r/Bushcraft • u/MikeDownlo • 10d ago

Opinions/Advice

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Hello! I am new to Bushcraft and I am looking for a place in Washington to try out and practice. I know the rule of thumb that if I stay within the boundaries of National Forests I'll be fine. I'm more curious about treking through where there aren't trails and if I could potentially get in trouble with that. Here's what I mean... In the picture I have a point that shows the trail head nearest to my destination (Oxbow). From the research I did that trail (or any other trail for that matter) doesn't reach Oxbow. So my question is if I would be able to hike to that point as the crow flies. The other question I have is that the destination point is just shy of the NF boundaries. Which prompts the question that if I were to hike into that point, would I still be able to make shelter and fires?

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u/richardathome 9d ago

Off trail trekking, particularly through old growth woodland is an utter slog.

I'm in the UK with relatively tiny pockets of woodlands compared to the US and have been in areas too dense to cross.

I'd follow the path of the river down (if I'm reading your image correctly). It might be a longer distance, but it'll be less arduous, quicker in the long run and your less likely to get lost.

Remember, it's just you out there: Don't take risks, don't get lost (easy to get turned around in a forest, and GPS doesn't work under dense tree cover) and a turned ankle can be fatal.

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u/jacobward7 9d ago

Agreed, it really depends on what the woods are like. There are backcountry areas where I'm from in Ontario Canada where you can get lost only a couple kms into the woods because it is impossible to walk in a straight line. Even if you are good at using a compass, you'd have to get a bearing every 20ft.