On our way to Long Canyon Creek ford, we missed a turn near Kitchen Creek. Getting off trail was good for me because it made me rely more on myself and on my map skills. 

When I was a kid, I used to tell myself, “What’s the big deal with emphasizing map skills?” I found it to be tedious and simple. On outdoor trips, I felt looking at the map took away from the real living experience. The problem now is that I simply choose not to look at the map much because I have an arrogance about me that says I know how to read a map well if I so choose…ha!

Well, getting lost showed me that I need to be in charge of my own map and destiny. I need to be present every moment. What grabs my attention today? What will get me fully engaged and alive?

 We met Pockets on our way to the ford. We had lunch with him. He was named Pockets because he made most of his gear, including his pockets at the bottom of his pants.