry a map for this area, because, well… I’ve done this before. So, what was the last thing I remember?

I know that about 5 minutes before I passed a trail crossing that was familiar. Okay, so at least 5 minutes ago I knew where I was. Good, I’m not super lost. I look at my training watch, figure out what my running pace was, and now I know I’m about three quarters a mile from that trail crossing.

This area has all sorts of side trails that are used by mountain bikers, horse back riders, hikers, and like me today, trail runners. The down side is, not all of those trails are on the map.

I find that trail crossing I knew on the map, look at the distance I’ve traveled, and now have a pretty rough idea of where I am. I’m in the woods, and now not as lost as I thought I was. I decide to backtrack down the trail. I jog back, watching for familiar things until I found where I lost my trail. About six minutes later I am back where I should be on my training run.

I had wandered onto a side trail when stepping over a small tree that was across the trail. I made a mental note of that wrong turn. Later I wanted to come back to explore where that trail goes and how it connects to everything.

Getting lost doesn’t have to be scary or even a bad thing. Just don’t let panic set in and use the most important tool you carry with you. Your brain.