I love to bushwhack but I do it in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Most areas up there have little underbrush so things go easier. I am usually trying to find a route through an area that has no maintained portages. People have been living, hunting, fishing and trapping these areas for a long, long time. My goal is to rediscover the route that has been the proven one for all generations before me.

I start by studying a topo map and then the Google Satellite images. This gives me a general idea of the topography. When I get to the area I have several options marked on my  maps. The old trails usually do not do a lot of climbing. With the heavy equipment of the old days it seemed they would rather pull through a bog than fight gravity. I am only interested in laying out high and dry routes for others to follow so I disregard the old boggy trails.

For me a GPS is the most important tool for the next stage in bushwhacking to the next lake. The GPS is loaded with the topo maps for the area I am searching. These are the steps I do before starting the bushwhack to the next lake.

1.clear the track log and have tracking activated
2.mark a waypoint for my present location
3.move the cursor to my chosen destination on the next lake's shore and record it as a waypoint
4highlight this waypoint and select "go to"
5.have map screen showing on the GPS
6.set up map screen to have two data fields at the top
7.select " pointer" and "distance to destination" for the data fields

I am now ready for my first attempt in getting to the next lake. I follow the pointer on the GPS being careful to keep the GPS level and always pointed at my destination. As I progress I go slowly and take note of the terrain to the right and to the left for better options. When I come across a great stretch of terrain I mark it as a waypoint and name it with its attribute. If I make it all the way to the next lake with no major obstacles I save the "track" my GPS has recorded and check the box so it will display on my screen. With that bread crumb trail "track" saved it is time to start with step 1 again.

Use any info you have gleaned from your first trip across to improve the route. Often times when you have worked out the best route you will spot some old blazes or cairns. This is more proof that you have found the better way across.

If this makes no sense to you or some parts are a mystery I urge you to head to a local park with the GPS and manual. A GPS is a fantastic tool but takes use in the field to master what it can do for you.