Redownloaded an old GPS file from 2016 and my 'epic route' was basically 4 miles on a fire road

I was cleaning out some old files on my laptop last night and found a GPX track from a trip I did in the Sierras almost 9 years ago. In my head I remembered this super technical, off-trail bushwhack through the John Muir Wilderness. So I pulled it up on Gaia GPS to relive the glory. Turns out it was just a flat fire road along a creek for 4 miles, then a short scramble up a boulder field. I was so embarrassed but also kind of laughing. Has anyone else dug up an old route and realized your memory totally exaggerated it?

2 comments

2 Comments

burns.richard2d ago

Wait was this out near Tuttle Creek or something? I had a similar thing happen with a track from 2014 I found on an old Garmin eTrex. I remembered this insane ridge walk above Bishop Creek that I swore was like 12 miles of exposed class 3 scrambling. Pulled it up and it was basically a 2 mile walk on an old mining road with one sketchy stream crossing. My dog at the time was with me and she was terrified of the creek crossing so that part stuck in my head but everything else just got blown way out of proportion over the years.

kim_martin2d ago

Memory is a liar. I always check GPS tracks the night before now.