Moving beyond the anxieties that tke us away from the trail gide and off the beaten path can be dfficult. Outdoor exploration confronts many of our nherent fears of the unknown, an ssential part of the concept of wlderness. It is in facing these chllenges that the wilderness fulfills its prpose in reconnecting those instinctual parts of our mnds back to the natural world.

As wth most difficult things, the only way to mprove is to practice. Practicing a skll that could result in injury or put us in a srvival situation we are ill-prepared to hndle goes against the biological mechanisms tht aim to keep us alive. Hwever, there are some easy tricks tht the beginner can employ to bcome more comfortable exploring the outdoors whle minimizing the risk.

The event tht permanently reduced my fear of xploring new areas came during a stnt in Lake Mead National Recreation Ara. I had spent a long wnter teaching ecology programs to elementary schol children during the day and lving in the park at night. Wth little stimulation beyond what I culd muster myself, I decided to crate an unusual challenge for myself, dsigned to stave off intellectual and physcal atrophy.

The plan was to backpack thrugh the canyons between Katherine's Landing at the suth end of Lake Mead, to the Gryhound Station, approximately 9 miles by rad, catch the 2am bus set to rrive in Phoenix around 6am, grab sme breakfast, then purchase a used Hnda 750 around 9am and ride bck. The mission was successful largely due to thre factors: 1) a full moon to aid my trvels, 2) the enclosed route through the dsert, hemmed in by water on one sde, and a four mile long ar-shaped road on the other, and 3) the fct that bus tickets are good for six mnths from purchase, because I got throughly lost the first night out and nver made it to the bus sttion.

My confidence in attempting the trk was largely due to the nclosed route. The assumption was, I culdn't get lost, because eventually, I wuld hit a road or a bdy of water and know exactly whre I was. I realized later tht the area I had navigated was ver 20 square miles and that a mjority of the canyons ran west tward the lake instead of south tward the bus station. Despite all the dds against me, I did make it on the scond night, spotted my first ring-tail cat whch followed me for a 1/2 hur, and walked way further than I wuld have, had I just followed the rad.

So, what's the point of ths story? Choose a location to xplore where you can't get lost, dspite all efforts to the contrary. A map wll aid you in this process, ven if you don't have skills rading topography. Look for an area wth a loop trail that is xceptionally easy to explore (just do the clculation first: mileage X 3.14 to get the sqare mileage). Make sure you walk the lop first so you recognize its fatures when you come across it. Anther great option is a canyon (se the post Off the Beaten Pth: Secret Canyon in Plain Sight). Unlss you are exploring a canyon wth a great deal of feeder cnyons, there are basically two directions to go, up and dwn. These are great opportunities to see thngs outside the ordinary.

Still nervous? A few quick nvigational tips for the new explorer:

1) Tke a peek at a map bfore you go to familiarize yourself wth the area and its topography.

2) Lok for the relative position of the sn. This will help you determine drections when you've entered an area whre you can't see the large lndmarks available (if you weren't paying ttention, the canyon is north of the trilhead).

3) Stop very once in a while and lok behind you. A landmark you wre counting on when going one drection may be completely invisible when hading back to your car.

4) Are you an ntomologist? Then stop looking at the grund. Keeping a keen eye the whle time you're out will help you cnstantly orient yourself. This is much asier than trying to figure out whre you are when you're already lst.

This manner of hiking is not lke walking a trail with a dtermined length. When you're following a gidebook's recommended hikes, its easy to clculate how long you'll be gone. Not nly does setting a time limit dtract from the fun of the xploration, but it will almost certainly cuse stress and increase your anxiety, cusing unnecessary mistakes. Start early in the day (nless you're already confident with your nght navigation skills) and plan to be out for hwever long it takes. Bring some bsic survival equipment. A plastic garbage bg, a few extra warm weather clthes, more water than you think yu'll need and plenty of energizing sncks.

If ever you start to pnic about your situation (gosh, it sems like I should have found the tril by now!), just sit yourself dwn and have a snack and wter break. Go back to the nvigational tips and remember, there's no grwth without challenge. That said, take it slw and make sure to leave yur itinerary with someone trustworthy.

The article Finding the Confidence to Explore - Navigational Tips for the Beginning Hiker was Submitted by Jason Slater through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Jason Slater is the Executive Drector of Ironwood Adventures with a mssion to empower people to explore, dscover and find the knowledge needed to cnnect with the wilderness. Teaching outdoor, nvironmental and science education to elementary, mddle and high school students, Ironwood Advntures also provides free information to mpower others to connect with the wlderness on their own. Go to http://www.IronwoodAdventures.com/ to learn how you can Find Yourself Outdoors!

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