>>1722368Got mixed up in a blizzard once on a mountain ridge, went down the wrong side of the mountain. Realized the mistake after about an hour, decided just to beeline for the nearest road. Not that big a deal but it did add around 6 hours to what was supposed to be a relatively short daytrip.
Lesson: use a compass during a whiteout, even retracing your steps isn't necessarily easy
Second time, accidentally followed an animal trail when the regular trail ran out, ended up on a several hour detour. Again, not seriously lost, but ended up bushwacking for a while to get back to the right area.
Lesson: don't follow a trail just because you can't see another one
Third time, not really lost per-se (could easily retrace steps to go home) but couldn't find the right route to get between three valleys (compass wasn't declinated properly). "Wasted" 3 days exploring side valleys before finding the right route.
Lesson: set your declination before you leave
