A class of 12 students met at the Greene County Library on Saturday, January 16, 2016 to work on their navigational skills using both map and compass and smartphone GPS apps under the tutelage of Mark Perschel and Jeff Monroe. Mark has completed the legendary hiking “Triple Crown,” having hiked all of the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. He believes that the skills he taught the group have saved his life on the trail.
Students included Iva Gillet, Nancy Weiss, Carol Wise, Susanna Williams, Lorna Werntz, Barbara Martin, Emerald Young, Geoff Manning-Smith, Paul Embry, Katherine Quartuccio, Tony Lagana, and CJ Woodburn.
Mark recommended the Gaia app for iPhones and the Backcountry Navigator app for Android phones. The class started out going over basic map and compass skills, using a publication by National Geographic found online. The class progressed to cell phone GPS apps and looked at Youtube videos easily found by searching that site. Jeff advised folks to use Youtube extensively to learn these skills, as there are a lot of great videos online that anyone can watch multiple times. You cannot connect with the concepts completely with only a single viewing.
The group went out to a local park and after lunch and beers supplied by Mark, went out searching for plastic eggs set out around the park and waypoints in their phones. The group used both compasses and cell phones to locate these items with a minimum of battery use, mirroring conditions on the trail. The class was urged to keep playing with these apps until they become second nature and to go out and teach others these concepts – this knowledge can save a life!
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