Compass Lost and Found

Last March at the Maternity Well Score-O I lost my thumb compass. FYI, this wasn’t the first time I lost my compass during a course. I've also lost my e-punch stick, my map, and my reading glasses. I need a chaperone. Anyway, I finished the course without a compass, which wasn’t a problem since it was a sunny day and there were plenty of terrain features to keep my map oriented.

The Author, With the Whole Course Tied to his Waist so He Won't Lose Anything!

I planned to return in a week or two and retrace my steps between controls 124 and 122. Well, life intervened and I didn’t get back until late August. I hadn’t counted on the reduced ground visibility due to the monsoon growth of grass, much thicker than in March. Luckily, I had saved my course map. After every course I always pencil my actual route in red, as best I can remember.

The Search Area for the Lost Compass

Carol Smythe came with me so we could cover more ground. Because of a lack of parking along the road, we had to do it in reverse. So off we went, with me trying to retrace my steps in reverse, and Carol following me slightly off to my right so we could cover a wider swath in case I was a little off-route. After a while I noticed that there was a widening gap between us. So we made a plan to close the gap and stay 10 feet apart, with my remembered route between us…5 feet to my right and 5 feet to her left. We figured each of us could scan 5 feet to either side in the new grass, if we walked slowly. Our combined field of view would then cover a swath 20 feet across.

We continued on, and in less than one minute she found it directly in her new path. If we had not made the correction when we did, we would have missed it.

I’m happy to report that the compass was in fine shape after 5 months of Arizona sun , with only the elastic thumb band being faded.

Serendipity? Or a good plan? You decide.

BTW, I recommend always drawing in your actual route within minutes of finishing every course. The more exact, the better. Our webmaster, Ludwig Hill, introduced me to this training aid 20+ years ago. It's a great way to do a quick route choice review, especially when showing your route to others after the course. And it will also help you find your lost compass.