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Overheard two guys at the trailhead talking about a shortcut on the Timberline Loop
They were saying they cut off almost 4 miles by taking an old fire road that isn't on the map anymore. I stuck to the main route, but now I'm wondering about using unofficial shortcuts to save time. Do you guys ever take unmarked routes you hear about from other hikers?
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the_uma3d ago
Yeah that reminds me of my friend who tried a "shortcut" near Lake Serene last fall. Some guy at the coffee shop told him about a game trail that cut the switchbacks. He ended up waist deep in a bog, lost his shoe in the mud, and had to hike out in a sock. Took him longer to get back to his car than if he'd just stayed on the main trail. I'm with @hannah_williams on being careful, some of those tips can really backfire.
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hannah_williams8d ago
Oh man, that's a tough one. I read a story once about a guy who followed some "local knowledge" off-trail in Colorado and got totally cliffed out, had to be rescued. It really depends on the source, you know? Like, if it's some random person at a trailhead, maybe not. But if a park ranger mentions an old connector, that's different. I'd be super careful about any shortcut that isn't at least a visible path on the ground.
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