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Debate: Did that ranger's shortcut really save us 3 miles or add 5?
So last summer on the Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon, a ranger at the trailhead told my group to skip the side trail to Dollar Lake and take a 'faster' cross-country route through a saddle. She said it would cut off 3 miles and save us an hour. My buddy was all for it, but I had this nagging feeling about route-finding in talus fields. Well, we spent 2 hours picking through loose rock and ended up back on the main trail almost 5 miles later, totally beat. Has anyone else followed advice from a ranger or local that seemed solid but turned into a longer day?
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the_viola7d agoTop Commenter
Read in an old trail guide that saddle is infamous for that.
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the_viola7d agoTop Commenter
Ugh yeah, pacing is key. Short breaks saved me.
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