Spent 12 hours on the Eagles Nest Loop, one wrong turn changed my whole route planning

Sage Moore · 2026-08-10T00:40:04.369859+00:00

I did the Eagles Nest Loop near Durango last October and thought I had the map memorized. Took a cutoff that looked fine on the app but turned into a sketchy game trail that dead ended after 3 miles of bushwhacking. By the time I backtracked it was dark, cold, and I ran out of water a mile before the creek crossing. Now I carry a paper topo map and physically trace my route with a pencil before I leave the trailhead. Never trusted GPS alone again after that night. Has anyone else had a trail junction that looked obvious on screen but was totally different on the ground?

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Spent 12 hours on the Eagles Nest Loop, one wrong turn changed my whole route planning | Backpacking Routes - Free To Speak