Off Trail Route Planing

I apologize for posting this by mistake here, it meant to go in pre trip planing section.

My advice would be to go on a guided trip like one offered by BPL or Andrew Skurka. They could really teach you on a week long trip.

Navigating below treeline is trickier.

Perhaps start with a trail route you have done before. Maybe you've noticed a saddle or valley in the distance that looks inviting and may lead back to your known trail or destination. Study your topo maps and plan a route. Make note of compass directions, distances, landmarks and hazards. LEARN YOUR PACE over cross country terrain. If the terrain gets too sketchy, backtrack to your starting point while you still can. Leave an itinerary with someone at home.

Start small. Even a mile or two off trail is thrilling.

-Lance

Start small and do it above the treeline.

Once you get a sense of how the topo map and compass apply to the real world, you can begin to find your route in other areas. Practice by tracking your route on the trail on a topo map, and see if it makes sense.

And then you can go off trail in the middle of the forest, and wander around like the rest of us!

start by taking a class in navigation or orienteering using compass and hard copy maps, NOT GPS and electronic maps.

There are some good map and compass navigation videos on youtube.
The high sierras are an easy place to navigate, mostly it's about choosing the right routes through rough terrain.
Start easy. Find a lake off the trail. When you get more confident, travel to a second lake that's past the first lake off trail.

The most important part of navigation is associating terrain with a bunch of lines on your topo map. A great exercise is to find a place with a good view. Look at all of the terrain features in the distance. Try and associate the peaks, lakes, and canyons you can see with what's on your map.

For safety reasons install a GPS program on your smartphone. At first use it to verify you aren't making any mistakes. Once you get a little experience with off trail travel then keep it off expect for emergencies.

The Emigrant Wilderness is a great and not so difficult place to explore off trail.

I really appreciate you advice, very valuable information. I will try to start small and use my GPS as a back up. I always leave my plans with a friend before I go.
Thanks.

Hi Bradford,
I tried to apply to Skurka guided trips, but it always fills up quickly, and this years he offered very few, or their dates does not match my schedule.
But its the first time I knew about BPL trips, How can someone get in these trips?

Thanks

Email him at andrewskurka@gmail.com and ask him to get on the list for future customers. I'm sure he'll be happy to help you work it out.