Navigating off-trail is an interesting exercise. It is much slower than backpacking on a trail. There are logs to hop over or crawl under, there are steep slopes, there are roots to trip over and willows to push through (all with heavy packs). Over time, you learn to pick easier routes, understanding the difference between meadows and swamps, north-facing and south-facing slopes, and when to dead-reckon your way and when to estimate. There’s always more to learn!

This series is during spring 2020, when all my trips are likely going to be cancelled for this next summer due to COVID-19.