You and a friend are planning on hiking separately and meeting at a lake neither of you have ever been to before. The map shows it to be a hilly area, with plenty of streams and trees.

You're sure you can find the lake, and walk around it if necessary, but visibility might be poor. Where should you arrange to meet to be sure of finding each other?

There is a simple solution to this problem, which outdoorsy types should be familiar with.

Meet at the outflow of the lake. It works every time, except for one strange lake in Norway that has two outflows at opposite ends during the wet seasons.

Posted by Jim Lyon on 2002-12-30 09:14:24