Old Crow
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GPS/paper-map storytime...
This thread reminds me of two bicycle-campers I met this Spring in Florida at Osceola National Forest's Ocean Pond campground. I had noticed them come in and set up nearby the previous evening. The next morning I ran into them at the shower building. They were a 30-ish couple from Massachusetts who told me they were mountain-biking from the Georgia-Florida border to Key West and trying to do as much of it as possible on the Florida National Scenic Trail.
They were hanging out at the shower building to charge their smartphones and had a small GPS (one of the Etrex ones, I believe). Oddly, they asked if I knew where we were, how far it was to the nearest town, and how to get to the nearest Florida Trail segment (which they had to have crossed on the way in to the campground). Their questions seemed a little off but maybe they were just trying to confirm what they already knew. But according to their body language, they were a bit lost and upset about it.
I answered as best I could and asked how the GPS was working out for them. The guy said not very well as he had downloaded a route someone had made of the trip they wanted to take but the GPS wasn't working. Each time they tried to use it, the GPS would calculate for 45 minutes and then try to take them to the beginning of the route. Every time. Uh-oh.
I knew the Florida state road map shows the Florida Trail so I offered to get mine from my truck for them to look at while I showered and maybe that would help them get oriented. (I also have a Delorme Gazetteer for Florida in the truck and figured I might have to get that out for more detail or perhaps use some of the maps on my iPad. The Florida Trail admin office in Gainesville happens to be only about 60 miles on along their general course-line. They could pick up paper maps of the trail there.)
When I came out of the shower their body language was very different: they were oriented. I told them they were welcome to keep the map as I could easily get another. They were now quite happy and anxious to get on with their day. The guy told me they had decided they'd bike into Lake City and get a big breakfast and a motel and then decide what to do next. That prompted the woman to ask if I'd join them for a selfie shot. She said she'd title it "This is (Old Crow) and he gave us the map."
.
This thread reminds me of two bicycle-campers I met this Spring in Florida at Osceola National Forest's Ocean Pond campground. I had noticed them come in and set up nearby the previous evening. The next morning I ran into them at the shower building. They were a 30-ish couple from Massachusetts who told me they were mountain-biking from the Georgia-Florida border to Key West and trying to do as much of it as possible on the Florida National Scenic Trail.
They were hanging out at the shower building to charge their smartphones and had a small GPS (one of the Etrex ones, I believe). Oddly, they asked if I knew where we were, how far it was to the nearest town, and how to get to the nearest Florida Trail segment (which they had to have crossed on the way in to the campground). Their questions seemed a little off but maybe they were just trying to confirm what they already knew. But according to their body language, they were a bit lost and upset about it.
I answered as best I could and asked how the GPS was working out for them. The guy said not very well as he had downloaded a route someone had made of the trip they wanted to take but the GPS wasn't working. Each time they tried to use it, the GPS would calculate for 45 minutes and then try to take them to the beginning of the route. Every time. Uh-oh.
I knew the Florida state road map shows the Florida Trail so I offered to get mine from my truck for them to look at while I showered and maybe that would help them get oriented. (I also have a Delorme Gazetteer for Florida in the truck and figured I might have to get that out for more detail or perhaps use some of the maps on my iPad. The Florida Trail admin office in Gainesville happens to be only about 60 miles on along their general course-line. They could pick up paper maps of the trail there.)
When I came out of the shower their body language was very different: they were oriented. I told them they were welcome to keep the map as I could easily get another. They were now quite happy and anxious to get on with their day. The guy told me they had decided they'd bike into Lake City and get a big breakfast and a motel and then decide what to do next. That prompted the woman to ask if I'd join them for a selfie shot. She said she'd title it "This is (Old Crow) and he gave us the map."
.