Absolutely. If you've got a clear view across a valley or hollow to the ridge on the other side you should be able to locate a point on that ridge by it's shape represented on a topo map. That's always be easy for me, but I've seen some people struggle with it.

Personally, I struggle with the way Google shades their 3D representations of topography on their maps. I see it in reverse. The peaks look like valleys to me.


I've never heard or even really thought about that before. I like that. I'll remember that when showing others where we're at on a map.

You know, Lewis and Clark made maps as they went and kept daily journals of their travels. When I'm talking about "remembering" I'm thinking more about where you take shorter hikes to visit a spot not far from where you've set up camp.

For example, last week I took 3 people with me on a short bushwhack down a creek. When we reached a fork where another creek joined the one we were on I pointed out that a trail crossed there that led back to where we'd all parked going one way, and back to my camp going the other. Then we continued on.

On the way back everyone with me wanted to take the wrong fork back to where I was camped, and they were all convinced I was leading them the wrong way when I insisted they follow me. It wasn't until they saw my bright orange tent they were convinced otherwise.

The point is, between the three of them they didn't recognize a single thing on the way back. Not a tree, or any rock formations, not even the fork in the creek that I'd stopped them at and pointed out to them, nothing.

All I needed to recall going back is that a we came down on the right side of the 1st fork in the creek and right above the next fork on the right was where I was camped.

If you practice stopping and making a point to look around and find something unique you will recall it. I've learned to make this a habit by kicking myself when I forget to do it. I still forget sometimes though. It's pretty easy to just walk and let the scenery pass by.