Tracking Your Position in a Desert Canyon
Conventional techniques can be nearly useless when you're trying to track your location in one of the Southwest's steep-walled sandstone canyons. The vertical walls usually block your view of nearby landmarks, and the canyon itself may lack features that can be clearly identified on the map. GPS receivers may have trouble locking on to satellite signals. The secret is to start using your map and compass at the very beginning of the trip. The best clue to your location is the direction the canyon is heading. As you enter the canyon, orient your map. In this situation, I like to carry the map and compass in my hand as I walk, referring to it every few hundred yards. Mark your position on the map with your thumbnail and continue along the canyon. Let's say the canyon starts out heading north, then bends to the east. If you keep your map oriented as you hike, you'll notice immediately when the canyon begins its bend and you begin traveling east. Move your thumbnail to your new position. Continue in this way, tracking each twist and turn of the canyon until you reach your destination. Such careful route-finding may be unnecessary if you are planning to do an out-and-back hike with no particular turn-around point in mind. If you're searching for a particular side-canyon or petroglyph, however, or are attempting a loop that requires you to exit the canyon at a particular point, this method is invaluable.

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