My little lifeline. FarOut is a pretty neat invention that ruined the PCT.

On the PCT we all use the same map, a phone app called FarOut. It doesn’t take up space, it has a wealth of information and it has live GPS tracking. The crazy people use a paper map. Just guessing where they are, hoping there will be water and camping up ahead. Craziness.

The App used to be called Guthook which made no sense but was a way cooler name. Old PCT hikers will still call it Guthook to show that they did trail back in the day, they are an OG. A true OG thruey (thru-hiker before digital maps) will tell you they barely even had maps and saw no one else out there for days and days.

FarOut is spectacularly detailed. There is information about water, camping, towns, road crossings, closures, and more!
Hikers can comment on the information. Say there is a water source 4 miles ahead, a hiker can comment and say “this is not a reliable water source, it dries up in hot weather.” FarOut can keep hikers safe and hydrated.

There are lots of ways to become a celebrity on the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2022 there was a FarOut Celebrity who went by the trail name “The Machine”. If you were fortunate enough to be a few days behind The Machine then every water source would have a comment from this hiker about it’s reliability, flow rate, clarity and maybe even taste.
I passed through the entirety of the desert shepherded by the comments of this hiker. Never in doubt about my hydration I thrived. Thank you to The Machine.
We met at the base of Mt. Whitney. I was hoping he’d be an asshole but he was the coolest guy out there, doing Gods work.

FarOut also ruined the trail. It eliminates much of the unknown, much of the nuance. The unknown defines adventure. The obstacles that demand intuition, creativity and grit. Instead of solving a problem on my own I’d just look at the comments on the app, those who came before me, and solve it like they did. Whoa, is that like a principle for life or something?
The best road to hitch from? in the comments
Flat or slanted camping area? in the comments
Is the water feature swimmable? in the comments

FarOut helps to plan the days more efficiently but eliminated the surprise. Of unexpectedly approaching a lake to see glistening deep blue water under the afternoon sun with rocks on the shoreline to bask in and jump off. aka the oasis.

For my next adventure I will go where no map has gone before.