Outdated trail info on apps is costing me time and energy

I planned a weekend route using a common app. It didn't mention the washed-out section, so I had to backtrack. How do you check conditions before heading out?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_rodriguez398h ago

Man, my buddy Nate had the worst time with this last month. He drove three hours to a trailhead only to find the main bridge was completely gone, washed out last spring. He had to drive to a different park and it added like two hours to his day. Now I always look for recent trail reports on hiking forums and check the park's own website right before I leave.

danielowens5h ago

Yeah that "check right before you leave" tip from @xena_rodriguez39 is so key. I got burned like Nate once, showed up to a locked gate for seasonal closure. Total waste of a morning. Now my rule is to call the ranger station directly the afternoon before. The recorded info line isn't always updated, but a real person usually knows what's going on. Saves so much headache and gas.