Can you feel north?

[shah269]

Well today I went for a nice little 200 mile ride to no where. Kind of sort of had to clear my head of a few issues and though I'm not a believer in god per say he/she/it had created a perfect day for riding. So I went for a ride in N-NJ. Lots of twisty second gear 40mph two lane roads where the treas along the road were so old that they obscured the sky. And any hoooooo long story short came to a number of intersections and well it was me, the road and the occasional chipmunk calling me a squid. And well....let's put it this way, with out a map I was kind of able to kind of sort of feel north. As in "AAAAAhhhh oh that way is north! So....I want to go west if i want to go further from home! aaaaaaaaahhhh"
And no mates there were no road signs.
Has this ever happend to you?  
Sure felt strange! Shame I can't do this with lotto numers!

[miles]

Yeah, I can tell which way is north.  

I was all screwed up when I lived in South America.  I'd have to remind myself that it was actually south I was feeling.

[ksann]

I can almost always feel North.


I can't really explain it though.



ken

[Explorer]

I can almost always feel North.


I can't really explain it though.



ken

+1

[Wockman]

+ another 1  

I might not know where the heck I am but I know what direction I'm heading...

[Stray Cat]

I like feeling north, for a while. Then I head south. Maybe a trip or two back up north, after a bit.  

[shah269]

I can almost always feel North.


I can't really explain it though.



ken

Dude yeah what is up with that! It was so strange! At first I was thinking OK I'm looking at the sun, but then I realized OK it's mid day and I'm under the canopy so.....? WTF!
It was very strange and very very very zen!

[Daytona-dan]

i grew up a country boy in east Texas.....i always know North.

when i moved to Alaska in the early 90's i was far enough North that the sun almost made a complete circle overhead during the summer days. to see the sun come up in one spot and see it set in almost the same spot JACKS with your head. most of us know that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West...it don't work like that in the far northern hemispheres.

it took me months to believe where North was while i lived in Alaska.

[Johnny Monsoon]

Of course you can feel north: we all have a deposit of metal in the tip of our noses (no kidding) which makes us 'feel' north.

[zer0netgain]

Normally, I'd say yes, but I've been in a couple of places that I find myself consistently getting directions reversed (N is S, E is W).  Can't explain why.

[Thundergod]

Thats easy...we are nearing winter, sun is low in the south sky....so turn around...

[Shhted]

My old man is a retired pilot and has a plaque on his office wall:  "Pilots are never lost, only momentarily disoriented".

I have a pretty astute internal compass, GPS-schmeePS.

[RowdyRed94]

There are a million subtle clues as to which direction is which, from shadow to wind to landmarks, many of them acting subconsciously. No need to go straight to some mythical internal compass.

[Guy]

Normally, I'd say yes, but I've been in a couple of places that I find myself consistently getting directions reversed (N is S, E is W).  Can't explain why.

+1. Generally, I always know which direction I'm heading, but occasionally I hit those places where I get all effed up, and can't tell N from E and S from W. My worst place? SEATAC. I can't seem to ever get my bearings straight there, and I've spent a lot of time at that airport.

[bomber]

There are a million subtle clues as to which direction is which, from shadow to wind to landmarks, many of them acting subconsciously. No need to go straight to some mythical internal compass.

Very true -- I find my internal nav system sometimes gets hosed in heavily urbanized areas -- not much moss on a traffic light, I guess

[vitaminC]

When I left the West Coast for the first time, I had a lot of trouble with being able to travel West for more than ~30 minutes    But I still knew which way was north!  

[Global Rider]

I sure can.

When my back is warm and its roughly noon, I am facing north.  

[naustin]

It's a curse I tell you!

Here in corn country, all the roads are basically on a grid.  They are all straight and either run N-S or E-W.  You can't ever rid yourself of the awareness of North.  It inflicts itself on you.  Its impossible to find a nice twisty road and get yourself lost.    You only have 4 choices.  I spend whole rides trying to find one damn road that cuts across something diagonally...  They are very, very rare, usually follow big, wide, muddy, basically straight flowing rivers, and are still devoid of curves.   The best curves in this state are when the road dodges 100 yards to one side or another to avoid some farmes feild...  

So, Yah, I know what you mean....

[leveredge]

I don't have a clue. That's why I have a compass on the bike.

[JoelCool]

I'm usually momentarily disoriented.