Night time comes... and with it...

Navigating by map and compass alone is tough. It's tough during the day. At night? It gets so much harder. The visual cues navigators typically rely on become unavailable - being able to see where that cliff ends, how long the lake is, if you're on the first or second ridge. You suddenly have to rely on your compass bearings almost entirely, choosing routes based on distinct and (hopefully) unmissable handrails, and looking at the dark against dark horizon to gauge where you are on a lake.

The other challenge? Keeping your focus - staying on the bearing while trekking and having to re-route to avoid challenges (cliff or alder swamp anyone?), not drifting too far off your bearing and (need we mention it) getting tired as the hours continue to wear on.

But... the sunset and moonrise sure are pretty! We'll be watching the dots as darkness descends.

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