A ranger at Mount Rogers told me my route plan had a hole in it and I haven't stopped thinking about it

Victor Adams · 2026-10-21T09:55:05.314178+00:00

I ran into a backcountry ranger at the Mount Rogers trailhead in Virginia back in May and she asked to see my route plan, then pointed out that my bailout point on the second day sat 4 miles from any real trail. She said "a plan that only works if nothing goes wrong isn't a plan," and honestly that line has stuck with me on every trip since. How do you all pick your bailout points, do you map them out ahead of time or just wing it based on the terrain?

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A ranger at Mount Rogers told me my route plan had a hole in it and I haven't stopped thinking about it | Backpacking Routes - Hub Chatter