Update: the trail I mapped as 11 miles turned out to be 15 because I counted switchbacks flat

Thea Smith · 2026-10-25T06:00:03.496831+00:00

I planned a loop near Mount Tam last weekend and told my two friends it was an easy 11 miles, then we hit the trailhead sign saying 15.2 and they both just stared at me. Turns out I was measuring switchbacks as straight line distance on the map instead of following the actual zigzag. We still made it before dark, but I felt like a fool. Does anyone have a simple way to eyeball switchback mileage from a topo before committing to a plan?

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Update: the trail I mapped as 11 miles turned out to be 15 because I counted switchbacks flat | Backpacking Routes - Hub Chatter