Biggest thing GPS is good for is helping you when you get discumbobulated when trying to come back out in the dark... and you make just the slightest faintest turn from where you *should* have turned. And since it's last light you can't see enough of the plentiful landmarks you would totally be able to lock onto and easily guide yourself out with where there some light.
And to make matters worse...once you realize you're off course, you don't want to waste any distance you covered so you foolishly think things like.. well... I should just be able to cut over this way, and meet back up with the trail/path I actually wanted to go back on over here.... only... that topo map can't shows you just how gnarly and impossible that is, and how many sh!t-tons Chaparral, Manzanita, Joshua Bush, and...heck...freakin' Poodle's Leg you're gonna have to bust thru to pioneer across. I've learned now to just suck it up and back-up on the trail line I'm on...until I can see/find/locate-on-gps the place I was supposed to turn at. Those damn shortcuts? OMFG they are nothing anywhere NEAR to ever being "shortcuts", unless you mean shortcuts to having a really bad day.
Oh man...remember this one time... the younger dude had gotten a bit more infront of me on these switchbacks. At some spot I didn't turn on the switchback trail and must have followed what apparenlty a water-draininage line. The vegetation slowly started encroching in thicker and thicker to the point where I knew I'd messed up.
Right about then, I look up and the kid is up on the next level of the switchbacks above me. A much shorter distance directly then it would take to go back down and find that switchbacked trail.
Me with my DirtBikes mentality I'm like, well ok, I'll just pioneer up to where he's at.
Good grief! Traction was horrible due to the steepness. Ya had to make sure with each step to step on the backs of clumps of grasses so the roots would hold the dirt together and not crumble and slip away.
I get like 3/4 of the way up to where he is.. then.. "Oh Great!.. Well Hello Baby RattleSnake all coiled up and nervous about me.. directly in front of me in the direction I need to go, how are you?" From the steepness... oh man, my calves were burning! And just to stand still on such a steep hillside was burning up energy like crazy, especially me with my heavy packs. I'm all like "Go on!...Go on....Goooooo! Gooo you little sh!t! Nobodies gonna f*ck with ya... for goodness sakes Gooo already!!!"
Finally....Finally.. the dumb little guy finally starts to unwind and begin to slowly move away up and over to another side.
By this point the young brother knew I was burning up... so he starts finding a line to go down and meet me on the way up. At his suggestion I ditch my pack and he hikes it up that last bit. Also was nice enough to bring me down a stick for heping with the climb and possibly checking the brush/grass prior to foot placement.
Get up to the real trail line... he leaves me a water bottle, I need to rest from that unplanned mega exertion.
I'm sitting there... wouldn't you know it... "OWW!!!" Freakin' Fire Ant bites me where I'm sittin'. Sheesh! I couldn't catch a break that day, HaHA!