ARE WE THERE YET?
Gauging Foot Distance, Sort Of...

Besides depending on a pedometer or GPS, calculating miles/yards/feet covered or yet to be covered, can be a talent, part of Sense 6, or an art form. Some claim they can feel it in their legs or by the amount of time used. Call these 'experience,' hey? A pedometer's measure varies with step length, a GPS, every which way and based on lat/long.

Here, we use the football/athletic field measuring stick.

Americans relate well to football and the field it's played on, so using it as a gauge of trail distance should be easy... sort of. A football field, goal to goal = 100yds. or 300ft. One mile = 5280ft or, divided by 300, yields 17.6 football fields, 1760yds. Of course, that's a grassy, flat linear length: there are no rocks, roots, mud, ups, downs, streams, and tedious switchbacks. See end-to-end, width, etc., here: http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/NinTam.shtml

Often, a football field is within an oval running track, length: 1/4 miles or 5280 divided by 4 = 1320ft or 440yds. Here, use your spatial skills to unroll the oval into a straight line for a linear .25 mile, another gauge within the same arena. But, again, no ups, downs, etc.

Football players can probably relate best of all and, well, this yardstick ain't perfect, but how far for a first down (max.)? For starters, visualize that distance and hike your hike as a series of first downs (or goal-to-goal touchdowns). Awe your camp group by describing the spring as 30yds away (3 first downs), e.g., and it is!

So if you're the "Are we there, yet?" impatient type, watch more football and learn the field. Hopefully, the above will prove helpful with your next trek stretch.

Note: If you think this football analogy/measure/math is a stretch, check this: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstory.cfm?ArticleID=5861