Last Saturday was a disgusting summer day full of rain, clouds and wind. How many people would then turn out for a trail run on Sunday morning in Adelaide’s South Eastern wilderness? Almost 40 to be imprecise.
After having no trouble finding the park what-so-ever the challenge of navigating the mapped out route began. A lead group left early to try and get a little headstart on the main bunch, only to falter at the first corner and spend their headstart deciding which way to go.
The route changed from that originally proposed, which included numerous indistinct trails (much like Mt Misery) and ventures into forbidden SA Water land, to something a little easier for the navigation-ally challenged. There was nice wide, well signed (for the most part) fire tracks and a clear and precise map. Too easy…you would think.
After the early starters initial indecision, arrows were drawn in the sand by JohnG in the main bunch at each track intersection to indicate the correct direction. I soon fell into a small group ably led by TerryC and we drifted along between the main bunch up ahead and the early starters behind.
On a couple of occasions we drew arrows where JohnG had forgotten to draw some and then I followed his arrow to the right at a junction and TerryC (who had run the route the previous week) said:
“We go straight ahead here”
To which I replied:
“I don’t think JohnG went straight ahead”.
So I changed the arrow for those behind us and then kept marking the proper route as we went. (The absence of further arrows along the “proper” being confirmation that the main bunch had faltered).
The country side was beautiful and lush following the recent soaking rain and the vista of hills and valleys were magnificent.
In no time at all (well 1hr30mins to be precise) we were back at the cars and after a brief respite set off on the extra loop. I will be the first to admit that I was a bit lazy on the extra loop and walked most of the first half before cutting the bigger loop short in favour of a 4km option. I just wasn’t feeling it.
It was great fun getting back to the cars and listening to the stories of how others became lost, or rather took wrong turns, on what seemed to be a very easy route. The main bunch had run down the wrong road for a kilometer until they started seeing existing arrows that they had drawn previously. Realising their folly, they marched back up the hill only to find their arrow pointing in a different direction.
Lesson learned. Don’t be a sheep. Read the map….BAAAAAA!
The One Less Travelled By 
So now you know (from experience!) where/how the ‘John’s Folly’ award originated!