Priory Navigation With Map and Compass

Introduction

For this exercise, we used the map and compass skills that we had learned previously for Assignment #5 in the field.  Thus, the study area is the same as for that entry.

Methods

We started at the parking lot.  We were given a sheet that lists fifteen separate points by the point’s lat/long and elevation.  Each group was assigned a course of five points. Our team marked our five points on the Transverse Mercator map that we had created previously and printed.  Five points does not seem like much.  We double check them.  Two of our points’ elevations do not match between what is listed on the sheet for the point and the elevation on the topo map in the point’s approximate location.  We are unable to figure out what is wrong.

The sheet listing the course points with lat/long and elevation.

The map that we had printed out for our use.

All the same, we start from a light post.  We lay out the map and place the compass on the line between our current position and Point 1.  We orient the north arrow on the compass dial to align with the north orientation on the map.  Lifting the compass off of the map and placing red in the shed, we have our direction.  We head off.  I am the one using the map and compass, while Travis and Jeremy move ahead of me.  I look for a landmark along our distance line and tell them to go to it.  When I reach them, I take another bearing, find another landmark, and send them to it again.  The majority of landmarks will be trees, hopefully distinctive enough ones that they can be pointed out in the middle of a forest.   For Point 1, we head out of the parking lot into the woods.  We walk down a short hill.  There is a nice tall tree with yellow leaves that works as a good landmark.  Just before it, we find the orange and white flag that signifies each point.  At this point and all of the others there is a puncher that is to be used to punch out a distinctive pattern of dots on a card that each team carries.  This ensures that we actually did make it to the point.

This day is, for me, a series of finding the bearing, spotting a landmark, getting to the landmark, and repeating the process.  To get to Point 2, we continue down the slope until we reach a ravine.  At the bottom, clearly visible, is the second flag.  We all head down to it and get the punch.  Up to this point, our group and another have been neck and neck, but after this point, we break up.  Looking at our map, the shortest path as the crow flies to Point 3 would involve heading straight up the other steep side of the ravine, heading across a flat area, and then down and up a second ravine.  The other group begins this path, but encounters sharp thorns.  We decide to take an alternate route.  We plot on our map a path that will lead us around the second ravine.  Walking out of this ravine on a gradual slope takes us to its edge.  From there, it should be a straight shot to the next point.

Example of one of the flags, this one in the bottom of the ravine.

It seems to be going well.  We are able to avoid the second ravine and are marching in the proper direction when we spot the distinctive orange of a flag.  At this point we make a critical mistake and abandon our path to head straight for it.  At the time, maybe we figured that our bearing was a bit off due to our sidetrack.  More likely, we saw the flag and just assumed it was ours.  We got our punch and were taking our new bearing when our Professor and his course taveling companion walked up to observe.  Our bearing pointed up a tall hill.  We had gotten nearly to the top when I heard shouting coming from the base.  We were going the wrong way, the voice shouted.  We walked back down to our Professor who told us that what we thought was Point 3 was actually Point 7, and if we had continued up that hill we would have gotten way off course.  We thanked him, and, after getting pointed in the proper direction, walked on to our next point.  This error taught us the importance of keeping track of your bearing and pace at all times, and not simply abandoning it when a possible point was in sight. 

The rest of the exercise is largely uneventful.  I regret wearing shorts and a t-shirt, as the undergrowth tore my arms and legs up pretty decently.  Ours was the first group to complete the course.  One thing that I think helped us to do this was in keeping our landmarks close.  That way, it was easy to reach them and take the next bearing; we were able to keep pretty well on the move without a lot of long pauses.