Discussion: Gila Wilderness

Looks like great country out there. I envy your ability to go for a daily run in such interesting terrain.

But for an orienteer, you should have both a map and compass when you start your run. There's a wealth of maps on the USDA website Perhaps some of them are also available locally. If nothing else, you could download the Pocket Guide, and sketch your route on that small map as you ran. Do you carry water when you go out? Getting lost in that country ain't no joke.

Thx. It was great. I'll miss it.
My compass was the big orange ball thing and map in my memory. As much as I appreciate your words of wisdom, in that area, my chance of getting lost was waaaaaayyyyyy down on the problem probability continuum.

Sorry. I didn't mean to infer that you couldn't handle yourself out there. Just that, for me, a trail run is always improved if I've thought ahead, and brought a compass and topo map.

And I've gone all day in the desert without water...but it is sure nice to have if, again, you've planned ahead. For me, it makes every mile enjoyable...instead of a concern that I might be overstretching the limits.

I was most worried about that bull. If he really took a dislike to me, my plan was to hide inside a big thorny bush (if I was lucky to have one nearby). I can't imagine he would hang around too long but I would eventually try squirting him with water and finally have to give someone a phone call. Of course, if I did get gored, folks knew my planned route and could follow my footsteps to the body.
I was glad not to encounter the cattle herd the second day, just the elk.

Not the prettiest way to die...

My father used to say that the closest he ever came to dying, was a time as a kid that he ventured into a farm field where there was a bull. Fortunately he reached a tree just in time as the bull charged by below, but he was stuck up there for hours.

That's one thing about orienteering in nothern Europe. You encounter dangerous animals more frequently for some reason. Once at an O-Ringen, the map had a Swedish farm on it, not marked out of bounds. So I ran right through the barnyard, and realized too late that I was in a bull pen. Fortunately he didn't make a move toward me.

Another time in France, I was biking with my girlfriend in the mountains above Burgundy and a huge boar came out of the woods right beside us and crossed the road...very dangerous. Even people in cars came to a stop and looked fearfully out of their windows.